Harvest Island caught my eye as soon as I saw it. Yobob Games’ debut release arrives just in time for Halloween, making for a seasonally fitting spooktacular cozy experience. If you’ve ever wished that some of the more wholesome games out there came with a mysterious, wicked streak, then the upcoming Harvest Island launch date may just be one to keep your eye on.
There’s nothing better than a cozy farming game, right? Featuring all of the essential comfy features, from farming to fishing, Harvest Island places you on a remote island with maze-filled forests, beaches, and bone-chilling caves with secrets galore to explore. Between traversing abandoned mines and discovering your father’s dark past in-game, you’ll get to befriend animals, collect things, farm, and fish.
How you play is up to you, as the game comes with a story mode for more narrative-driven fans and a more farming-oriented style for players in search of a more wholesome experience. Regardless of your own preferences, you’ll soon get to experience all of the essentials such as upgrading your farm and learning about the island since the developer revealed that Harvest Island launches on Tuesday, October 10. The game will cost you $24.99 upon its release and is available to wishlist on Steam right now.
One thing that makes Harvest Island stand out among its competitors is the way that its day and night cycle works. You don’t have to sleep when the sun falls and the moon rises. In fact, the developer says, “When it becomes night, the caves glow, the forest sings and sparkles with fireflies, and the shore recedes creating a low tide.”
I’m excited to see how well the farming genre blends with horror elements, especially after playing through games like Graveyard Keeper in the past. It’s always fun seeing a typically cutesy kind of game turned on its head into a terrifying adventure with a more morbid tone throughout. Knowing myself, though, I’ll probably keep to the safety of the farm… for the most part, anyway.
For those of you in search of a cozy experience to immerse yourself in right now, be sure to look through our round-up of all of the best games like Stardew Valley. Alternatively, you can browse around our list of the spookiest horror games around if you want to get your blood pumping ahead of Halloween.