Summary
- After 5 years of development, South American farming sim Gaucho and the Grassland set a release date: July 16.
- The game combines ranching, exploration, and folkloric quests in a low-poly 3D style, offering an experience that draws as much from Stardew Valley as from The Legend of Zelda.
- Gaucho and the Grassland has a playable demo on Steam.
The Best War Games can share an exclusive new look at Gaucho and the Grassland, a colorful farming sim with beloved inspirations and a distinctive setting. The cozy indie title was just confirmed to be launching on Steam in summer 2025.
Originally announced in late 2022, Gaucho and the Grassland is the latest title from Brazilian studio Epopeia Games. As its name implies, the game has a decisively South American setting rooted in gaucho culture. While primarily envisioned as a farming sim, Gaucho and the Grassland also features exploration and building mechanics. The overall package thus resembles something akin to a 3D version of Stardew Valley, but with low-poly graphics and a South American theme.
10 Best Cozy Sandbox Games
Wrap up warm and relax with one of the following cozy sandbox games that are sure to put your mind at ease.
The years-long development of Gaucho and the Grassland is now nearing the finish line, as Epopeia has just committed to launching the farming sim on July 16. The studio commemorated the occasion with a release date trailer, which The Best War Games can exclusively reveal. The promo video features brisk pacing, showcasing a wide variety of footage relative to its modest 34-second runtime. The trailer frames Gaucho and the Grassland as a cowboy game, offering players a chance to become "a Latin cowboy"—a common way of describing gauchos.
Gaucho and the Grassland Mixes Zelda and Stardew Valley Inspirations
The conceptual similarities between Gaucho and the Grassland and Stardew Valley aren't accidental. Epopeia has consciously taken inspiration from ConcernedApe's hit farming sim, but also from The Legend of Zelda series, a company representative told The Best War Games. The Zelda influences are reflected in the game's strong emphasis on exploration of a varied world featuring multiple biomes and area progression blockers. Epopeia also opted to draw from many aspects of gaucho culture, including its fantastical elements. The upcoming game's storyline will thus see the protagonist embark on a mission to "save the legends" from Latin American folklore.
A Farming Sim Without Agriculture
Between exploration segments, Gaucho and the Grassland players will focus on building and expanding their animal farm. According to information shared by Epopeia so far, the game will not feature crop farming, as gauchos have traditionally been cattle herders rather than farmers in the agricultural sense. Combined with its fantastical setting, this design choice helps Gaucho and the Grassland stand out within the crowded 2025 market for cozy life and farming sims.
Gaucho and the Grassland has been in development for about five years, an Epopeia representative told The Best War Games. With the lengthy development cycle nearing completion, the Brazilian studio may soon have enough resources to consider additional ports. Nothing is official yet, however; the life sim has so far only been announced for PC, via Steam, where it can already be wishlisted. A demo version of Epopeia's gaucho game has been available since June 2023. Pricing details are yet to be announced.
10 Cozy Games That Actually Boost Your Productivity, Ranked
These cozy games increase your output with focus timers, task trackers, and relaxing vibes to match.