An MMO was at the top of the Steam Next Fests for a week: I tested it and discovered a hard grind in the endgame

Loftia has captured the attention of many players at the last Steam Next Fest. MyMMO editor Jasmin was finally able to test the full version of the game and was surprised at the endgame. 

If I had to define my favorite genre, it would clearly be cozy and farming games. I grew up with games like Harvest Moon, which later became Story of Seasons, and I simply love spending a relaxed evening farming, taking care of my animals, or building things.

Loftia strikes a similar chord. The cozy MMO aims to lead a resource-conscious life together with others. One recycles junk and creates whole pieces of furniture or even improvements from these materials. 

Normally, such cozy games lag behind other genres in terms of player numbers. It was all the more surprising that Loftia made it into the top 10 of the most played games at the last Steam Next Fest with its demo. Therefore, I took a look at the full version of the game and was pleasantly surprised at what a hardcore grind is hidden in the endgame. 

Caught in a whirlpool of collecting resources and crafting 

To get into the game, I tackled the main quests. The game introduces you to the different mechanics, shops, and resources of Loftia. This creates a loop that we experience over and over again:

• We walk through the area and collect resources from abandoned junk. 
• Subsequently, we craft building materials from it or use it as is. 
• Then we craft items from the collected materials that can serve as furniture, clothing, or upgrades. 
• We have thus fulfilled the quest objective and receive the next task. 

A special mechanic is that we need to charge a battery to craft. We can charge this at self-built solar panels that gradually convert solar energy into electrical energy. 

However, new electrical energy is always available quickly, so this mechanic never feels annoying. Additionally, we can gradually expand the battery so that we can store more electrical charge. It thematically fits well with Loftia.

In general, I made relatively quick progress with the main quest. But if you look at all the side activities, it becomes clear what a hardcore grind awaits in the endgame. 

There are stations everywhere where you have to collect and submit certain items. This unlocks upgrades for certain workbenches or provides recipes for upgrades or new features like boots that allow you to jump better. 

Many of the desired materials or fish I didn’t see at all until the end of the main quest. Presumably, some fish are in a secret lake or there are materials for which I first need to unlock the recipe elsewhere. 

It became clear to me how long Loftia can still entertain me in the endgame once I’m done with the main quest. Because the grind is addictive, and I had a lot of fun with it as it always felt rewarding to unlock new recipes. 

For me, it was therefore less a cozy game but more a list I had to work through and that I had fun with. So anyone expecting pure boredom here is mistaken. 

An MMO that can also be tackled alone

Another point I want to address is Loftia’s community focus. After all, the game is not just a pure single-player game, but an MMO. In your world, you will constantly encounter other players who are also caught in the collecting fever. 

The MMO constantly tries to ensure that you must also interact with others as a pure single-player. This includes:

• Minigames that take place hourly, which you can complete together with others as a competition
• There are cross-group projects where the final result counts, and based on that, all players receive their reward by submitting materials into a box. 
• There are instances for 1-4 players, where you can reach your goal faster by gathering more players together. 
• There are even quests that force you to perform emotes in front of other players or to bonk them with a hammer. 

I find it a pity that in the minigames, the group performance does not count, but the individual scoring remains in the foreground.

For example, in one minigame, we had to grow and sell the desired vegetable. One had to turn a wheel to select the right seeds. The next had to count the seeds from a container. The others then had to water. Each step earned a point.

However, when selling, the one who sold the last desired vegetable received a full 30 points instead of just one. Personally, this always led me to wait until the maximum was almost reached and then come in with my last carrot to claim the 30 points. 

In the end, only your own result counts. There is a leaderboard showing who scored how many points, and based on that, the reward is selected. I find that a bit unfortunate. In other minigames, only individual performance is simply considered. Here I would have liked minigames where it really revolves around teamwork.

Also, for the instances, I would have liked something like a group search. I, as a lone wolf, have not yet been able to win any friends as players and therefore could only enter this instance as a single person. Alone, it is impossible to achieve all goals within the time limit in the instance, which is why I never received the best rewards. 

Loftia is more single-player than I initially expected

Despite hours of play, I haven’t been able to make any friends. I went into Loftia as a pure single-player and had the time of my life. Although it is an MMO, the interaction options were present, but not fully developed. 

The grind was so much fun for me that I didn’t mind that other people were tumbling around me. You can have a great time in Loftia even alone. If you’re looking for a game where there’s always something new to collect and build, then this is the right game for you. 

Besides Loftia, there are other MMOs you can try this year. Our MMORPG expert Karsten has taken a look at the most promising MMOs and reveals which games he sees great potential in. You can find his list here: New MMORPGs you can still play in 2026 – There are more than you think