Forager's Boons are that rare gaming choice that really means something Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Forager's Boons are that rare gaming choice that really means something Clicker beats the devil. Feature by Christian Donlan Features Editor Published on 7 May 2019 8 comments I'll admit I was at the nodding-off stage with Forager when I discovered the weird altar thing. Forager is an exploration and crafting game, and it's also a clicker game. Everything you do makes the numbers go up, and everything you get for making the numbers go up makes the numbers go up faster. This is why I was starting to nod off, I think. Forager is filled with bespoke wonders, but they are delivered via a deliriously enjoyable grind. A luxurious grind. Grind that is like a warm bubble bath. Grind that might make you nod off. But then I discovered the weird altar thing. It's in the red zone to the south of the starting fields. Its theme, I guess, is hell. There are certainly a lot of demons running around. And there's this altar, which feels suitably demonic and hellish too. I've seen a lot of hellish altars by this point in my gaming life. But this one was different. This one gave me a choice. And it was a choice that actually mattered. The altar, it turns out, is how you access Forager's Boons system. Boons offer a trade: give up one of your permanent life hearts in exchange for one of two randomly selected boosts. I say Boons offer a trade, but once you click on the altar you're locked in: you're losing a heart whatever happens. So what do you want to trade it for. The genius of this system, beyond the fact that you're locked in, is that the trades don't really seem that good. Maybe you trade your heart away for a bunch of potions, or to gain three levels instantly. Thing is: none of those things are as good as having an extra heart. This is a game in which you play for a very long time to get anywhere, so things like extra hearts mean about as much as they do in Zelda, say. In Breath of the Wild, I would argue there's nothing as valuable as a new heart container. You certainly wouldn't trade one away for a few magic spells, or a few gems. But in Forager I do. I've done it four times now, even though new hearts can be tricky to come by, and even though the boons I'm offered really aren't that good. Sometimes, they're actually terrible. Yesterday I accidentally chose the option to spawn a load of high-level enemies. I only had one heart left by this point, which is insta-kill. Those guys insta-killed me again and again and again until I drank a potion that caused me to arc lightning, after which I just ran around zapping them from a distance. The magic I think - the thing which makes this bad deal so unmissable - is that Forager is a game in which all the numbers go up. It's a game in which good fortune slides your way, sometimes very slowly, sometimes rather quickly. It turns out that slowly-acquired riches gives you quite a lot to lose, and in a game in which good things are always happening, bad deals with the devil take on a perverse value. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More Features Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. 14 Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Feature What games get wrong about horses And what they could do about it. 34 Feature Shout out to all the Overwatch supports - where would we be without you? Merci. 55 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store