An upcoming farming simulation on Steam, Everbloom, carries strong Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley vibes while carving out its own identity. Many Steam users have seen indie farming sims trying to mimic the genre's top hits, but Everbloom doesn't feel like a copycat.
Developer Torbie is releasing Everbloom as its first game on Valve's storefront. The studio has spent nearly three years developing it and has been sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses with fans throughout that time. The team emphasizes that Everbloom's world is handcrafted, making it clear that no AI shortcuts were used in its creation.
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Everbloom Features at a Glance
- CRAFT a wide range of objects
- FARM different crops
- BREED animals
- EXPLORE dungeons
- INVITE up to three players to join you (4-player co-op)
- DATE villagers
- FISH and cook
- CUSTOMIZE the farm
- UNLOCK new pieces of furniture and decorations
Animal Crossing Vibes Are Undeniable in Everbloom
It won't take long for fans of games like Animal Crossing to be charmed by Everbloom's anthropomorphic animals. Players can choose from various animal types and customize them to create their ideal character. The game's cutesy visuals also bring to mind Animal Crossing and even Dinkum.
Trailers show a town near the player's farm where they can socialize and meet other anthropomorphic NPCs. Interestingly, despite being animal characters themselves, players can still own and breed livestock like cows and pigs. Even better, Everbloom's livestock are said to have distinct personalities that can be passed down from parents to offspring. While the details of this mechanic are still unclear, cozy farming sim fans will likely be eager to explore it.
Everbloom Gameplay Takes the Best of Stardew Valley
While Everbloom's visuals lean toward Animal Crossing and Dinkum, its core gameplay is closer to Stardew Valley. Crafting, farming, foraging, and light dungeon-crawling drive progression. Players will try to expand their farm, care for livestock, and engage in side activities like fishing and cooking. Dating is another Stardew-like feature, allowing players to woo different NPCs, though some characters may reject advances. As with Stardew Valley, successful dates in Everbloom unlock new lore and reveal hidden secrets unique to each character.
Everbloom also includes a cave system beneath the city, which players can explore through puzzle-solving and mining. Unlike Stardew Valley's dungeons, these caves have no combat. Players primarily work to unlock new sections of the caves, uncovering more of the game's lore as they progress.
When Whimsical Meets Absurd
One of Everbloom's most charming features is its quirky sense of humor, which even influences the gameplay. For example, players can grow buckets of popcorn as crops or produce chocolate milk by feeding cows candy bars. And these playful twists are sure to help it stand out. With the genre becoming somewhat oversaturated, fans are likely to welcome every bit of creativity and imagination the game offers.
Why Farming Sim Fans Should Keep an Eye on Everbloom
Developer Torbie's cozy sim has been accepted into Epic Games' "Epic MegaGrants," a grant program for indie games with strong potential. This recognition suggests the game has caught the attention of investors and likely received funding from Epic Games.
Being part of the program is promising for fans, as it indicates early confidence in the project. Securing Epic's backing means the developers have presented a convincing proof of concept and appear capable of delivering a solid game.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
Everbloom doesn't have a confirmed release date yet, so players should wishlist it on Steam to receive a notification when it launches. Meanwhile, fans eager for a similar experience can mark February 11 for the early-access release of Starsand Island, another highly anticipated hybrid of Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing.