Summary
Developer Marvelous has revealed the latest two trailers for its upcoming fantasy farming RPGRune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, showing off players' potential romantic prospects. A fantasy spin-off of theStory of Seasonsseries,Rune Factory: Guardians of Azumais the latest installment of the series, and will launch on Nintendo Switch and PC on August 01, 2025.
Once a niche genre, farming sims have exploded into broader consciousness thanks to the runaway popularity ofStardew Valley. Now the rise of the farming life game is givingclassic cozy games likeHarvest Moon,Story of Seasons, and the fantasy-themedRune Factorysubseries (which predateStardew Valley) a new chance to break through to larger audiences with their approach to farming, social life, and romance.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azumaalso represents a fresh angle on the genre thanks to its unique, fantasy Japanese aesthetic and incorporation of RPG-style combat and progression mechanics. The latest trailers emphasize the game’s cast of characters, particularly the eligible romantic prospects ofGuardians of Azuma. As withotherRune Factorytitles, players will be able to meet and court members of the community, choosing to befriend and romance them over time.Guardians of Azumawill boast a total of 16 characters to romance, each with a unique design, backstory, and in some cases, combat abilities.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Details Its 16 Bachelors and Bachelorettes
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Male Romances
Of the 16 eligible romances inRune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, eight are male and eight are female. Two are exclusive to the game’s “Seasons of Love” DLC bundle, leaving a total of 14 in the base game. The male partners cover a wide range of different appeals, from Murasame, a samurai who strives to become the world’s greatest swordsman, to Mauro, a treasure hunter with a sentimental bent. One of the potential partners is actually the male player avatar, Subaru.Unlike other games with customizable protagonists,Guardians of Azumamakes the other avatar appear in-game as a separate, distinct character who can be courted. The male character Cuilang is exclusive to the Seasons of Love DLC bundle.
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Female Romances
Meanwhile, the female romances ofRune Factory: Guardians of Azumacover their own spectrum of design sensibilities. Iroha runs the local teahouse and dresses in a waitress-style kimono, while Clarice is a tough soldier who’s even portrayed as an enemy in several trailers. Several of the girls are gods, like Ulalaka, Matsuri, and Kanata. Players who choose a male avatar will encounter Kaguya, the game’s female avatar, as a romanceable character. The female character Pilika is exclusive to the Seasons of Love DLC bundle.
Though the trailers feature characters interacting with romantic prospects of the opposite gender, it should be noted thatRune Factory: Guardians of Azumawill support same-sex courtship, building on the progress made byRune Factory 5and other games that support inclusive romance. Players will have plenty of options to choose from whenGuardians of Azumadebuts.
