Stardew Valley with dragons: Farming Sim launches 96% positive, free demo

The hype surrounding farming sims like Stardew Valley appears to be as strong as ever. One recent example is Dragon Shelter, which launched on Steam on September 24. Just one day after release, the title from Wild Forest Studio and Curve Games has already reached the top three of the Steam charts, peaked at more than 400 concurrent players (according to SteamDB) and received more than 50 reviews, with a very positive average rating of 96%.

Dragon Shelter takes familiar farming gameplay and combines it with a story about dragons that have lost their place among humans. In the kingdom of Gallion, the two once lived together peacefully until the dragons were driven out of the cities. Now, players must give them a new home on their grandfather's abandoned farm. At the same time, a nearby town is waiting to be awakened from its slumber. To accomplish this, players cultivate fields, gather resources, restore buildings and cook meals. The dragons, however, are at the heart of the game: They need to be found, cared for and kept busy, but their different abilities also allow them to help out around the farm.

The dragons are also the highlight of the Steam reviews. Players appreciate not only their adorable designs but also the fact that they actively help out around the farm, whether by cooking, chopping wood or smashing rocks. The cooking itself has also been well received because meals are prepared actively rather than simply combining ingredients with a click. Some players even describe it as a relaxed version of Overcooked. Watching the initially abandoned property gradually transform into a lively farm is also described as highly rewarding. Criticism mainly focuses on the lack of a map, cumbersome menus and the large number of fetch quests early on.

Launch discount and playable demo

Dragon Shelter normally costs around $20, but is currently available with a 25% launch discount for around $15 until October 8. Those who want to find out whether the combination of farming and caring for dragons is for them can start with the free demo. According to Steam, it offers around two to four hours of gameplay and introduces the first dragon, cooking and the basic farming mechanics, among other things. Incidentally, Dragon Shelter is also playable on the Steam Deck.