If you're looking for a Stardew Valley-style farming sim with a chaotic twist, you should try out Southfield this Steam Next Fest.
In Southfield, players will be put to work on a quaint farm by a mysterious grandpa (sound familiar?) who teaches them all they need to know about harvesting crops, building, chatting with the locals, and more. What makes this farming sim stand out amongst the others out there is that it has over-the-top Fall Guys-style physics which means you'll be growing larger-than-life vegetables, creating bizarre contraptions, and rolling to get around.
I know what you're thinking. Surely it's not safe to have Fall Guys physics when dealing with things like axes, machinery, and other tools but this is actually what makes Southfield a refreshing new addition to the farming sim genre. I had so much fun bumbling around as a Bud, interacting with my surroundings, and occasionally learning a very valuable lesson - like that quad bikes can easily get stuck on your farm if you aren't careful.
During my time with the demo, I got to grips with the basics; learned how to prepare the ground for growing, planted my first seeds, fixed up a weathered old barn, and introduced myself to the locals of the island - including the pretty but surprisingly dangerous Ruffians that are essentially ghosts that come out at night and cause mischief for your farm.
I expected Southfield to feel a lot more silly but it's actually quite relaxing to play. The game's soundtrack, character designs, and general vibe are so charming and I had a lot of fun watching the Bud stumble over its own feet and clumsily swing tools around. I played the demo in single-player mode though, and so can only imagine that things get a bit more chaotic when several Buds are wandering around.
There's so much left for me to discover in Southfield, like growing and combining different kinds of crops, crafting machines, exploring more of the island, and playing multiplayer but just a quick play of its demo has got me excited for the full release.
A demo for Southfield will be available during Steam Next Fest, which starts on February 5 (10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM GMT) and runs until February 12, 2024, so I suggest you give it a try - even if it's just to race around on quad bikes and throw seeds around.
Find out what else we've got to look forward to with our upcoming indie games list.
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