I don’t know when the best time to release a game about spending a lot of time toiling in fields is. In winter, many will find the idea of even a virtual outdoors loathsome. But then there are those of us who’ll be basking in front of lightboxes, longing to roam further afield. Who wants to spend summer indoors at a computer? Maybe early autumn, when people are mourning flora? Farming/country life RPG Stardew Valley [official site] is thinking February. February 26th, to be precise. Observe:



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Our last post about Stardew Valley was so long ago, it was written by a certain red-trousered, mop-headed ragamuffin named Nathaniel. The scamp. So maybe you could use a refresher.

Stardrew Valley gives players their grandfather’s old plot, a rubbish farm near an alien village. You can become a better farmer planting seeds, growing crops, raising animals, mining, fishing, crafting, cooking, exploring, fighting monsters, and all that. You can become a better community member by, hey, caring about people is a good step. Folks in the valley have their own lives and schedules and all that, and ugh you can even get married and have sprogs and all that.

You’ll recognise bits of Minecraft and Harvest Moon in there, yeah?

It’ll be on Windows at launch, but other platforms are planned for later – as is four-player co-op. The game’s made by solo developer Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone and published by Chucklefish.