Typically, survival games can be quite dark and intimidating, even when you’re given a bright, colorful world to explore. But with an emphasis on farming using traditional techniques and all manner of colorful, gorgeous environments to explore, Pathless Woods cooks up a delicious meal with a little of Stardew Valley’s agriculture, a touch of Genshin Impact’s action, and plenty of building by hand in the manner of Valheim. This looks to be one of the coziest survival games we’ve seen, and it’s about to land in early access, with a free Steam demo available right now.
Pathless Woods comes from a small two-person studio in China called Aniya Games, which hopes that its ancient Chinese theme will help it to stand out among the many survival games on Steam. Either solo or in up to four-player co-op, you’ll be able to explore the world, use the environment to your advantage in combat, and discover secrets buried deep within ancient ruins.
It’s certainly really pretty to look at, with action combat reminiscent of classic Zelda games, and some magnificent structures dotted across the world. Aniya Games says, “We’re genuinely looking forward to seeing the creative endeavors our players will undertake in this world.”
The farming is where Pathless Woods hopes to really shine, embracing “traditional Chinese agricultural practices” including water irrigation, fertilizer use, and temperature control, allowing you to grow all manner of produce that will allow you to make plenty of meals from classical Chinese cuisine.
Pathless Woods launches on Steam in early access Wednesday, April 3. Aniya Games says it plans for this early access period to last “about one year,” with additional features set to be introduced over time.
If that’s not enough crops to keep you content, take a look through the best farming games on PC right now. We’ve also rounded up the best indie games to play in 2024, to make sure you aren’t missing any hidden gems from smaller teams.
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