Cobblestone paths, cheerful neighbours waving hello, chickens pecking around in the yard. On the surface it’s the kind of idyllic small-town life that farming sims have always promised. But in Grave Seasons, the cozy veneer has a crack running right through it. One of those friendly wave-givers? A supernatural serial killer. You just don’t know which one yet.
Developed by Perfect Garbage and published by none other than Blumhouse Games (the horror empire behind Paranormal Activity, Sinister, and The Purge), Grave Seasons is a narrative farming sim that has no business being as charming as it is. You arrive in Ashenridge fresh off a jail break, trying to quietly start a new life. Grow crops, catch fish, mine ore, get to know the locals. Normal stuff. Except murders keep happening, suspicion is mounting, and you’re the new face in town with a criminal record. Great timing.
The gameplay loop is classic farming sim at heart. You tend to your land through the seasons, build relationships with townspeople, and unlock new areas as you go. If you’ve logged hours in Stardew Valley or Story of Seasons, the rhythm will feel familiar. What won’t feel familiar is glancing at the town notice board and seeing another name crossed off.
What makes Grave Seasons genuinely clever is its randomised killer system. Every playthrough assigns the murderous role to a different villager, which means the game resists being spoiled and rewards replaying. The romanceable baker who won your heart last time? This run, maybe don’t trust him. It’s an elegant mechanic that keeps the mystery alive and turns every cozy NPC interaction into something faintly paranoid. I love it.
The pixel art does a lot of heavy lifting here too. The team at Perfect Garbage deliberately leaned into the contrast between soft, warm visuals and genuine unease. Cute round chickens. Uneasy shadows. It’s a mood board that apparently included the team’s most disturbing horror memories, which explains why Ashenridge feels like it’s smiling just a little too wide.
Grave Seasons is coming to PC, PS5, Xbox, and Switch in 2026. It’s still in the wishlist phase, but if you’re a fan of farming sims and you’ve always thought the genre could use a body count, this one’s worth keeping an eye on.
Just maybe don’t get too attached to your neighbours.
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