Grave Seasons Brings Horror Movie Energy to the Farm Sim Genre, and I’m Here for It

I hate Freud’s work with the burning passion of a thousand suns, but there’s a phenomenon in gaming, especially in the cozy gaming space, that links too well with a term he coined. I’m talking about the uncanny. More specifically, scarythe original German word from which English speakers get the term “unhomely.” It’s something familiar and comforting that reminds you of home, but with an aspect that’s just…off.

Grave Seasons, an upcoming supernatural farm sim from Blumhouse Games, fits that idea to a tee. I demoed it during Summer Game Fest, and it runs with the unhomely concept. It turns a Stardew Valley-esque farming sim into a paranormal murder mystery that randomizes the killer with every playthrough. As a fan of both horror and cozy games, to say I’m stoked would be a massive understatement.

Feels Like Home…Or Does It?

If you’ve played Stardew Valley, Grave Seasons’ opening sequence will feel familiar. In the game, you escape a soul-sucking 9-5 job by inheriting your grandpa’s farm. However, you’re also escaping something: prison.

In the demo, I was treated to a cutscene of my character breaking their handcuffs and swimming ashore to the town of Ashenridge. My little pixelated sprite emerged, soaked and dressed in an orange jumpsuit instead of my selected outfit (though my hairbow was hilariously still in place). It was a jarring contrast to the usual “inherited from a relative” farm sim setup I’d come to expect from the genre, and it made me immediately curious about the unfolding story.

My questions continued to grow when I arrived at the abandoned farmhouse that had been designated my de facto shelter; a farmhouse with occult paraphernalia in the basement, which included a large altar-like machine. Clearly, whoever had previously owned the place wasn’t just planting crops. And that mysterious vibe spilled over into Grave Seasons’ gameplay.

(Credit: Blumhouse Games)

A Creepy Green Thumb

I received a crash course in planting carrots the next morning from a handsome neighbor, Hari, who assumed I was the new farmer and set me up with seeds. What followed was a tutorial on navigating the various tool menus and getting started with my vegetable crop. Like in Stardew Valley, Grave Seasons lets you dig plots, plant and water seeds, and harvest wild flora. However, there were fewer areas to plant than in Stardew Valley, with only certain areas being designated for you to exercise your green thumb.

The wild plants that were up for harvest were a lot less benevolent, too. Instead of wildflowers and chanterelles, I found irritating stinging nettles and…garbage. Once my veggie patch was in place and my yard sufficiently cleared of trash, I reported back to Hari, who told me about the town’s job board and encouraged me to introduce myself to the townsfolk. Something was offdespite the bright music, cheerful colors, and vivid personalities of the numerous NPCs who brought me right back to the usual conventions of cozy gaming.

Afterward, an objective appeared on the screen that tasked me with finding a way to activate the mysterious machine in my basement. Matters became more serious when my character noted that the occult symbol in the basement matched the decorative motifs around Ashenridge. Then I noticed the detailed shovel animation while planting the carrots, which made me wonder what hese might be planted in the soil.

Grave Season’s occult elements are creepy. But what struck me most was that, on top of everything, the town felt genuinely unhomely. That’s because it wasn’t meant to be my character’s home. In the demo, I played an outsider, someone who doesn’t know how things work in Ashenridge; someone who doesn’t know the skeletons in everyone’s closets. As I wrapped the demo session, I felt that the reveals wouldn’t be pretty, despite Grave Season’s cute graphics.

Final Demo Thoughts and Release Date

On a meta level, Grave Seasons’ many subversions take the idea of “home,” the actual cozy game genre itself, and warp it by pairing familiarity with a dark undertone. The narrative and gameplay make for a deeply compelling experience that I can’t wait to revisit when the game launches on Aug. 14 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. Blumhouse Games hasn’t announced a price.