Stardew Valley with animal people and a lot more depression is an instant hit on Steam: "The plague is coming. The community must work together if everyone is to survive"

Y'know what Stardew Valley could use a little more of? Some impending doom. It seems plenty agree, because new farming sim Grimshire, centred on surviving an oncoming plague, is doing numbers on Steam right after entering Early Access.

On its face, Grimshire looks like another cheery riff on ConcernedApe's beloved agricultural simulator. You grow crops, chat and organize things with the locals, and gradually upgrade your plot of land. The residents are all anthropomorphic animals, for extra cuteness, like in The Wind and the Willows or The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

But beneath the picturesque exterior lies a sinister premise. You wound up on the doorstep of the eponymous small mountainside commune because your village was overrun by some form of infection, and if you don't convince your newly-acquainted neighbours to adequately prepare for what's coming, they’re next.

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That certainly makes sorting out your fruit trees and seeing how many eggs you have a little more intense. This apocalyptic take on the quiet life comes from Acute Owl Studios, an indie outfit who previously released Bone's Café, a cutesy cooking game where the chefs and wait staff are all adorable little skeletons. I'm sensing a theme here within the team's work so far.

Grimshire offers the typical blend of ongoing tasks and minigames. You split your time between making sure the fields of vegetables are alright, whatever fruit and nut trees you've got going, all your animals, then exploring the local caves and wilderness for other supplies. Fishing, keeping up appearances and creating robust stores of all your food factor in as well.

It's quite a lot, and so far, people are finding it rewarding. Reviews are sitting at "Very Positive" at time of writing, and given this just became available on Early Access on July 22, 2025, things are looking good. You can check out Grimshire on Steam now.

For similar ways to live off the land, we have lists of the best games like Stardew Valley and the best games like Harvest Moon.