From the minds of the renowned Yomawari series comes Village in the Shade, a new farming sim that takes elements of the horror adventure series for a complete unique experience. Thanks to NIS America, I was able to get a first look at Village in the Shade and what it offers in its early hours in a hands-off preview, and I’m impressed and intrigued by what this new sim brings to the table. Not only does Village in the Shade take cues from some of the most successful games in the farming sim space, but the Yomawari-inspired horror elements bring something that I don’t think the genre has shown yet.
Village in the Shade takes players to Kagatsu, a Japanese mountain village that’s peaceful and cheery during the day but hides many secrets. You’ll be planting crops, maintaining and customizing your homestead, exploring the town, and befriending the inhabitants of the town on the day-to-day. The game’s artstyle invokes a cozy vibe similar to Stardew Valley and other farming sims, but there’s an uneasiness that lingers as you play. There are also some rules that you’ll follow, but like many rules in video games, they’re meant to be broken.
Village in the Shade Combines a Creepy Atmosphere with the Great Gameplay Loop
On the surface, Village in the Shade does play like most farming sims you’d expect. You’ll have your own plot of farmable land that you can upgrade with more crops and better yields, and you’ll have to gathering and source materials, craft items, mine natural resources, catch fish, and complete other tasks to maintain your homestead. You’ll also have an assortment of tools at your disposal, and you’ll be able to talk to other villagers and take on quests for rewards. Since your character is a child, there are no romantic relationships in this game, but you can become friends with the villagers and build good standing by completing the aforementioned quests. There are plenty of dialogue options and additional bonuses, but I didn’t get too much time to see much when it comes to the NPCs.
The town itself is exactly what you’d expect from a Japanese countryside setting. There are plenty of shops and homes, and one of the main attractions is a restaurant that all of the villagers will frequent. There will be traditional Japanese festivals and activities to enjoy, including a summer festival and cherry-blossom viewing. Yes, you’ll have a good, laid-back time taking in life at the countryside, but as I’ve alluded, there’s definitely something off about Kagatsu. Villagers seem to be hiding something, and there are some rules that you’re recommended to follow. You shouldn’t talk to strangers, you shouldn’t leave the village, and no matter what, you shouldn’t answer a random knock on your door and go out at night. Naturally, you’ll attempt to do all those things.
I got a look at the first playable night in Village in the Shade, which brings that Yomawari inspiration to the forefront. For some context, one of your chickens was brutally killed with virtually no real explanation. After such an event, you decided to finally head out at night after 11:00 p.m., where you soon discover what appears to be the spirit of your dead chicken guiding you somewhere. Meanwhile, you’re being chased and monitored by yokai all around you, and it’s quite menacing with the sound of your heartbeat being a constant throughout the sequence. Eventually, you’re guided by the chicken’s spirit to a strange, mangled tree that can talk—an obvious link to whatever the truth of Kagatsu holds.
It’s worth noting that this first night out is somewhat guided to this outcome, but on subsequent nights, you’ll be free to explore and experience the dangers that come with it. You have the choice of pursuing the truth at your own risk or simply following the rules and living a somewhat blissfully ignorant life. Whatever you decide to do, it will lead to one of multiple endings in the game.
There are some options that will greatly impact your experience in the game as well. By default, the standard mode of play in Village in the Shade will include day and night cycles, but there’s also Village in the Sunshine, where you can play the game without having to go out at night and experience some of the game’s creepy elements. Essentially, Village in the Shade gives you the option to focus on the life and farming sim aspects of the game, if you so wish.
Village in the Shade Could be the Next Farming Sim Hit
The cozy gameplay loop of farming, crafting, fishing, mining, and socializing in the Japanese countryside meets dark undertones in what could be surprise cult-classic of the year in Village in the Shade. From what the preview showed, Village in the Shade is well-equipped to give farming sim fans a lot of game time with the management systems and gameplay features that made this genre explode over the years. The Yomawari-inspired elements aim to make this game quite memorable and haunting without completely overtaking the wholesome countryside vibes, so it’s shaping up to be an interesting mix of ideas for a game. Village in the Shade could be the next hit in the sim genre, but of course, we won’t definitively know until the game is in our hands.
Village in the Shade launches on October 27 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam in the west. A Limited Edition of Village in the Shade is now available to preorder for $89.99, featuring a copy of the game, collector’s box, art book, original soundtrack, acrylic block, and a set of metal pins.
