The ultimate marriage of horror and cozy farming sim is coming in 2026, and its name isGrave Seasons. Set in the town of Ashenridge, players take on the challenge of starting a new farm and becoming a part of their local community, until a grisly murder puts their peaceful life in danger. Harvest crops, catch fish, build relationships, anddiscover which villager is secretly murdering their neighborsover the course of four seasons.
Cozy games, specifically farming games, have been all the rage ever sinceStardew Valleymade the trend take off in 2016. With almost a decade of copycats re-imagining that general setting and gameplay,Grave Seasonsis giving the genre a massive twistby introducing a supernatural killer and by limiting the time players spend in each save.
What Is Grave Seasons?
The Next Title By Perfect Garbage
Grave Seasonsis an upcoming cozy farming game developed by Perfect Garbage andpublished by Blumhouse Games(the same Blumhouse behind films likeFive Nights at Freddy’s, M3GAN,andThe Black Phone).Like other cozy farming games of the genre, players take on the role of a new arrival to a quaint town as they begin a life as a farmer. This time, however,the player is a convicted criminal who recently escaped prisonand seeks to settle down somewhere quiet and peaceful. The only problem? A supernatural killer starts leaving the quirky villagers of Ashenridge as gruesomely murdered victims.
While growing crops and fixing up the farm like in any other traditionalHarvest Moon-like game,players must discover clues and investigate their neighbors, any of whom could be the potential killer. This investigation includes no small amount of breaking and entering all across town. Putting clues together on who the next victim will be is up to the player, and choosing wrong will end in more death, but the player can craft items to ward off the killer and hopefully save their new friends.
Along the way, players will get to know the villagers they’re trying to protect andcan romance a huge range of fun characters, including the killer. This means that any romance could come to a nasty end, something unique compared to most cozy games, which tend to have “happy end” relationships.
Grave Seasons Is Forgoing An Endless Gameplay Loop
Discover The Killer In One Year’s Time
WhileGrave Seasonsis already unique for its criminal main character and serial killer-based plot, another mechanic makes it stand out from the farming game crowd.Graves Seasonswill be limited to a single year, very much unlike cozy games likeStardew ValleyandAnimal Crossing, which allow the player to keep going in their save forever. Since players will be investigating the killer over the course of the story, it makes sense that the mystery couldn’t go on indefinitely.
There are four seasons inGrave Seasons, and according toour Summer Game Fest interviewwith lead designer Nikky Armstrong,each month will have clues sprinkled throughout for players to piece together. The good thing is that this time limitation doesn’t impact the replay ofGrave Seasons, since the killer is randomized with each new save file. While there is a limited pool of characters who can be potential murderers, this randomization will make each replay a completely new experience.
Why You Should Be Excited For Grave Seasons
A Fresh Take On The Cozy Game Genre
Grave Seasonsis one of the more exciting games to come out ofSummer Game Fest, especially for fans of the cozy farming subgenre. It brings the best of growing crops and tending to a farm intoa compelling murder mystery that evolves over the course of a yeardue to the player’s own decisions and mistakes. Since the game is limited to a single year and the killer can be an entirely different person and supernatural threat, it’s a title that players could potentially put hundreds of hours into.
Cozy gaming as a genre has gotten a little stale. While certain conventions in the genre, like happy endings and static towns, are certainly part of the appeal,a game with darker undertones can help shake up the scene. The charming pixel art style and town full of romanceable cuties are also major draws, but the pull of a dark town with hidden secrets makesGraves Seasonsa game worth checking out in 2026.
