New Stardew Valley-Style Game Lets You Run Your Own Shop

gamerant.com:

An upcoming business management and farming simulator with major cozy vibes is sure to appeal to fans of Stardew Valley. The game, entitled Sugardew Island, is aiming to channel the strong gameplay loop, satisfying progression, and atmospheric worldbuilding of Stardew Valleyand other cozy games, making it a potentially great fit for fans of the farming sim genre.

Stardew Valley, inspired by famous cozy games like Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon, is now inspiring countless relaxed simulation games, becoming something of a blueprint for the cozy subgenre. The straightforward yet endlessly unfolding structure and content of the game have made it one of the most enduring and replayable cozy games of all time, and several indie and AAA developers have been looking to replicate its addictive gameplay in the years following its release.

Sugardew Island looks to be joining the ranks of promising Stardew Valley-inspired indie games, appearing to be heavily influenced by ConcernedApe's breakout hit. Developed by self-publisher rokaplay and with a newly launched Kickstarter campaign that is rapidly gaining traction, Sugardew Island sets players on a desert island following a shipwreck. Luckily, the island has plenty of fertile ground and a small population of Forest Folk, allowing the player-character to start a farm, raise animals, and open up a shop, earning a currency called Harmony which can be used to improve the island and ultimately restore the Harmony Tree, which was damaged by greedy humans years before.

Sugardew Island, like most indie games paying homage to Stardew Valley, places a premium on chill vibes and a generally wholesome, lighthearted atmosphere. In place of high-stakes adventure and dangerous escapades, there are satisfying tasks like farming and caring for domesticated animals; instead of weapon upgrades or leveling up, progression is defined through constant improvements to efficiency and new avenues for profit and expansion. Additionally, Sugardew Island