When is the Sunkissed City release date? Fans of life sims, particularly Stardew Valley, rejoice! A new life sim is on the way, created by a former member of the Stardew Valley team and set in a sunny city. Arthur Lee, who left Concerned Ape in June 2022, has been working on Sunkissed City ever since, and has revealed roughly when we can expect to move into our new home.
We love life games and farming sims here at PCGamesN, and given the popularity of the likes of games like Stardew Valley and Stardew Valley itself, so does the rest of the world, so we’re sure you’re as excited as we are at the prospect of another pixelated world in which to settle down, work, life, and love. Sunkissed City will be familiar to anyone who has played Stardew Valley before, but don’t think there’s nothing new to be discovered here, as this huge city destination has plenty of secrets to uncover come the Sunkissed City release date.
Sunkissed City release date window
The Sunkissed City release date is scheduled for Q4 2024, so some time between October and December this year. The self-published Mr Podunkian game is coming to PC only, with consoles hopefully following in the future.
The release date window was revealed by My Podunkian, or Arthur Lee, on Twitter, in a pinned post that reads: “I’m aiming for a Q4 2024 release on PC, and hopefully consoles soon thereafter!” Naturally, Lee has covered his back with by suggesting that he is “aiming” for this window, giving him not only the leeway of the three months quarter itself, but the option to push back if necessary.
Sunkissed City was officially revealed on January 25, 2024, but judging from images and footage on Mr Podunkian’s Twitter/X profile is already well underway. According to a post shared just a few days earlier, it seems the main things holding Lee back from the announcement were the name and logo for the game.
Sunkissed City gameplay and footage
So far, it seems as though Sunkissed City offers the usual mechanics and gameplay we have come to expect from life sims like Stardew Valley. There’s dating. There’s farming. There’s shopping, relaxing,and socializing. But this all takes place in a city environment, so there’s more to discover than ever.
Like Coral Island and other similar life sims, there is a story to uncover in Apollo City, the game’s ‘sunkissed’ setting. As part of your new job, you’re packed off to live in Apollo, but the bustling streets are rife with monsters, the wildlife is turning feral, and the residents are falling ill. While you explore, and live your life, you’re also going to uncover the secrets held in this city.
Despite the recency of the Sunkissed City reveal, Lee has revealed tons of footage over the development period so far, even long before the game’s January reveal. Many of the mechanics, some characters, and even seasonal systems can all be found on the Mr Podunkian Twitter/X profile, dating back as far as July 2022, shortly after Lee left the Stardew Valley team.
While we couldn’t possibly go through it all here, here are some of our favorite and most anticipated Sunkissed City features, starting with character customization. In one of Lee’s earliest Sunkissed City tweets, we can see just how many choices there are in the vast character customization screen. And, with the game set in a vibrant city, of course you can change your look at any time.
In a lot of life sims, it can be pretty slow to get around, with just a burst or dodge to speed things up. While there is a dodge roll in Sunkissed City, though, players will be pleased to hear there are also bikes to get you around Apollo City with ease.
Next, Lee is incredibly vocal about his various inspirations in making Sunkissed City, with the Persona series among the first referenced. In a pivot from Stardew Valley-like character dialogue portraits, Lee decided to create large, animated sprites in an homage to the Persona games. The developer showed off the first of these in NPC Camille, albeit with placeholder dialogue.
Our final pick goes to planters! While Sunkissed City takes place in a city, the whole farming thing is solved with ‘DIY gardens’. However, Lee went one step further by bringing planters into the game to allow you to farm crops anywhere you want. The mechanic was first shown off in this tweet, but can be seen in other game clips, with planters casually placed around the city’s buildings.
All there is left to do now is pack your bags and wait for the Sunkissed City release date, when your new life begins. This isn’t the only game we’re looking forward to, so make sure you’re up to date with all the other upcoming games we’re chomping at the bit for. Of course, we can’t write about Stardew Valley without acknowledging ConcernedApe’s next project, as we’re just as excited about the Haunted Chocolatier release date as we are to set foot on the shores of Apollo City.