New Farm Life Sim on Steam Comes Straight From a Former Stardew Valley Dev

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While games like Harvest Moon laid the groundwork, Stardew Valley, created by ConcernedApe and released in 2016, truly redefined the farming simulator genre. Nearly ten years later, it’s still considered a hugely influential game, exceeding what players expected and proving that a single developer can create a game with the depth, ongoing support, and cultural impact of major studio releases. It essentially became the model for many of today’s relaxing life simulation games. Interestingly, a new farming sim coming to Steam has even stronger ties to Stardew Valley than most inspired titles – it’s being developed by someone who previously worked on the original game.

Mr. Podunkian, a solo developer who previously collaborated with the creator of Stardew Valley, is developing Sunkissed City, a new farming simulation game. While it initially appears similar to Stardew Valley in both appearance and how you play, that’s not surprising considering the developer’s background. However, Sunkissed City offers a unique twist with its city setting, extensive customization options, and improved features, which could help it stand out in the popular farm life sim genre.

Sunkissed City Is Being Developed by a Former Stardew Valley Dev

Eric Barone, the creator of Stardew Valley, initially developed the game entirely on his own. Later, when Barone started working on Haunted Chocolatier, he needed help with updates and expansions for Stardew Valley. Arthur Lee, known as “Mr. Podunkian,” joined the team in 2019 and played a key role in developing updates 1.4 through 1.6. He helped refine the game and also contributed to some of its most significant new features after its initial release.

I was a big fan of what Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) did with Stardew Valley, so I was really interested when I heard that one of the developers, Lee, left to work on his own game, Sunkissed City. It’s described as a cheerful life-sim set in a cool, sunny coastal city, and honestly, seeing how similar it looks to Stardew Valley and knowing Lee’s background, expectations are pretty high! But from what I’ve gathered, Lee isn’t trying to replace Stardew Valley or just make a copy. He wants to take everything he learned from years of updating and improving that game and apply it to something new. It feels less like a clone and more like a natural step forward – an evolution of the farm life sim genre, really.

Sunkissed City Is Stardew Valley in an Urban Sandbox

Start building your new life in the city by creating your own little gardens, picking up new hobbies, and forming lasting friendships – all while helping to revitalize the neighborhood!

Beyond its appealing visuals, Sunkissed City seems to offer everything Stardew Valley fans enjoy, and even expands on it. Like other farm life simulations, it features core elements such as growing plants, fishing, gathering resources, building relationships with townspeople (and even finding romance), decorating your home, and participating in community events. However, Sunkissed City takes a unique approach by setting this gameplay within a city, while also adding more detail and convenient features.

Sunkissed City’s Features at a Glance

  • FARM LIFE SIM set in a vibrant seaside metropolis called Apollo City.
  • URBAN GARDEN TENDING and DIY gardening with plants and crops.
  • FISHING with a quality-of-life system that shows silhouettes of all currently catchable fish based on location, time, and weather when you reel one in.
  • FORAGING AND EXPLORATION around city locations like parks and nature spots.
  • MONSTER-INFESTED SEWER DIVES and other adventurous side activities.
  • MEET AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS with quirky cityfolk and NPCs.
  • GIFTING AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT to deepen bonds with characters.
  • ROMANCE OPTIONS and personal story development.
  • DEEP CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION with clothing, patterns, colors, and styles.
  • HOME CUSTOMIZATION with furniture, wallpaper, flooring, and decorative touches.
  • ONLINE AND LOCAL CO-OP multiplayer to play with friends.
  • DIFFICULTY AND ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS to tailor experience for different skill levels.
  • TOWN ACTIVITIES like visiting cafes and parks, and interacting with wildlife.

Sunkissed City builds on Stardew Valley’s gameplay in a smart way, incorporating improvements that took years to develop in the original game right from the beginning. For example, the fishing system is much clearer, showing players exactly what they can catch based on the current conditions – eliminating a lot of the usual trial and error. This focus on improvement extends to other areas like character customization, tracking relationships with villagers, and making the game more accessible, all while maintaining the satisfying daily routines and sense of progress that players love about the genre.

With endless, deep customization options, you can be whoever you want to be.

Okay, so as a huge fan of games like Stardew Valley, I gotta say Sunkissed City really does something different. What grabbed me most is how they designed the world. Instead of being stuck on one farm, you’re in a whole interconnected city – parks, cafes, neighborhoods that actually feel alive, way more than Pelican Town. Gardening isn’t about escaping to the countryside; it’s part of city life. And the people? They don’t feel like tasks on a list, they just feel…integrated. Plus, they’ve added a ton of customization options, optional stuff like exploring sewers if you’re into that, and really flexible difficulty settings. Honestly, even early on, it’s clear Sunkissed City has a lot going for it.

Overall, Sunkissed City feels like a game built by someone who carefully studied Stardew Valley, learning from its successes and identifying areas for improvement. By setting the gameplay in a city instead of a farm, it offers a fresh take on the familiar formula. The game also includes helpful improvements that make it feel more polished from the start, and its structure suggests the developer understands how long players enjoy these types of games. It remains to be seen if it will be as enduringly popular as Stardew Valley, but it’s a promising evolution of the genre, not just a copy.

Sunkissed City is currently slated to launch on Steam in 2026.

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2026-01-21 01:11