# Talk:My Time at Sandrock

I'm planning to get this article (and possibly Portia) to GA in the near future (see failed review above). The plot section is currently 1277 words using https://wordcounter.net/. If anyone knows why I have trimmed it down significantly, its because MOS:VGPLOT advises keeping it down to 700 words. I've been on a break from Dec-June due to holidays and stuff but I hopefully return to fully editing until at least the start of 2026. VG articles currently at GA include Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Summerhouse. JuniperChill (talk) 22:59, 28 June 2025 (UTC)

I have done most of the work as per the failed GAN, but the article has significantly expanded (the plot section) since the failed review and I'm working on removing it to less than 700 words. JuniperChill (talk) 23:40, 4 August 2025 (UTC)
Since I have removed most of the plot section and have addressed the reasons why my GA failed, I have nominated this again. Hopefully, this isn't enough to be a quickfail since I have expanded the 'reception' section. I would note that Summerhouse's reception section is 250 words long and Sandrocks is 275. JuniperChill (talk) 18:15, 23 August 2025 (UTC)

Hey, congrats on the GAN. I think you're right that this isn't a quickfail and the article has improved significantly. I don't have time to do a full GAN review, but some feedback that may really assist here that might be helpful to progress the nomination: 

The Gameplay section is sourced from a single citation and is quite vague. This is probably the biggest hurdle: it isn't clear what the relevance is for many of the details, such as what the significance of the water, machines or tree-cutting is, or the context of combat. I think you may need to take a step back and think about what the core gameplay loop is, and what objectives and activities the player undertakes, supported by the available citations. I got the sense that the game's a mix of farm life and role-playing, but not really what players expect of the gameplay, just a mix of things they can do.
You could properly demarcate the Gameplay and Plot as discrete sections, if there is more available detail on the game's plot. I think it's gone a little bit too further the other way trimming it down for WP:VGPLOT - there's now only two sentences, and it's unclear how it relates to the gameplay.
The Reception section touches on the right sources and coverage, and has some good quotes. However, attribution is an issue. We constantly talk about various critics saying something, but the lack of citations or follow-up statements that reflect it makes it unclear which sources have said this and whether these statements are representative of the sources as a whole. It's easy to see patterns in what two or so reviews are saying and attribute too much significance to it as a representative viewpoint when that may not be the case.
Happy to chat if needed! ＶＲＸＣＥＳ (talk) 12:21, 30 August 2025 (UTC)

I have made a few pre-GAN changes, including introducing more citations to the gameplay section. I have also split the plot section to three sentences. Someone significantly expanded the plot section which was over the recommended limit of 700 words. I haven't beaten the game yet, so I made sure I don't read the whole thing. I'm doing my best to avoid spoiling the game and I have over 100 hours on it.
IGN talks about managing water in depth to the point it has its own section, and RPS does so in a little detail. I think its common sense to conserve water, but in a desert is even more so. IGN, RPS and Gematsu all mention combat.
The reception is a little difficult to tackle, but I can definitely mention technical issues since Nintendo Life and Nintendo World Report reported that, although (as the name suggests) its for the Switch. IGN talks a little about the graphics. JuniperChill (talk) 19:53, 30 August 2025 (UTC)

... that the PlayStation 4 version of My Time at Sandrock was released ten months after the PlayStation 5 version?

Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/WLAJ
Comment: PS5 version released Nov 2023. PS4 version released Sep 2024.

JuniperChill (talk) 18:57, 6 October 2025 (UTC).

Overall:  Looks good. Plot may be a bit long but that's a nit-pick. Good job on getting this to GA. TheBritinator (talk) 15:08, 17 October 2025 (UTC)
 @MisawaSakura, @JuniperChill and @TheBritinator, I've pulled this as the hook is a very, very long way from interesting. TarnishedPathtalk 10:24, 28 October 2025 (UTC)

I disagree, personally. I think having a PS4 version release several months after the PS5 version an interesting fact since it's typically the other way around. However, I'm not that fussed if that's your decision. TheBritinator (talk) 10:30, 28 October 2025 (UTC)
What TarnishedPath said (BTW, I had already kicked this one back from p5 for the same issue). Better hook needed. Gatoclass (talk) 11:07, 28 October 2025 (UTC)
It's not uncommon for versions on hardware which has lower performance to be released later (if at all). Baldur's Gate 3, for example, was released on XBox some time after it was released on everything else because of issues they had trying to get it to run well on XBox Series S. TarnishedPathtalk 11:15, 28 October 2025 (UTC)
How about ALT1: "that despite technical issues, a critic described My Time at Sandrock as better in almost every way than its predecessor?" I thought that its rare for games to be released on the newer gen first before the older gen. The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are part of the same gen. JuniperChill (talk) 20:36, 28 October 2025 (UTC)
You'd want to hope a game was better than its predecessor. Looking at the article I see that one reviewer described it as "a compelling and lusciously detailed life simulator". That seems more interesting. TarnishedPathtalk 04:53, 30 October 2025 (UTC)
Sure, I'll go with that one instead TarnishedPath. JuniperChill (talk) 17:48, 30 October 2025 (UTC)
ALT2: that a reviewer described My Time at Sandrock as "a compelling and lusciously detailed life simulator"?
 ALT2 approved. TarnishedPathtalk 08:44, 11 November 2025 (UTC)
Not wild about ALT2 either, but I don't mind if someone else promotes it. theleekycauldron (talk • she/her) 17:34, 22 November 2025 (UTC)
I also wanted to chime in with my hesistation on promoting this. TarnishedPath, would you really consider this hook interesting enough? It reads like the usual praise essentially any contemporary works of art receives from reviewers. It also comes off as a tad promotional for the same reason. (please  mention me on reply; thanks!) —TechnoSquirrel69 (sigh) 00:34, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
@TechnoSquirrel69:, if you want to suggest another hook or alternatively reject the nomination, go ahead. TarnishedPathtalk 02:07, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
I'll go and try with ALT3: "...that My Time at Sandrock was raised by almost 10,000 people from over 160 countries?" I didn't use "backers" as I think many are unfamiliar with the term.  JuniperChill (talk) 10:36, 23 November 2025 (UTC)