Deal | Stardew Valley too cozy? Hyped farming sim with 97% positive reviews returns to its best price on Steam

If Stardew Valley has started to lose its appeal, Grimshire could be an interesting alternative. The farming sim builds on similar core mechanics, but takes a much darker and more survival-focused approach. Acute Owl Studio’s title entered Early Access on Steam in July 2025 and has received an extremely positive response so far, with 97% approval from more than 2,200 user reviews. Grimshire is currently 20% off again, lowering the price from $14.99 to $11.99. According to SteamDB, this matches the game’s lowest price to date.

Another difference compared to Stardew Valley is the setting itself: Grimshire features humanoid animals instead of humans. In Early Access, players can currently choose between a rabbit, fox or bear, with more species planned for the future. The basic gameplay follows the familiar farming-sim formula: cultivating fields, gathering resources and taking care of animals. However, since the player characters are animals themselves, the livestock consists of fantasy creatures instead.

Unlike Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing, where the atmosphere usually stays cheerful and relaxed, Grimshire introduces a much darker twist. A deadly plague threatens the land, pushing survival mechanics much further into the foreground. Food is scarce and can spoil over time. Compared to Stardew Valley, the focus here is more on survival than on relaxed everyday farming. Visually, the game uses a cute pixel-art style, but still conveys a rather melancholic mood.

Only the first in-game year is playable so far, but the price is set to rise after the full release

Players praise Grimshire for its strong story with meaningful consequences and describe it as a successful mix of cozy gameplay and survival mechanics. The biggest criticism is aimed at the Early Access content, which currently only covers the first in-game year before ending rather abruptly, making it practically impossible to continue playing beyond that point. According to the developers, however, that first year still offers around 40 to 50 hours of gameplay.

Since Grimshire launched in Early Access in July 2025 and was planned to stay there for at least one year, the full release may not be too far off. Since the price is expected to increase afterward, now may be a good opportunity to pick up the game at its discounted Early Access price. Anyone still unsure can try the free demo first. Steam Deck compatibility is listed as “Playable.”

Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.