Stardew Valley fans will love this new cozy farming RPG on Steam, which has an eerie twist: you work for a dead god. You can even check out the free prologue right now.
Since its release in 2016, Stardew Valley has become one of the most beloved indie games of all time, inspiring countless others to try and capture its magic. One upcoming indie RPG hoping to do just that is Neverway, although it has a much darker twist.
Developed by Coldblood Inc., Neverway has visuals and audio seemingly inspired by the Nintendo Game Boy and Game Boy Color era, with its limited colour palette and retro pixel-art style.
Why Stardew Valley fans should keep an eye on Neverway
“Neverway is a blend of horror, life sim, and action RPG. After Fiona quits her job, she starts over on a farm and becomes the immortal herald of a dead god. Keep your life from falling apart while searching for Neverway, a nightmare reality that is slowly leaking into yours,” reads the game’s synopsis on Steam.
In terms of similarities to Stardew Valley, not only will fans embrace the visuals, audio, and farming elements, but they can also craft, fish, and build a new life on a remote island, which also gives off Animal Crossing vibes.
Neverway splits each day into three time blocks, letting you balance farming, building relationships, and exploring the island throughout the day. This differs from Stardew Valley’s daily cycle, which runs from 6am to 2am. There are NPCs you can interact with to build friendships and even romance. You can cook food, decorate your home and much more.
What makes Neverway different from Stardew Valley?
We’ve already spoken about Neverway being an eerie game where you work for a dead god, which is very different from Stardew Valley’s premise. While combat is part of the fun in ConcernedApe’s beloved RPG, Neverway puts more emphasis on fast-paced action, with dodging and combat abilities adding to the experience.
In some ways, it looks like a nice blend of Stardew Valley and classic top-down The Legend of Zelda games, only with a much darker twist. What’s more, building friendships and romantic relationships can also unlock buffs and combat abilities to help you in battle.
Oh, and you may be pleased to know that the pixel-art style is created by the co-creator of another beloved indie darling, Celeste. That artist is Pedro Medeiros.
READ MORE: How to make money in Stardew Valley: Five fast and easy methods
How long is the Neverway prologue, and when does the full game release?
Neverway has a free prologue available now and judging by the general chatter online, it should take no more than an hour to finish, giving you a decent idea of whether you might want to buy the full game.
As for the full game, Neverway doesn’t have a confirmed release date at the time of writing, other than a tentative 2027 release window. You can, however, wishlist it on Steam to be notified when it’s ready to launch.
It may also interest you to know that Neverway is coming to Nintendo Switch next year. At the time of writing, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions haven’t been confirmed.