Stardew Valley and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim are about as different as single-player games can get. The former is a cozy farming simulator full of romanceable NPCs and satisfying progression, while the latter is an open-world RPG packed with combat encounters, gear to collect, and detailed quests to complete. What these games do have in common, though, is longevity. Stardew Valley is 10 years old, while Skyrim will turn 15 in November 2026, yet both games remain as relevant as they were when they launched (if not more so). This accomplishment makes either title something worth mimicking, but Spellogger on Steam is striving to emulate both with its gameplay loop.
One look at Spellogger, and it quickly becomes clear why the game is described as a combination of Stardew and Elder Scrolls. Players will become a wizard lumberjack, chopping their way through a forest in first-person to gather materials. However, instead of some first-person tree smacking, players will unleash spells like lightning at groups of trees, knocking them down with magic and getting satisfying feedback like damage numbers in response. Whether Steam players want some daily tasks to work on or quests to embark on, Spellogger has them covered.
- EXPLORE a small-but-dense open world packed with secrets to uncover.
- BUILD your ideal homestead using harvested materials found by exploring.
- DEVELOP your character by filling out multiple trees of skills.
- COMPLETE quests for friendly NPCs to learn more about them and the surrounding area.
Spellogger developer Basti Games has fully leaned into the Stardew and Elder Scrolls influences when promoting this title, but this solo developer has also been incredibly transparent about one key difference. Whereas most games in the open-world genre tend to offer sprawling maps full of land to traverse, Spellogger’s open-world map is comparatively small. The map is roughly 1.5 KM squared, which is “smaller than your average open-world game,” but that’s no reason to be concerned. With a tinier world to play in, Basti Games has been able to fill every nook and cranny with worthwhile secrets, trading out size for density.
“A slow-paced, cozy fantasy RPG where you play as a Wizard Lumberjack. Take on daily tasks and upgrade your character in a relaxing work cycle similar to Stardew Valley, while setting out on Elder Scrolls-style quests and exploration.”
Exploring this dense open-world should feel very Skyrim-like, partially because of the first-person camera that it utilizes. With Skyrim’s default perspective embraced, chopping trees using powerful, Dragon Shout-like magic should feel surprisingly familiar. As players complete quests, do their daily chopping, and discover locations within the world, they’ll earn XP to level up their character.
They’ll be able to progress through several lumberjack-themed skill trees, such as Barkane Magic, Sawmanism, and, of course, Lumbermancy. With numerous skills to master and some hilariously fitting names for the categories, Spellogger feels like a proper RPG with some real personality.
Spellogger’s Stardew Valley Vibes Are Felt in Its Daily Tasks and The Way It Handles NPCs
However, while leveling up a hero and discovering new things in a dense open-world are very Elder Scrolls-like, there are several elements that better resemble Stardew Valley. For instance, there are the daily tasks players carry out, with repetitive-yet-fun activities being essential to any good cozy game. In addition to chopping trees, players will fish, mine, and farm, creating their ideal homestead as they handle crops and collect materials. All of these activities will help the player character to level up and better handle their tree demolition duties, but for some players, consistently farming and fishing could turn out to be the best part of the game.
For more adventurous gamers, there are the questlines of Spellogger, many of which will be multi-stage and take some proper time to complete. And while the quests will play out within the open-world, requiring some Elder Scrolls-esque adventuring to succeed, the way in which they handle lore appears to be extremely Stardew-like. Not only will players be piecing together details about the fictional world of Dale while adventuring, but also the NPCs who assign the quests. Like the many great bachelors and bachelorettes of Stardew Valley, players will uncover distinct motivations and storylines that live up to the bold personalities of the cast the more time they spend with them.
Whether players are adventuring so that they can progress in a quest, secure materials for some better tools, earn XP to level up, or to gather some fresh crops, there will seemingly be plenty to do in the colorful world of Dale. And for players curious to get a head start, or to see if this first-person Stardew Valley and Elder Scrolls hybrid is up their alley, a free demo is available to download now via Steam. While 2026 has been utterly packed with quality cozy games, Spellogger is showing promise, suggesting that 2027 could be another great year for the genre.
