After a lackluster launch and "Mixed" reviews on Steam, the Stardew Valley-esque medieval life sim RPG I wanted to adore in 2024 redeems itself with a massive free update

Mirthwood, the stunning medieval life sim RPG that released as indie developer Bad Ridge Games' debut title in 2024, has resurfaced with a brand-new update – and it might just be what the cozy game needed to draw players back in.

If you're a fan of Stardew Valley and old fantasy icons such as Fable, Mirthwood might've been on your radar last year with its immersive medieval-inspired world, unique drawing-like art style, and farming sim-aligned gameplay loop. While it ticks nearly all of the boxes (or seems to, anyway) for many a gamer in the 2020s, it unfortunately fell short of impressing everyone and gained a "Mixed" rating on Steam – one it continues to sit with today.

Its latest patch might turn things around, however, breathing new life into the life-sim-RPG mashup with plenty of new activities and content to explore. Bad Ridge Games describes it as the Foundations Update as a "content-packed" one, which "adds a plethora of new features, such as partying at seasonal festivals, cute pets to adopt, new random encounters that alter the course of your journey based on how you react, and more."

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The official patch notes outline some of these "new features" in depth, starting with the addition of the Festival of Blossoms in spring, Summer Solstice for the summer, and All Hallows' Eve – one that unsurprisingly rolls around during fall in-game. The festivals include a whopping 35 new items, but my personal Foundations Update highlight lies elsewhere… the addition of pets. Four have accompanied the patch, and they're as helpful as they are cute.

Players will find pets at Northdell Farm and at the Traveling Merchant, and once acquired, the cute critters can actually gather resources like meat or wood. They also help protect fans' farms – "from rats or thieves," as Bad Ridge Games reveals. Aside from festivals and pets, there are new world events to beware of, such as the totally-not-terrifying-sounding Bandit Raid and Vermin Plague (and yes, NPCs can now die, too).

The recent Mirthwood reviews do seem to be looking up, with one player dubbing it a "quirky, low-intense game that you can escape into," so here's hoping the Foundations Update marks the beginning of a better, brighter era for the indie gem.

Be sure to browse through our roundup of the most exciting new games coming this year and beyond for some fresh titles to wishlist.