Stardew Valley Meets Red Dead Redemption Twofold in Cattle Country, and That’s a Big Win

Stardew Valley fans looking for some wild-west flavor are in luck, as indie studio Castle Pixel is working on Cattle Country, a game that melds Stardew Valley‘s retro, cozy aesthetic with the quaint Americana twang of Red Dead Redemption. Cattle Country‘s spin on the Stardew Valley formula shows a lot of promise, especially for those missing the quiet, contemplative moments of Rockstar’s western opus.

So-called cozy games didn’t start with Stardew Valley, but the genre certainly exploded following the 2016 game’s release. Although Stardew Valley has received steady updates over the years, it has also inspired a staggering number of spiritual successors, which tweak its polished, addictive, Harvest Moon-inspired life sim mechanics in a number of ways, and to varying degrees of success. With Cattle Country, Castle Pixel is targeting a very specific mix of small town life and classic western nostalgia, making it an interesting prospect for Stardew Valley players.

Cattle Country Looks Like a Charming Mix of Stardew and Red Dead Redemption 2

How Cattle Country Couches Cozy Gameplay in a Western Setting

One look at Cattle Country is all it takes to see the Stardew Valley resemblance. The wild-west cozy game has all the hallmarks of a Stardew-inspired title, including colorful pixel art, grid-based farming mechanics, and social simulation features based around small-town living. Cattle Country‘s gameplay loop revolves around farming, engaging with villagers, exploring mines and other inhospitable areas, and crafting various goods. Indeed, if one weren’t overly familiar with Stardew Valley, they could be mistaken for thinking that Cattle Country is a wild-west-themed DLC or mod for the game.

Cattle Country‘s greatest departure from Stardew is, naturally, its setting and premise. The Cattle Country reveal trailer, which just so happens to feature Arthur Morgan voice actor Roger Clark, evokes feelings of quaint, yet exciting frontier life. The game leverages western tropes like bull-riding, shootouts, and cattle-driving, which promise to give the game a more rough around the edges feel than the wholesome Stardew Valley.

Cattle Country: Hopefully More than Just Stardew Valley with Red Dead Redemption Seasoning

As previously mentioned, Cattle Country bears an uncanny resemblance to Stardew Valley, which has the potential to work to its detriment. So many of Cattle Country‘s core mechanics, from how farming and mining seem to work, to how players interact with and romance NPCs, appear to be copied right from Stardew Valley—the two games even have similar UI design. Stardew Valley has arguably remained the most relevant cozy farming-centric game since its release, so trying to compete with it in such a direct way could be tricky.

This risk is exacerbated by the fact that the cozy, Stardew Valley-inspired farming genre is beyond flooded at this point. Games like My Time at Portia, Graveyard Keeper, and Fae Farm all have their strengths, but when it feels like a new laid-back life sim is launching every other day, a newcomer to the genre needs to do a lot to stand out. What’s more is that these games are often designed to be played either indefinitely or for extremely long periods of time, making it tough for players to straddle multiple titles at once.

Having said all that, Cattle Country does seem to be bringing a few new ideas to the table, like its shootouts and hunting activities, which are definitely a bit edgier than what’s on offer in most cozy titles. Hopefully, Cattle Country leverages its unique premise to be competitive in the Stardew Valley-like cozy game space.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is a hit Indie release that spawned a cult following thanks to its similarities to titles like Harvest Moon and The Sims. Players will take control of their own characters as they are dropped into the eponymous Stardew Valley and given an old dilapidated farm. They’ll cultivate new crops and relationships with the NPCs scattered around the area, as well as combat monsters and embark on other quests.

Released

February 26, 2016

Developer(s)

ConcernedApe

Publisher(s)

ConcernedApe

Genre(s)

RPG , Simulation

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer , Online Multiplayer

Engine

Proprietary

ESRB

E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)

How Long To Beat

53 Hours

X|S Enhanced

No

File Size Xbox Series

1 GB (November 2023)

Metascore

89

Split Screen Orientation

Vertical or Horizontal

Number of Players

1-4

Steam Deck Compatibility

Verified

Local Co-Op Support

1-4 Players

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