Andy's Apple Farm

About Andy's Apple Farm

Andy's Apple Farm is a horror game by M36 Games, released in November 2021 on itch.io, where you can name your own price, and on Steam. It is presented as a copy of a beta test version of a game that was meant to come out in the mid-1980s. The store page is open about it: the game is not really a beta, but it is designed to look like one.

On the surface it is a gentle children's game. Andy the Apple has lost the key to his house, and his friends on the farm, Felix the Fish, Melody the Moon, Margret the Mole and Claus the Clock, each have a small game for you to play. Win them and you get bonus stickers, and with enough stickers someone may tell Andy where his key is.

Then the game starts to glitch. Colours break up, scenes appear that should not be there, and pieces of a different story come through: the story behind the game. Many of its secrets need more than one playthrough to find, and the maker says it may take several runs to understand the whole thing.

The effect comes from the contrast between the bright pixel art and what leaks through it, shown on a curved, flickering CRT picture. The store page warns of loud noises, scary imagery and flashing lights. It suits players who like lost-media stories and games that hide their real story under a cheerful surface.

How to play Andy's Apple Farm

1. Walk Andy around the farm and talk to each of his friends.
2. Play each friend's mini-game to win their bonus sticker.
3. Collect the stickers to learn where Andy's key might be.
4. Watch for glitches and follow where they lead; they open up the hidden story.
5. Play again to find secrets and other parts of the story you missed.

Tips

• Pay attention when something looks wrong; the glitches are where the story is.
• Play more than once; the maker says some secrets need several runs.
• Lower the volume if loud sudden noises bother you.
• Take a break if the flashing effects become too much.

Questions