Former Stardew Valley dev has to delay adorable new life sim for the second time, shortly after adding the most perfect piles of snow: "I've been working very hard on the game"

Sunkissed City looks like the perfect life sim: warm, seaside, and filled with fresh fruit. But, just like a vacation, you have to keep counting down until it arrives. Its creator, ex-Stardew Valley developer Arthur 'Mr. Podunkian' Lee, needs to delay it one more time.

"I think it's time I have to admit to myself that SKC's 2025 release window's slipped :(," Lee writes on Twitter. Originally, Sunkissed City was scheduled to release on PC in late 2024, but its Steam page has now been updated to reflect a planned 2026 launch. "I've been working very hard on the game, but generally, this year was more taxing on my mood than I thought it'd be," Lee adds.

Fans of the project might have seen this coming. Lee had been steadily sharing new details about Sunkissed City throughout the year – including some fluffy-looking "Snow Clump," which tumbles from palm trees in fresh, white piles – but the developer has been hesitant to name a release date. It's not like people haven't been asking for one.

In response to one eager fan asking in October if Sunkissed City might still come out in 2025, Lee said, "All I can really say is that I'm working as hard as I can towards getting it out by then. I'm a bit of an idealist when it comes to deadlines, so take it with a heap of salt, but I'm still aiming for 2025, as absurd as it might seem at this point." Now, Lee has had a change of heart. In a way, I'm glad – making a cozy game shouldn't be so uncomfortable.

Former Stardew Valley dev decides against adding a "stink gun" to his new life sim, but offers a compromise by allowing you to torment cityfolk with pungent fruit.