This upcoming farming sim puts the JRPG in Stardew Valley

This upcoming farming sim puts the JRPG into Stardew Valley as it plays just like the life sim but is set in the rural Japanese countryside.

As highlighted by cozy games expert MyPotatoGames, Japanese Rural Life has been in the works for a few years now, but will soon be releasing sometime this year. As the screenshots below will probably tell you, this is once again another Stardew Valley-like but instead of working on your grandpa's farm, you'll be settling down in the rural Japanese countryside looking after your animals.

Just like in all the life sims that came before it, players are given a cozy cottage to live in and customize which is located in the middle of a rural town. You can also fish, farm, garden, and meet the locals as you enjoy a laid-back lifestyle. 

Perhaps the most exciting part of Japanese Rural Life though is the fact you can adopt and raise a little Shiba-Inu pup on your farm. According to MyPotatoGames, the dog can follow you around as you explore the countryside so you just know I won't be getting any farm work done when it releases. 

The game is being developed by a Japanese developer called Game Start LLC, and according to the developer themselves, it's planning to be released on iOS and Android first but will eventually make its way over to the Nintendo Switch and PC as well. That's the developer manages to find a publisher, though. 

This is just one of many exciting cozy indies we've covered lately. If you're looking for more games to add to your wishlist, why not check out Momento, Loddlenaut, Wish Upon a Llama, the upcoming game from a former Stardew Valley dev, and Everholm. 

For even more recommendations, take a look at our upcoming indie games list.