Good balance of time pressure and variety in tasks. The storyline and artwork are appealing. You can be successful in your tasks without feeling like it was handed to you.
I enjoyed the relaxed story where time wasn't a factor. The goals were fun and the mechanics were pretty good.
Pros: Ability to play through story mode at own pace. This was not time management. You could potentially take weeks to play a level without penalty.
Ability to hire helpers who are already skilled in some tasks.
Logical progression of story.
Upgrades and improved skills are really beneficial.
Cons: Characters don't adapt well. If they are going to harvest a specific crop and someone else gets there first, they stand there watching. You have to make sure that your workers don't end up in the same spot or it will waste a lot of time.
Placement of buildings is cumbersome and leads to a lot of wasted space.
Not a lot of replay value, in my opinion. Sandbox mode puts you on the same small lots and there is only so much you can do in the space given.
Overall, I really liked the game. I would love to see a better developed freeplay mode and some tweaks in a sequel. I would definitely get it!
I love this style of game. Lots of choices of what path to take in your life. It's a competition to meet goals before your rival. My only complaint is that if you meet the goals before you reach a particular rival, it just skips over that one with no credit. I have played this game several times, as the entire game can be completed fairly quickly. This is the precursor to Magic Life, and if you like that one, you're sure to like this.