This 3D Stardew Valley-Like Has One Key Difference, and That’s a Good Thing

It’s not exactly controversial to call Stardew Valley one of the most influential indie games of all time. Created by a single developer, Stardew Valley‘s origin story is about as inspiring, quaint, and charming as the game itself, but more than anything, it further proved the demand for so-called cozy games, helping to reinvigorate the genre.

Indeed, the cozy gaming sphere has absolutely exploded over the last decade, and Stardew Valley played a major role in that, spawning a number of spiritual successors, one of which is the upcoming Everdream Village. A sequel to Everdream Valley, Everdream Village sets itself apart from much of the competition by virtue of its presentation: it’s a 3D game in a genre dominated by 2D titles. This more conventional, contemporary presentation might make it particularly appealing to fans of games like My Time at Portia, but the game has a few extra surprises up its sleeve as well. Specifically, Everdream Village boasts some rather ambitious animal-breeding and companionship systems, which promise to provide a unique gameplay and role-playing experience.

Distinct Animal Features Make Everdream Village Compelling

Social simulation elements are commonplace in the cozy space—some would go as far as calling them a quasi-requirement for admittance to the genre. Naturally, Everdream Village has such social simulation systems, with in-game friendships and romances being teased by the game’s marketing already, but a few fuzzy wrenches have been thrown into the mix as well: Everdream Village boasts a suite of animal-related gameplay systems.

Everdream Village will allow players to:

• Collect various animals, including cows, dogs, and crustaceans
• Breed and cross-breed animals, leading to “hundreds of variations and combinations,” per the game’s description on Steam
• Inhabit the bodies of their animals, exploring the game world “through their eyes”

Everdream Valley, Village‘s predecessor, features similar animal-breeding mechanics. In that game, players can raise various farm animals and breed them to yield a number of unique variations. Everdream Valley even has similar skin-changing mechanics and minigames, wherein players assume the role of these animals. Hopefully, the breeding, management, and reward-economy systems of Village will be greatly expanded over those of the first game.

Everdream Village Has the Chance to Hone In On an Underserved Cozy Game Staple

Such a pointed emphasis on animal husbandry, management, and breeding is surprisingly rare in the cozy games space. Perhaps some developers feel uncomfortable including such clinical, veterinary elements in their low-stakes casual experiences, or maybe the genre’s leaders simply have other priorities. But whatever the case, human-animal relationships play a significant role in many cozy games, so it makes sense for a new game like Everdream Village to double down on them, potentially exploring them on a deeper, more mechanically engaging level.

Some of the best cozy games manage to strike a peculiar balance between quaint, slice-of-life storytelling and more fantastical or mystical elements. This can be observed in everything from Animal Crossing, whose mundane presentation is belied by its anthropomorphic creatures, to Stardew Valley, which oscillates between relaxed hobby-farming and monster-slaying. It could be the feeling of being comfortable in an uncertain and inexplicable world that makes this dynamic so captivating. Regardless, Everdream Village‘s ostensible animal focus could be among the best renditions of this dynamic yet, as players may become uniquely in-tune with the mysteries of animal living. This is doubly true if, as the game’s marketing suggests, players can commune with wildlife as well as domestic animals. Such a full embracing of the animal world in this virtual setting could be uniquely charming and engaging indeed.

Everdream Village

Systems

Developer(s)

Mooneaters

Publisher(s)

Untold Tales, Varsav Game Studios

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