Given the monumental success of ConcernedApe’s Stardew Valley, it’s no surprise that a wide range of indie titles have taken inspiration from it. However, there’s a big difference between borrowing a few mechanics from Stardew Valley and being a full-on Stardew Valley-like. Games like the upcoming Pawsome Resort fall into the latter category, essentially being just like Stardew Valley with the addition of an animal management element. The same can be said for Steam’s Farlands, a sci-fi cozy game with serious Stardew vibes.
While Stardew Valley’s Pelican Town is incredibly charming, the game having a somewhat realistic setting means there are experiences available in Farlands that simply cannot be offered in the most beloved cozy game ever. Interacting with aliens, wrangling extraterrestrial plants and wildlife, and exploring distinct otherworldly biomes are all things that could make Farlands stand out. However, all of Stardew Valley’s most famous elements are a core part of Farlands’ DNA, ensuring that fans of that game feel right at home in this newer release. And though it will be available to PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo players very soon, as it’s leaving Steam early access on July 16, gamers don’t have to wait that long to try it out thanks to a brand-new demo.
Farlands’ demo is available on all of its planned consoles (Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, and PS5), ensuring players know exactly what to expect before buying the full game on July 16. Per the Farlands Steam page, the game will likely cost around $17.99, and players can purchase it on Steam now for access to the existing version and the 1.0 release next month.
New Open-World Life Sim on Steam Looks Like Pokemon Pokopia Meets Stardew Valley
A brand-new Steam game with Stardew Valley-esque mechanics also throws some Pokemon Pokopia spice into the mix, creating a very interesting life sim.
Farlands Features at a Glance
- MANAGE your very own planet, transforming it from a (seemingly) abandoned rock to a charming new home.
- DAILY TASKS will keep players busy, like cutting weeds, digging paths, chopping trees, and more.
- EXPLORE multiple planets via your trusty old spaceship, gathering their unique resources to customize and expand your farm when you return home.
- INTERACT with a range of human and alien characters that can be romanced and even married.
- EXPERIENCE a slowly-unfolding story where players overthrow a corrupt figure and save their solar system.
Congratulations, you’ve bought your own planet! An agrarian rock at the edge of the galaxy that, for some reason, was practically being given away for free. So the time has come to leave your hectic, stressful life in an overcrowded metropolis for a more rural and rewarding life.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Farlands Mixes Stardew’s Relaxation, Progression, and Romance With Space Exploration
All the staples of Stardew Valley that have gone on to make the game a permanent fixture of the Steam sales charts are present within Farlands. For instance, players will interact with aliens resembling frogs, cats, and Dr. Zoidberg from Futurama, not to mention human characters, as they explore the solar system. Players can become especially close to some of these characters, pursuing and even marrying bachelors and bachelorettes like in Stardew Valley. For many, the characters are what make Stardew Valley so special, so having that aspect with a Stardew-like is key. Thankfully, Farlands will have them covered.
Beyond relationships, the day-to-day hustle and bustle of running a farm is integral to Stardew Valley’s satisfying gameplay loop, and again, Farlands seems to be nailing that element. Players will dig paths and plant alien crops, they’ll chop trees for material or to pretty up their new outer space home, and they’ll go mining within caves. While there is an intriguing storyline like Stardew Valley’s lore to piece together, it’s just as easy to play Farlands without worrying about the narrative, or the NPCs for that matter. If players want to, they can just relax and focus on making their ideal living space.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
The same top-down camera perspective, pixelized visuals, and portraits being used for dialogue guarantee a similar, immersive presentation for Stardew Valley fans to appreciate at every turn. However, Farlands isn’t just a Stardew clone, as its main gimmick should provide a lot of variety. If players ever get bored with mining in the same caves of Stardew Valley, or chopping the same kinds of trees and collecting the same kinds of crops, Farlands’ extra planets could prove to be game-changing. Players aren’t just confined to their farm and the cheap, small planet they start out with, as they can travel to different planets to gather unique materials, meet more characters, and explore entirely fresh biomes. This variety could be game-changing, and based on the user reviews for Farlands, it seems like developer Jandusoft knocked it out of the park.
Farlands’ Early Access Response Gives Players an Idea of The Game’s Quality
While it’s true that Farlands’ demo just released a few days ago at the time of writing, and the full game has yet to launch, the title was in early access for almost two full years. In that time, there have been over 1,300 reviews, 93% of which are positive, giving the game the coveted “Very Positive” rating on the Steam platform. Points of praise include the music, NPC dialogue, and satisfying core mechanics. There are some negatives, to be clear; fans have pointed out some bugs, like a disappearing blacksmith, that will hopefully be ironed out with the full release. If Farlands can squash these bugs, though, it has the potential to be a big hit with cozy gamers looking for something that’s both a bit new and very familiar at the same time.
