Close

New Stardew Valley-Like Game Launching in March

Published Feb 7, 2025

Priye's fondness of gaming started early when he first beat Double Dragon II and couldn't stop himself from doing it all over again every chance he got. Since then, playing a bunch of Contra, GTA, Splinter Cell, and Assassin's Creed games has only made his fondness stronger. He now believes videogames are the natural next peak of human culture after the eras of books and movies.

Having an educational background in computer science and a lifelong knack for writing, Priye is drawn to understanding the development side of games and driven by the desire to write about emerging trends. For the better part of a decade, he has worked as a writer and has mostly covered gaming and tech, with bylines across the Times of India, Gadgets Now, Sportskeeda, and more.

Summary

Sugardew Island, a new cozy simulation game, shares gameplay elements with Stardew Valley, set for release in March 2025.
The game provides relaxation with farming, relationships, and no in-game time pressure, showcasing a cartoonish 3D art style.
Developer Rokaplay's trailer highlights activities like farm management, bonding with NPCs, and a turn-based day-night cycle.

A new Stardew Valley-like cozy simulation game, Sugardew Island, has been announced for release in March 2025 on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch. Developed by indie studio Rokaplay, Sugardew Island shares certain gameplay elements from Stardew Valley, such as farming and relationships with NPCs.

While shooting down aliens may bring satisfaction to some gamers, others may find it more enjoyable to engage in laid-back activities, like fishing, in their games. For the latter group of gamers, the cozy game genre provides a worthwhile escape from the humdrum of life and lets them go about their in-game objectives at their own pace, without any serious challenge. Among such titles, Stardew Valley is a highly popular one, having attracted millions of players across multiple platforms since its initial release in 2016. Thanks to the success of casual sims, there are currently multiple different options in this category for the players to make their pick, with the latest example being Sugardew Island, an indie game born out of a successful Kickstarter campaign.

Cozy Grove, Spiritfarer, Wylde Flowers

Related

7 Best Mobile Games Like Stardew Valley

Take the charm of Stardew Valley on the go with these mobile games.

Posts 1

By Will Buckley

Developer Rokaplay recently released a new trailer for its Stardew Valley-like game, Sugardew Island, showcasing its various features along with a March 2025 release window. The farm life sim title, which offers close to 15 hours of gameplay, involves the player looking after their crops, domestic animals, and pets on a regular basis. As shown in the trailer, they can run their farm store and fulfill orders while also building bonds with the town folk. Importantly, Sugardew Island doesn't have an in-game time and uses a turn-based day-night cycle, letting players indulge in the game without any stress in that regard.

Sugardew Island Takes Notes from Another Cozy Game Series

Although Sugardew Island's in-game activities are similar to those available in Stardew Valley, its art style is noticeably different in the sense that the former features cartoonish 3D graphics as opposed to the pixelated style of the latter title. That's down to the fact that Rokaplay devs also took notes from other IPs in the genre, such as the classic Harvest Moon games from the Nintendo DS era.

Interestingly, there is another forthcoming game, in addition to Sugardew Island, that is set to feature gameplay elements identical to those found in Stardew Valley. Giving the farm sim genre a horror spin, Welcome to Elderfield plans to take the best parts of Stardew Valley and portray them in a unique dark tone.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image

Stardew Valley Tag Page Cover Art

Display card tags widget

Simulation

Display card system widget

Systems

phone transparent

PC-1

PlayStation-1

Xbox-1

Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget

OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%

Display card main info widget

Released: February 26, 2016
ESRB: E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
Developer(s): ConcernedApe
Publisher(s): ConcernedApe
Engine: Proprietary
Multiplayer: Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play: Stardew Valley does not currently support crossplay between different consoles and PC

Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!

Cross Save: cross-progression is only available between the PC and mobile versions of the game
Number of Players: 1-4
Split Screen Orientation: Vertical or Horizontal
Steam Deck Compatibility: Verified
Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, Android, iOS, PS4, Switch
Genre(s): RPG, Simulation
How Long To Beat: 53 Hours
X|S Optimized: No
File Size Xbox Series: 1 GB (November 2023)
Local Co-Op Support: 1-4 Players
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Web Analytics Made Easy - Statcounter