Fans of Stardew Valley may have more to look forward to than just update 1.7. A developer who previously worked with ConcernedApe on a couple of Stardew Valley updates is creating a new title that shares many characteristics. From an art style, it looks pretty similar, except here we are set in the bustling seaside metropolis of Apollo City rather than grandpa’s farm, and our gardens are set up by the local “plant-punks.”
Currently, Stardew Valley‘s developer, ConcernedApe, is working on both a new game, Haunted Chocolatier, and a 1.7 update to Stardew Valley. Neither of these projects has a release date yet, but fans could find some respite from their waiting by trying out Sunkissed City instead, which is set to launch sometime in 2026. Hopefully leaning more towards the beginning of the year rather than the end, especially as it is certain to suffer if it launches too close to either Stardew Valley 1.7 or Haunted Chocolatier.
A Former Stardew Valley Dev Is Working On Sunkissed City
Mr. Podunkian Contributed To Stardew’s 1.4 And 1.5 Updates
If you think Sunkissed City looks familiar, there’s a good reason for that. The game is developed and published by Mr. Podunkian, who has previously contributed to a couple of Stardew Valley updates. The game could easily be considered just another Stardew Valley clone based solely on the artwork.
However, it takes a very different approach as you play an employee for the monolithic Pico corporation who wants you to become friends with the citizens of Apollo city and work on bringing this area back to being a vibrant, quirky, and -most importantly- thriving metropolis. If you ever wished you could live in Pelican Town and make it more of a city, Sunkissed City is your chance.
Make friends with the kooky NPCs living in Apollo City, customize your clothing and look, and then work with the strange forest creatures called Keby to help save the city from mysterious maladies. Of course, you can find love and romance along the way, too!
It’s Coming In 2026
Available To Wishlist On Steam Now
Sunkissed City was originally planned to launch sometime in 2025 on Steam. However, the game was delayed into 2026. Hopefully, that means that the game is near completion, and it will be early in 2026, although that has not been confirmed. At this time, you can wishlist the game on Steam so you can be notified when it launches, or follow Mr. Podunkian on X to see the developer updates.
Previously, Mr. Podunkian has said that console releases will follow at a later date, although we do not yet know which consoles or when that will be. What we do know is that Sunkissed City looks like an entertaining and fun take on the farming life sim genre that could just be the perfect way to scratch that Stardew Valley itch.
- Released
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February 26, 2016
- ESRB
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E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
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ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
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ConcernedApe
- Engine
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Proprietary
- Multiplayer
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Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
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Stardew Valley does not currently support crossplay between different consoles and PC
- Cross Save
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cross-progression is only available between the PC and mobile versions of the game
- Number of Players
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1-4