Terraria, at least above ground, is the epitome of PC gaming peacefulness. The sun shines. The plants grow. The goal, essentially, is to build for yourself the most serene, rural life possible, albeit occasionally disturbed by nightmarish Lovecraftian demons. But let’s take that tranquil, typical Terraria existence and add a little chaos. Inspired by the slapstick, physics-based comedy of building and strategy sim Kerbal Space Program, a new, cozy farming game, available on Steam, feels like Terraria and Stardew Valley, except sometimes the crops explode. This is Southfield, a colony and management game where the gravitational rules of the universe are out to get you.
Created by Radical Forge, Southfield casts you as Bud, a wobbly amateur farmer attempting to build an arable empire. All the staples of the best farming games are here – plant crops, build yourself a house, and gradually automate the whole process using more-advanced machinery and conveyors. But springboarding from Terraria, Stardew, and a little bit of Minecraft, Southfield throws a few neat curveballs.
Crops have a life of their own. Some will expand to enormous sizes, some will leave the ground and fly away, and some will blow up entirely. You’re essentially a kid with a chemistry set, trying to mix the right combinations of seeds and plants, and getting a lot of soot all over your face in the process. Alongside Southfield’s bouncy physics, it makes for some seriously anarchic moments, as you wrestle with gravity, horticulture, and Bud’s bumbling, Octodad-style body to try to get the job done.
You can also farm and build with three other players, or battle them in competitive races and challenges. Southfield’s sandbox tools let you build almost anything you can imagine, but just like Minecraft, you need to be careful at night, as enemy mobs appear to try to tear down your creations. Cozy, cute, and with a funny physics-driven spin on the farming genre, Southfield is available right here.
Alternatively, you might want to try some of the other best games like Minecraft, or maybe the best building games, if you want to forge the creations of your dreams.
Be sure to follow us on Google News where you’ll see a variety of daily PC gaming news, guides, and reviews, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.