The Stardew Valley stan in me is more excited than ever to play this cozy farming sim for real next month, after its Steam Next Fest demo blew me away

The latest Steam Next Fest is here, which means some of my most highly anticipated indie games have free demos available to play – and Sugardew Island might just be one of my favorites.

While the Stardew Valley vibes are apparent right off the bat, there's more to this little gem than just farming. It feels like a cross between ConcernedApe's beloved pixel-style game and genre classics like Harvest Moon or Story of Seasons, and that's exactly what prompted me to play Sugardew Island in the first place. Between the adorably rotund cows and the enchanting Forest Folk, I knew that I was in for a treat – and boy, was the demo one!

The map is arguably quite small, but I'm not too fussed about it myself, as Sugardew Island is a cozy game at its core – not an expansive open-world RPG. It features a simple gameplay loop, the kind I was itching for after playing what feels like every other available farming sim already, in which you build up a homey shop and complete quests to restore the island. There are animals to look after, crops to grow, and resources to gather.

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All of the go-to farming mechanics are present, albeit in a more digestible form. After all, Sugardew Island is described on Steam as having been "designed for short, enjoyable play sessions" and "relaxing, pressure-free gameplay with no time limits" – a description I feel is accurate after engaging with the demo myself. This is the sort of title you pick up to unwind with, customizing your chibi-style character and living their comfy virtual life.

I'd recommend Sugardew Island to any fans of games like Stardew Valley – whether for its farming or for its resource gathering and upgrade system – and considering the free demo, I'd say there's no reason not to give the sim a go before it releases early this upcoming month on March 7. For anyone who does play and falls in love like I did, there's also a paid supporter pack available to purchase containing some extra cosmetics.

Check out these other upcoming indie games for even more to look forward to.