Dinkum: The Cozy Indie Game Combining Stardew Valley and Minecraft

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Summary

  • Cozy indie game Dinkum left Steam Early Access in late April 2025.
  • Dinkum offers a combination of life sim and survival mechanics that should appeal to Stardew Valley and Minecraft fans.
  • Dinkum console versions may finally be in the works now that the game left early access on PC.

A charming game titled Dinkum has recently been launched on Steam after several years in early access development. With its intricate survival features and an abundance of life simulation elements, Dinkum seems to bear a resemblance to both Minecraft and Stardew Valley. Put simply, it’s a blend of these two popular games.

Developed by independent creator James Bendon, the game titled “Dinkum” initially appeared on Steam Early Access in July 2022. Despite a plethora of survival games and life simulators already available on Valve’s platform, “Dinkum” successfully distinguished itself from its competitors in various aspects. One such differentiator is its unique setting modeled after the toughest regions of the Australian outback. Impressively, shortly after its release, the game attracted nearly 13,500 simultaneous Steam players at its peak – a significant achievement for an indie production.

The game titled Dinkum officially launched on Steam in its completed form on April 23, which is about three years after it initially entered early access. Unlike many indie games that increase their price after departing from early access, Dinkum remains available at its initial price of $19.99. However, finding it at an even lower cost shouldn’t be too challenging, as the game has been on sale approximately once every six weeks during the past three years, dropping to a low of $13.99.

Dinkum May Soon Be Coming to Consoles

At present, Dinkum is only available for PC play, but that may change soon since console versions were initially planned by Bendon following the early access period in 2022. However, it remains uncertain if these plans are still in motion three years later. For now, console players can come closest to enjoying Dinkum on the Steam Deck, although it doesn’t have the “Steam Deck Verified” seal of approval. Instead, it falls under Valve’s “Playable” category for their handheld device.

The gameplay of Dinkum involves a mix of resource collection, construction, and interaction with others. Players partake in farming, fishing, mining, and hunting among other activities to acquire materials and currency—referred to as “Dinks” within the game’s terminology—to improve their town. Akin to Stardew Valley, Dinkum includes authentic seasons that impact which plants can be cultivated and which creatures may be found.

In much the same vein as Stardew Valley, Dinkum features a mining system where players delve into subterranean caves to find valuable minerals. The visual aesthetics of Dinkum share some similarities with Animal Crossing. Notably, Dinkum offers co-op multiplayer for up to six individuals, and it can be played on PC systems with a minimum of 8GB RAM and graphics card equivalent to the old GTX 1650.

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2025-04-26 19:07