If you ask me, the best part of Stardew Valley, Story of Seasons, or any farming sim is filling your land with loads of cute animals, and, in case its name didn't give it away, upcoming cozy ranch-builder Little Sheep Valley seems to be all about that life.
Created by Redknot Games, a team of only three devs, Little Sheep Valley will see you build your own ranch out in a "beautiful Mediterranean landscape," placing things like buildings, decor, plants, and ponds seemingly freely to make the whole thing uniquely yours. Obviously, the titular sheep are a massive part of this, too – as you'd hope, you can pet them as much as you like, shear their wool, and play with them as you develop the ranch.
You'll also have to keep their needs in mind as you play – the game's Steam page notes that you'll need to "make smart use of your ranch layout" and "provide the resources your sheep need" to keep your woolly friends happy.
Cute as the sheep are, it's honestly the decoration aspect that's speaking to me as I watch the game's trailer. Seeing how fluidly things like bushes, plant pots, and posts are placed down, it doesn't appear that items will be stuck down to a grid like they are in a lot of games like this. I adore Pokemon Pokopia, for example, but it does have a level of rigidity to the placement of things like furniture, which at first glance doesn't appear to be the case here, although I suppose we'll have to wait and see how it plays in practice. The more freedom we have to customize things, though, the better.
Speaking of which, Little Sheep Valley doesn't currently have an exact release date, but it's currently on track to launch at some point in Q4 2026 on Steam, so PC players should be able to get their hands on it by the end of the year.
Be sure to check out our list of new games for 2026 to find out what else is launching this year.
