Harvest Moon may have inspired itbut ConcernedApes Stardew Valley set a new standard for farm life sims when it launched in 2016. Nearly a decade later, it continues to be recognized as one of the most influential games in the genre for exceeding player expectations, proving that a solo-developed game can compete with big budget releases in depth, post-launch support, and cultural impact. At the same time, it has become the blueprint to which almost all modern cozy life sims now trace their roots back to. In fact, an upcoming farm life swims on Steam actually has deeper roots in ConcernedApe's debut hit than almost any game just inspired by it, as it's being developed by a former Stardew Valley dev.
Sun-kissed city is a new farm life sim by mr. Podunkian, another solo developer who has worked alongside ConcernedApe on the post-launch development of Stardew Valley. At first glance, the upcoming game looks strikingly similar Stardew Valley in its image and gameplay, but that's to be expected given the developer's past work. Even so, while Steam's Sun-kissed city may have similarities to Stardew in its graphics, gameplay and design, its urban environment, customization potential and quality of life features may be enough to set it apart from the game that has dominated the farm life sim genre for nearly a decade.
Sunkissed City is being developed by a former Stardew Valley Dev
Arthur “Mr. Podunkian” Lee wasn't there in the beginning when Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone was working on Stardew Valleybecause it was really built from the ground up by just one person. But when Barone needed a team to help him with the game's post-launch updates while he worked on the Haunted ChocolatesLee contributed his expertise. Particularly engaged in the development of Stardew Valley updates 1.4 to 1.6, Lee joined the team in 2019 to help Barone smooth out the bumps in the farm life sim's path post-launch but also, perhaps more importantly, build some of its biggest content updates.
Lee's time with Stardew Valley lasted only about three years, as he parted ways with Barone in 2022 to focus full-time Sun-kissed city—”a life sim set in an upbeat, sun-kissed coastal metropolis full of cool vibes and quirky characters,” according to its Steam page. Of course, expectations can be high for the upcoming urban farm life sim, given that it doesn't just look accurate Stardew Valley but is also by one of its former developers. But if Lee has anything to say about it, Sun-kissed city is likely not meant to replace or replicate Stardew Valley-like game, but building on the lessons learned from years of post-launch development and applying them to a different type of space. More than anything else, this particular farming life sim feels like an evolution of Stardew Valley more than one copy.
Sunkissed City is Stardew Valley in an urban sandbox Develop your new life in the city, tend gardens, learn new skills and make lifelong friends and help bring life back to its once vibrant streets!
If its looks and charm weren't already enough, Sun-kissed city seems to have everything Stardew Valley fans love it and more. As a farm life sim, it has traditional genre-specific systems in place – such as DIY gardening with plants and crops, fishing, foraging and exploration, NPC relationship and romance mechanics, home customization, and various town activities. However, Sun-kissed city puts an urban twist on Stardews formula and adds a bit more depth and quality of life as well.
Sunkissed City features at a glance
- FARM LIFE SIM located in a bustling coastal metropolis called Apollo City.
- URBAN GARDENING and do-it-yourself gardening with plants and crops.
- FISHING with a quality-of-life system that displays silhouettes of all currently catchable fish based on location, time and weather when you reel one in.
- FEED INCREASE AND CURING around urban places such as parks and natural places.
- MONSTER-INFESTED AVLOAK DIVE and other adventurous side activities.
- MEET AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS with wacky townspeople and NPCs.
- GIFT AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT to deepen bonds with characters.
- ROMANTIC OPTIONS and personal story development.
- DEEP CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION with clothes, patterns, colors and styles.
- CUSTOMIZATION OF HOMES with furniture, wallpaper, flooring and decorative details.
- ONLINE AND LOCAL CO-OP multiplayer to play with friends.
- DIFFICULTY AND ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS to tailor experience for different skill levels.
- CITY ACTIVITIES such as visiting cafes and parks and interacting with wild animals.
One of the clearest ways Sun-kissed city develop Stardew Valleys gameplay is through how it incorporates lessons from years of post-launch refinement right from the start. System that took several updates to improve Stardew is instead part of Sun-kissed citys foundation. Fishing is the most obvious example, with a built-in visual system that communicates exactly what can be caught under specific conditions, taking the usual guesswork out of the minigame. The same philosophy carries over to customization, relationship tracking, and accessibility options, which aim to respect a player's time while preserving the sense of routine and progression that defines the genre.
With endless, deep customization options, you can be who you want to be.
Where Sun-kissed city But it's really starting to separate itself in the way it rethinks the space that the loop exists in. Instead of centering everything around a single, isolated yard, the development spreads across an interconnected urban environment filled with parks, cafes, public spaces and neighborhoods that feel more lively than Stardew Valley's Pelican Town. Gardening becomes something that players weave into city life rather than retreat to, and social systems feel more naturally integrated into day-to-day gameplay rather than something to tick off on a schedule. That, in addition to deeper customization, optional combat-driven activities like sewer diving and flexible difficulty and accessibility options, Sun-kissed city already have a lot to do.
All things considered, Sun-kissed city looks like a game made by someone who obviously spent years seeing what Stardew Valley got it right and where it could have been smoother from the start. The urban environment gives the familiar farm life gameplay loop Stardew Valley a fresh coat of paint, the quality of life improvements make it feel like it could be stronger from the start, and the overall structure suggests a developer who knows how long players tend to live in these worlds. Whether it ends up having the same staying power is still an open question, but it already feels like a confident step forward rather than a safe retread.
Sun-kissed city is currently scheduled to launch Steam year 2026.
