Spiritfarer, the life sim that finds comfort in death, is all about ferrying spirits into the afterlife. It tackles some pretty heavy topics but, overall, it's a positive game that deals with death in a compassionate and open way. Keeping your boat folk happy is a vital part of Spiritfarer, and alongside cooking their favourite foods and making sure their living spaces are comfortable, the key to keeping them positive is dishing out an immense amount of hugs.
Having a cuddle in Spiritfarer might seem like a small gesture, but it's an important part of boat life. Hugging a character dramatically helps improve their mood, especially when they've been thinking about what they miss from their previous life. A hug is also the last thing you give to them when they finally decide to make the journey into the afterlife.
Each character in Spiritfarer is beautifully drawn and the hugging animations are no exception. Every character has a particular way of hugging that works with their character design, and it makes each individual hug even more special.
In no particular order, I've listed all the huggable characters and which ones are the best below but beware—it's full of character spoilers. If that's not an issue then read on to see a bunch of cute gifs and feel a warm fuzziness in your heart.
Your first real friend and first hug in Spiritfarer, Gwen holds a special place in the hugging hierarchy. The animation for the hug looks super cosy and I like the way she pauses a little before she returns the hug—very wholesome. As lovely as Gwen's hug is, there's some tough competition in the rest of the Spiritfarer group.
Atul is the cuddly uncle and has one of the biggest personalities out of all the characters. Being a huge toad, he doesn't have any soft fur so it's probably like hugging damp rubber, but his huge belly is definitely a plus. As much as I love his personality, Atul's hug is up against some super cuddly characters and unfortunately, I wouldn't place him in my top huggers. I would give him loads of berries to make up for it though.
Only in Spiritfaerer can you hug a hedgehog and it not be painful. For Alice's hug, you need to kneel down since she's a petit grandma. I also like how her little paws wrap around Stella, giving a huge amount of sincerity to this hug. I imagine that in real-life there would be a little bit of collision between Stella's huge hat and Alice's bonnet, but ultimately this hug is grade A.
I really like Summer's character design and even though the hug here is adorable, I don't believe she makes a great hugger. I love how her tail wraps around Stella but ultimately, hugging a snake doesn't have the cuddliness of some of the other characters. Sorry Summer, please don't stop playing your sitar that helps my plants grow.
Astrid the prideful bobcat can be a little overbearing on the ship, but that icy exterior all melts away when you give her a big ol' hug. She has excellent posture and always has an air of regality about her, but she slumps into a comfy embrace when you hug her—it's adorable. She's super fluffy and being a big cat means she embraces Stella's entire body. I imagine hugging her would be the warmest cuddle of the bunch. Top tier hugger.
Much like Astrid, the fact that Giovani has fluffy fur certainly makes him a top-notch hugger. That big luxurious mane certainly looks comfortable, and we know that he takes particularly good care of it. I would be a little scared that those giant paws would squeeze a little too tightly but he seems gentle enough. Definitely up there as one of the top huggers of the group.
The anthropomorphic mushroom Stanley is a super spritely and he leaps into Stella's arms for his hug. I love how his arms and legs are in this hug, putting all his energy into it. When Stanley talks about missing his parents he gets a little upset, but a hug always cheers him up. It's a strong contender and it would definitely hold a position in the top half of the hugger leaderboard.
The only friend with feathers, Gustav has a cuddling advantage to the other characters. His wings are big enough to completely cover Stella, which looks super cosy and gives him bonus points. The only thing that puts me off a little is that his flower broach is right in Stella's face, which might be a little irritating. I guess it comes down to a battle between feathers and fur, and unfortunately, fur is always better for snuggling.
You would think with two spirits you would get double the hug, but brothers Bruce and Mickey's hug is pretty reserved. One is a giant water buffalo and so there's not much he can do with those giant front legs, and Mickey's part of the hug is focused mainly on his brother's snout. It's not the most involving hug, but the display of brotherly love is still pretty cute, especially as these two were gangsters in their previous life.
Roll a d20 for cuddliness! Dungeon master Buck is a bit awkward but that doesn't get in the way of a warm hug. I like how Buck puts a lot of effort into his hugs, standing on both his hind legs and wrapping his tail around Stella. I appreciate his resolve but I can't imagine his hugs are particularly cosy. He should choose a feat when he levels up that gives him a +5 to his cuddle rolls.
Not everyone that joins you on your ship likes hugging and Elena is one such character. Attempting to hug her will make her mood dramatically drop, which is not cool. Respecting characters' personal boundaries in Sprirtfarer is super important and that extends to Elena.
Many of your boat's residents will sometimes not feel like hugging, which is totally fine, but your cat companion Daffodil is always up for a cuddle. Her hugs are definitely top-tier as she includes a little nuzzle in Stella's neck which is super cute and makes me miss my own cat.
