Stardew Valley is undoubtedly one of the most successful indie games ever released and by far the most influential farming sim in recent years. Stardew Valley was initially inspired by Harvest Moon, but Stardew Valley’s popularity has far surpassed that of its predecessors and continues to evolve and adapt with new modes and updates even five years after it was first launched.
For a handful of reasons, whether it is the pride deriving from growing and selling crops or the simple satisfaction stemming from completing a task, the farming simulator genre remains popular for gamers of every background. Stardew Valley is essentially now the blueprint for all new indie farming games. It is no surprise that many titles on a variety of different platforms have tried to imitate its success and capture the same spirit that made it so popular, and Harvest Days is the latest upcoming game modeled after Stardew Valley.
Similarities between Harvest Days and Stardew Valley
The player character in Harvest Days first moves to the dying rural village of Duda where they spent some time as a child with their grandparents. Duda has recently experienced a drop in population and productivity. As with Stardew Valley, the main character longs for a simpler and more laid-back lifestyle compared to the demands of their urban life and finds this by relocating to Duda.
Harvest Days tasks players with not only running a farm but also with restoring the remote village to its former glory. Players will therefore manage and harvest crops and raise animals such as chickens, pigs, rabbits, horses, but will also be tasked with building houses and investing in businesses in the town in order to attract new residents and create new jobs in order to revive the economy. Like Stardew Valley, players will build relationships with the villagers by taking part in different events such as street markets and festivals. The relationships that players can form with other villagers in Stardew Valley is certainly one of its strongest highlights, and it can be expected that Harvest Days will also offer a similar take on befriending and perhaps even dating other characters.
Outside of farming and rebuilding the village, players can also do day-to-day tasks that include gathering resources, crafting items, and fishing. These alternative tasks and quests are highly popular among Stardew Valley players. Interestingly, Harvest Days also places an emphasis on being environmentally friendly, offering players the option to take part in forest clean-ups and recycling to make renewable energy such as wind or solar energy. They will also be able to make smaller choices such as choosing to travel by horse instead of using a vehicle.
An Open-World Farming RPG
While Stardew Valley-style farming RPGs have generally stuck to more limited and restricted settings, with mods allowing for more expansion and exploration, Harvest Days is somewhat unique in that it is centered upon more of an open-world concept. The open world in Harvest Days allows players to explore locations such as a forest, a swamp, temple ruins, and dungeons—the last of which is reminiscent of Stardew Valley. There is more of a life sim aspect to this game, too, as players will have three basic needs that need to be maintained: hunger, thirst, and going to the toilet. This will certainly add an interesting component to the game, and perhaps make the gameplay feel more realistic, too.
While no release date has yet been provided, Family Devs, a father and son indie developer team, are set to launch Harvest Days' Kickstarter campaign at the end of Q3 2021.