Grave Seasons Release Date Confirmed for 2026 Horror Farming Sim

I’ve been following Grave Seasons for a while, and finally it’s confirmed: it’s coming in 2026 to PC, PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch. I’m a big fan of Stardew Valley’s carefree farm life, but this one adds dark twists—like a supernatural serial killer you can romance, which caught me off guard early on.

I saw the trailer during Summer Game Fest, and I liked how it starts with cozy farming and then shifts tone completely once the murders begin. Developers Perfect Garbage, backed by Blumhouse Games, are merging two genres that rarely meet: wholesome simulation and murder mystery.

Want more announcements? Check out our list of all the June State of Play Announcements this year. There's a lot to look forward to!

Grave Seasons kicks off in Ashenridge, a small mountain town, where your character, freshly escaped from prison, takes over a farm. You grow crops, fish, mine, and chat with townsfolk. But that tranquility is shattered when are hit by a spate of murders. The twist? There’s a supernatural shooter behind it, and you can investigate clues, craft protective items, befriend NPCs, and even romance the killer.

"The killer is randomized so you won't know who the killer is on your save."

That was a direct comment from Reddit and it spoke to me—I like emergent storytelling, and this random killer system could support replayability in a way Stardew never really did.

In formal terms, Grave Seasons is a narrative-driven farming sim underpinned by horror mechanics. Unlike Stardew, which focused on relationship-building and dynamic seasons, Grave Seasons introduces a combat with fear—and a supernatural angle. The crafting system ties into detective work: potions, wards, clues. This adds investigative gameplay atop typical farm-life mechanics.

Comparatively, Stardew Valley has remained iconic by balancing farming, mining, and social interaction. It set the bar high with deep content and its supportive atmosphere. Grave Seasons promises a darker counterpart, offering similar farming loops but layering in tension and moral ambiguity—especially if you choose to romance or side with the killer, risking townsfolk lives.

I saw some gameplay from the Summer Game Fest demo: fields, daily routines, then walking into a forest grave scene with scattered body parts. The shift was jarring. That dynamic contrast stood out most to me—casual sunlight, cheerful planting, then dim trees hiding gore. With dialogue, farming, investigation, resource management, and character building, it's packing a lot into a genre staple.

On context: Perfect Garbage is an indie studio that seems dedicated to this cross-genre formula. Blumhouse Games is building a catalog of indie horror that’s less found-footage and more narrative and stylistic, and Grave Seasons fits that mold.

Looking beyond Stardew, there are other farming hybrids—Harvestella, Rune Factory (with combat), and Atomicrops (roguelike bullet-hell farm sim). What sets Grave Seasons apart is the investigative, cinematic, and romanceable serial killer. That’s not just mixing genres—it might define a new direction for farm sims.

Finish on factual note: Grave Seasons will launch in 2026 across major platforms, and it’s already topped 100K wishlists on Steam. It’s definitely a game I’m watching closely, especially since many Co-op farming games lean towards light-hearted vibes. This one adds a sharp corner.

If you dug Stardew Valley but also enjoyed darker narratives—say, Night in the Woods or even Oxenfree—Grave Seasons is aiming right at that intersection. And with randomization and romance options, it could be a lasting experience beyond a single run.

Grave Seasons release date: Coming in 2026 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch—marking a bold entry in farm sims with horror DNA.