Summary
The genre of ‘cozy games’, a moniker that includes titles likeAnimal Crossing,Stardew Valley, andSpiritfarer, has reached new heights in recent years. However, Gamescom 2024 revealed one sim game calledWe Harvest Shadowsthat promises to satirize the likes ofAnimal Crossingby approaching the genre with a horror lense.
Gamescom had a big opening nightwith a litany of star-studded reveals and trailer materials. Big games likeDune: AwakeningandIndiana Jones and the Great Circlereceived expanded trailers, while projects likeBorderlands 4andDying Light: The Beastwere newly revealed. After E3 officially shut down for good, fans of major gaming events and trade shows can at least find reassurance in the success Gamescom has found thus far in 2024.
We Harvest Shadows May Just Be Gamescom’s Standout Genre Fusion
One of the more interesting reveals at Gamescom thus far has beenWe Harvest Shadows, a horror farming sim developed byThe First Treecreator David Wehle. This curious blend of genres, combining typical farm-management gameplay with ghostly happenings and a sorrowful protagonist, stands out among its genre peers as being specifically ‘anti-cozy’. While other Gamescom showingsembrace the friendly atmosphere ofAnimal Crossing, Wehle’sWe Harvest Shadowsalready looks to quite effectively play on the unsettling undercurrents lurking beneath cozy sims.
We Harvest Shadows Uses The Liminality of Cozy Games To Horror’s Advantage
For the most part,We Harvest Shadowsstarts just like any relaxing, cozy farming simulator (at least in the current demo); the player has a farm to work on, and can attend to menial tasks while a gorgeous soundtrack plays in the background. However, the player will soon find small ‘hauntings’ around their abode, with paintings warping into faces and doors opening on their own. The breaks in music and clever use of sound effects play on the moments in games likeStardew ValleyandMinecraftwhere the same thing happens. The liminality of isolating, quiet moments within otherwise joyous games is given a refined form here;We Harvest Shadowsgrants realitytoMinecraft’s Herobrine creepypasta, making the idea of ‘something else’ hiding in a game manifest.
The isolation ofWe Harvest Shadows' protagonist also parallels howcozy games likeAnimal Crossing: New Horizonssoared in popularity as of recent. Titles like these with calming vibes, engaging gameplay loops, and hours upon hours of content, were a popular escape during the COVID-19 pandemic. The contradiction between whimsical sims and the global isolation that proliferated them is on full display with the protagonist ofWe Harvest Shadows. Even in moments of daytime levity, the protagonist is always brooding on their self-imposed isolation, one that frames the loop of menial tasks as a distraction from their grim circumstances.
The Infamous ‘Evil Farming Game’ Could Be Made Reality With We Harvest Shadows
Back in 2016, a five-year-long search began on the r/tipofmyjoystick subreddit for an ‘Evil Farming Game’, a title that purportedly featured gameplayakin toStardew Valleybut with a horror twist—a main protagonist that had murdered their wife and has to constantly evade police suspicion. It turned out to never have existed in the first place, but the creepypasta intrigue of such a game can’t be ignored.
We Harvest Shadowsis primed to scratch that itch for something that unearths the dirty laundry of games that seem a bit too cheerful, using thecozy exterior of aMinecraftorStardew Valleyand embracing the liminal stretches within. The game even features a story about an estranged lover, the fate of which looms large in the mind of protagonist Garret, further mirroring that gaming urban legend.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
WHERE TO PLAY
Escape to a deserted island and create your own paradise as you explore, create, and customize in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Your island getaway has a wealth of natural resources that can be used to craft everything from tools to creature comforts. You can hunt down insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean. The time of day and season match real life, so each day on your island is a chance to check in and find new surprises all year round.Show off your island utopia to family and friends—or pack your bags and visit theirs. Whether playing online** or with others beside you***, island living is even better when you can share it. Even without hopping on a flight, you’ll meet a cast of charming animal residents bursting with personality. Friendly faces like Tom Nook and Isabelle will lend their services and happily help you grow your budding community. Escape to your island getaway—however, whenever, and wherever you want.
