New Farm Life Sim on Steam Comes Straight From a Former Stardew Valley Dev

Harvest Moon may have inspired it, but ConcernedApe’s Stardew Valley set a new standard for farm life sims when it launched in 2016. Almost a decade later, it continues to be recognized as one of the most influential games in the genre for exceeding player expectations, proving that a solo-developed game can rival big-budget releases in depth, post-launch support, and cultural impact. At the same time, it has become the blueprint that nearly every modern cozy life sim now traces its roots back to. In fact, an upcoming farm life sim on Steam actually has deeper roots in ConcernedApe’s debut hit than almost any game merely inspired by it, as it is being developed by a former Stardew Valley dev.

Sunkissed City is a new farm life sim by Mr. Podunkian, another solo dev who has a history of working alongside ConcernedApe on the post-launch development of Stardew Valley. At first glance, the upcoming game looks strikingly similar to Stardew Valley in its visuals and gameplay, but that’s to be expected given the developer’s previous work. Even so, while Steam’s Sunkissed City might bear similarities to Stardew in its visuals, gameplay, and design, its urban setting, customization potential, and quality-of-life features could be enough to set it apart from the game that has dominated the farm life sim genre for nearly a decade.

Sunkissed City Is Being Developed by a Former Stardew Valley Dev

Arthur “Mr. Podunkian” Lee wasn’t there in the beginning when Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone was working on Stardew Valley, as it genuinely was built from the ground up by only one person. However, when Barone needed a team to help him with the game’s post-launch updates while he worked on Haunted Chocolatier, Lee contributed his expertise. Particularly involved in the development of Stardew Valley updates 1.4 to 1.6, Lee joined the team in 2019 to help Barone smooth out the bumps in the farm life sim’s post-launch road but also, perhaps more importantly, build some of its biggest content updates.

Lee’s time with Stardew Valley only lasted around three years, as he parted ways with Barone in 2022 to focus full-time on Sunkissed City—”a life-sim set in an upbeat, sun-kissed seaside metropolis full of funky vibes and quirky characters,” according to its Steam page. Naturally, expectations might be high for the upcoming urban farm life sim, considering it not only looks exactly like Stardew Valley but is also by one of its former developers. However, if Lee has anything to say about it, Sunkissed City is likely not meant to replace or replicate Stardew Valley-like games, but to build on the lessons learned from years of post-launch development and apply them to a different kind of space. More than anything, this particular farm life sim feels like an evolution of Stardew Valley more than a copy.

Sunkissed City Is Stardew Valley in an Urban Sandbox

If its looks and charm weren’t already enough, Sunkissed City appears to have everything Stardew Valley fans love about it and more. As a farm life sim, it has traditional genre-specific systems in place—like DIY gardening with plants and crops, fishing, foraging and exploration, NPC relationship and romance mechanics, home customization, and various town activities. However, Sunkissed City is putting an urban twist on Stardew‘s formula and adding a bit more depth and quality of life as well.

Sunkissed City’s Features at a Glance

• FARM LIFE SIM set in a vibrant seaside metropolis called Apollo City.
• URBAN GARDEN TENDING and DIY gardening with plants and crops.
• FISHING with a quality-of-life system that shows silhouettes of all currently catchable fish based on location, time, and weather when you reel one in.
• FORAGING AND EXPLORATION around city locations like parks and nature spots.
• MONSTER-INFESTED SEWER DIVES and other adventurous side activities.
• MEET AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS with quirky cityfolk and NPCs.
• GIFTING AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT to deepen bonds with characters.
• ROMANCE OPTIONS and personal story development.
• DEEP CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION with clothing, patterns, colors, and styles.
• HOME CUSTOMIZATION with furniture, wallpaper, flooring, and decorative touches.
• ONLINE AND LOCAL CO-OP multiplayer to play with friends.
• DIFFICULTY AND ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS to tailor experience for different skill levels.
• TOWN ACTIVITIES like visiting cafes and parks, and interacting with wildlife.

One of the clearest ways Sunkissed City evolves Stardew Valley‘s gameplay is through how it incorporates lessons learned from years of post-launch refinement right from the start. Systems that took multiple updates to improve in Stardew are instead a part of Sunkissed City‘s foundation. Fishing is the most obvious example, with a built-in visual system that communicates exactly what can be caught under specific conditions, taking the usual guesswork out of the mini-game. That same philosophy carries over into customization, relationship tracking, and accessibility options, which aim to respect a player’s time while still preserving the sense of routine and progression that defines the genre.

Where Sunkissed City really begins to separate itself, though, is in how it rethinks the space that the loop exists in. Rather than centering everything around a single, isolated farm, progression is spread across an interconnected urban environment filled with parks, cafes, public spaces, and neighborhoods that feel more bustling than Stardew Valley‘s Pelican Town. Gardening becomes something players weave into city life rather than retreat to, and social systems feel more naturally integrated into day-to-day play instead of being something to check off on a schedule. That, in addition to deeper customization, optional combat-driven activities like sewer dives, and flexible difficulty and accessibility options, Sunkissed City already has a lot going for it.

All things considered, Sunkissed City looks like a game made by someone who clearly spent years seeing what Stardew Valley got right and where it could have been smoother from the start. The urban setting gives the familiar farm life gameplay loop of Stardew Valley a fresh coat of paint, the quality-of-life improvements make it feel like it could be stronger from the get-go, and the overall structure suggests a developer who knows how long players tend to live in these worlds. Whether it ends up having the same staying power is still an open question, but it already feels like a confident step forward rather than a safe retread.

Sunkissed City is currently slated to launch on Steam in 2026.