It was probably inevitable that a game like Cattle Country would be made. The runaway success of Stardew Valley, which put a new spin on farming games like Harvest Moon, has seen the simulation subgenre resurgent, with projects ranging from Coral Island to Dreamlight Valley finding large audiences in recent years. It's only natural, then, that a historical take on farming games would follow, with the Western American focus of Cattle Country offering a suitable setting. Now, after anticipating the project for nearly a year, Cattle Country has just launched on Steam.
Like Stardew Valley, farming game with colorful sprite work and an emphasis on the routine chores of growing and harvesting crops. Its premise, though, is quite different. Set in a very sanitized version of the 19th- or early 20th-century American West, it introduces a greater level of action to the usually peaceful design expected from the genre.
There's the expected, Stardew-style tasks to handle, like mining, fishing, and, most pressingly, setting up a working farm and tending to its crops and livestock as it expands. There's also a nearby town, with characters to meet and romance. But, as mentioned above, there's a bit more danger in Cattle Country, including a range of wildlife to track or hunt and bandits whose raids must be fended off to protect the player's farm.
Cattle Country is out now on Steam, with a 15% launch discount that brings its price down to $16.14 USD / £12.74. Grab a copy right here.
Otherwise, you might want to mosey on through our picks for the best indie games on PC to rustle up some more options.
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