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Now that work on Stardew Valley is set to slow down as developer ConcernedApe looks to his other upcoming game, Haunted Chocolatier, I've got my eyes set elsewhere – on one very spooktacular life sim, to be precise.
Neverway is a stunning new pixel-style "nightmarish life sim RPG," according to developer Coldblood Inc. With talented indie veterans heading its production, including Celeste artist Pedro Medeiros, it's hard not to fall in love with the game at first sight – especially after its recent trailer during Nintendo's Indie World Showcase. Not only does it highlight some of what sets Neverway apart from other genre gems, but it provides a release window, too.
Neverway is set to launch in 2026, which could leave mere months between now and when it arrives – good news for fellow fans of games like Stardew Valley. It ticks all the essential life-sim and cozy-RPG boxes, with crafting, combat, cooking, farming, fishing, friend-making (and yes, romance), and more, but strays from the norm with its twisted underlying story. Not only do you start a rural life on a farm… You become the immortal herald of a dead god.
As Coldblood Inc. describes on the game's official Steam page, you're to "make friends, fight through horrors, and pay your debt" in Neverway – and you must "remember to pay your debt at all costs…" Sounds a bit ominous, right? The trailer does showcase some of what awaits, from crawling ghouls to floating skulls, so it's safe to say you'll definitely want to heed the developers' warning and pay off your debt before facing a fearsome fate.
As a longtime fan of all things life sim and RPG myself, I personally can't wait to hop into Neverway and rule as the herald of a lost god… and also farm, of course. For any Stardew stans or horror lovers like me, the game is available to wishlist now on Steam and will launch on both PC as well as the Nintendo Switch when it arrives sometime next year. Here's hoping the Neverway release comes sooner rather than later in 2026.
Excited for more? Here are some of our other most hotly anticipated new games coming this year and beyond to look forward to.
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