Disclaimer
I’ve been playing the Cahaya DLC since release, and with the new features, particularly gardening and the option to sleep on the street. I decided to start a Rags to Riches challenge.
Content & Story Integration
The DLC content and story integration aren’t quite perfect yet. While it’s great that more buildings were added, only some feel meaningful. For example, the Resale Store and Selling Mat add interesting gameplay mechanics, but many of the other buildings on the main island feel somewhat underwhelming, as they don’t contribute much beyond being decorative.
A way to make these builds more engaging would be to add lore and unique NPC interactions. For instance, the lady at the Resale Store could have a backstory, perhaps she’s a local running a family business, or a zoi who moved from Blissbay to Cahaya to start fresh. Expanding on NPCs and locations with small storylines or interactions would give the world more depth and purpose.
Gameplay Additions
- Gardening, Treasure Hunting & Fishing
These are excellent additions and bring a refreshing pace to the game. I don’t have major complaints, but gardening could be more streamlined. For example, the scarecrow should allow broader interactions: such as planting seeds, pulling weeds, or fertilizing, rather than requiring the player to micromanage each plot. Similarly, if a zoi waters one plant, it would be more efficient if they automatically watered all the plants that needed it. - Selling Stand/Mat
This is a nice feature for challenge-based play, though sometimes it becomes buggy, interactions may not appear consistently. - Swimming & Snorkeling
It’s nice that zois can swim and snorkel, but it would be more engaging if players could manually control snorkeling, similar to walking or swimming. Adding treasure collection while snorkeling (as with rocks or branches) would also make it feel more interactive. - Resort & Spa Island
The concept is solid, but the second island suffers from the same issue as the main one, while visually nice, the activities and builds feel a little empty and repetitive.
Careers & University
- Careers
I’ve only tested the Farmer and Lawyer paths so far, but careers like Field Worker, Yoga Instructor, and Conservator would feel much more engaging if we could actually follow our zoi to work, just like with the Idol career in Dowon or the Attraction Park in Blissbay. Field Worker and Conservator especially fit well with Cahaya’s theme, so adding playable elements to them would enrich the experience. - University
Currently, the options feel limited, with swimming being the only real choice. Expanding available studies would make university gameplay much more interesting.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Cahaya DLC introduces some exciting mechanics and shows a lot of potential, but much of the content still feels surface-level. The highlights are gardening, treasure hunting, fishing, and the selling system, but the lack of depth in story integration, career variety, and meaningful building interactions holds it back.
I’d rate it a 5/10 for now. It’s enjoyable in parts, but I’m looking forward to more substantial additions in future updates.