It is said that in the past, Chinese immigrants mining in Australia would shout "Ding kam" (real gold) in Cantonese when they struck gold. This phrase subsequently spread throughout Australia and eventually became a slang term included in dictionaries. Now, an Australian indie developer named James has released a Chinese version of his game, effectively bringing it back to its linguistic roots. The game, titled Dimkum, is translated as "Jin Ken" (Gold Reclamation).
"Dimkum" is a standard farming simulation game.
As the joke goes, "farming" is one of the pleasures engraved in Chinese genes. Although the "gather → build → unlock tech" loop in these games often causes frustration when stuck on one or two materials, watching barren land flourish and buildings rise from the ground provides an undeniable sense of accomplishment for builders—a feeling of "using my body as a ladder, using my body to break barriers."
Graphically, "Dimkum" features warm tones with sharp angles. Its cartoonish 3D modeling is rough yet carries a hint of exotic flair. This is due to the Australian background of its indie developer, James.
Thus, at the beginning of the story, the player is a handsome character living in the "cold southern lands." The initial sight is quite surprising, taking a moment to adjust to the unique climate of the Southern Hemisphere.
Traveling north, we step into vast virgin lands, where the vitality of the wilderness truly hits us—kangaroos leap across red earth wastelands, shy wombats curl up under eucalyptus shade, and even legendary creatures like dodos appear faintly in the dense forests. Without map markers, the creatures of this land silently declare: Welcome to the other end of the world, a wild frontier waiting to be reclaimed.
As Australia is designated as humanity's reserve in Liu Cixin's novels, how to effectively utilize land area is a topic often discussed by sci-fi enthusiasts. Therefore, "Dimkum" offers me the attraction of practically implementing those crazy ideas.
Players familiar with games like "Stardew Valley" and "Animal Crossing" will quickly adapt to the island's planting, breeding, gathering, mining, fishing, and bug-catching systems. The difference is that this game adds a layer of license simulation. Players must first complete tasks to earn points for certifications, gradually upgrading their certificate levels to unlock advanced actions and items.
This threshold-setting system is a matter of personal preference. While it makes gameplay more cumbersome, it adds realism and depth, providing clear RPG-like positive feedback on growth and reflecting the theme of personal and town development going hand in hand.
Ultimately, we can craft teleportation energy towers, wield time magic books, and build bridges and roads to create our own kingdom. Whether engaging in primary industries like farming and livestock to escape poverty, or pursuing heavy industry with mechanical roars rushing towards the 22nd century, the game offers unexpectedly detailed restoration of each sector. It successfully differentiates gameplay paths within the same farming framework, providing high customization depth and transforming it into an industry simulator.
For example, if I want to engage in the tertiary industry by developing real estate in Australia.
First, I need to take out a bank loan, then obtain land deeds from the relevant authorities. After that, I gather wood and ore to process into planks, nails, cement, and other building materials. Once the construction team finishes their work, I finally get a small villa.
For this purpose, I once ventured into a mine 800 meters underground, searching for building materials to ensure eternal good feng shui and fortune.
I also serve as designer, financier, logistician, and construction worker, wearing a hard hat to personally carry bricks and mix concrete at the site. I personally mix "passion" with "sand, stone, cement, and water," ultimately writing the immortal legend of "civil engineering soul, constructors are above all."
Although these details increase game depth, they inevitably increase the grind, triggering PTSD for some. However, unlike civil engineers self-deprecatingly calling themselves beasts of burden, in "Dimkum," we are genuinely working for ourselves.
Fortunately, after the official release on April 22, a rental feature was added. By purchasing a rental sign from the store and placing it in front of a built guest house, one of the four NPCs will move in the next day, continuously generating popcorn for us.
Correspondingly, players can use similar logic to build museums, shops, and entertainment plazas to attract immigrants. Personalized towns can be created using fences, flower beds, streetlights, beehives, windmills, hedges, and fountains. The happier visitors are, the more likely they are to settle down, open shops, and make a living here.
At this point, we have completed most of the residential area development. Finally, we just need to renovate our apartment nicely, and NPCs will bid based on the layout and decoration. All that's left is to sit back and collect rent.
Of course, not all players enjoy the sweat and toil of agricultural and industrial work. Therefore, the developers thoughtfully added a Creative Mode in the 1.0 update. When loading a save file, you can find the gear icon on the right side of the save slot to enter the settings menu and select your preferred mode.
Although the officials emphasize that enabling Creative Mode disables all in-game achievements and trophies, if you don't care about these, you can instantly transform into Doraemon with a "ding" sound, pulling out all resources and tools with a single click—
Once the four-dimensional pocket is out, the nature of the game changes instantly. Combined with the game's high-freedom terrain modification system, players can quickly create their "Minecraft" according to their aesthetic preferences. Farm animals can be generated with one click, and weather can even be controlled.
Another noteworthy aspect is the update to the livestock system.
Originally, while managing the ranch in the game, players had to deal with disturbances from wild creatures, requiring defensive measures like fences, scarecrows, or guard dogs to outwit nature. However, with the release of the official 1.0 version, small animals now face issues like getting dirty and contracting diseases. The gameplay now encourages players to interact more intimately with them through regular brushing, cleaning, and feeding. These detailed interactions ensure that silkworms in the insect eco-room produce silk more steadily and healthily, and wombats produce milk more comfortably...
Friends who have experience raising pets will surely understand this bittersweet experience.
Other aspects, such as NPC behavior AI and town visitor management, have also been upgraded and optimized in the 1.0 version. For instance, the previously reported issue of being unable to find quest NPCs can now be resolved by building a structure called the "Town Big Clock," where ringing the bell gathers everyone together.
The only regret is that multiplayer mode accounts for a significant portion of the 93% positive reviews among over 20,000 comments for "Dimkum." Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to invite friends to play online, inevitably missing out on many social module designs. As mentioned earlier, some gameplay elements are so detailed they become grindy, which might not be an issue under multiplayer cooperation.
Regardless, this work, which has been requested to have Chinese language support since its testing phase in 2022, proves to be a refined and enjoyable treat. More importantly, the official 1.0 version of "Dimkum" is gradually finding its unique gameplay style through exploration, moving beyond early community definitions as a PC platform substitute for "Animal Crossing" or a 3D version of "Stardew Valley." More segmented module actions bring both more complex operations and greater imaginative space for players.
Perhaps just as indie game creator James thanked players in the 1.0 update announcement, "Dimkum"'s journey from a small project on his computer to a world played by thousands relies on the support and suggestions of the community. Many gameplay features are the result of collective player demand, and even when difficult to implement, he is willing to strive for them.
And this is why I like and look forward to "Dimkum"—the 1.0 update is not the end of the game's evolution. As long as James continues to develop patiently, stays close to the community, and listens to feedback, I have reason to believe it has greater potential for evolution compared to similar titles.
