In the midst of gaming’s capitalist churn sits the cozy genre—once a soft place to land, now a market trend that studios are racing to cash in on with cozy slop. Shelves are crowded with farming sims hoping to be the next Stardew Valley, and most forget what made us fall in love with these titles in the first place: the slow rhythm of the passing seasons, charismatic NPC neighbors who feel like real people, and the quiet satisfaction of watching something grow.
But there’s a corner of the genre that hasn’t lost the plot to be unique, and that’s cozy of the horror variety, where all that softness becomes the perfect cloak for something sinister to lurk. Blumhouse Games, the gaming arm of the highly respected film studio of the same name, made its publishing debut in 2024 with Cozy Game Pals’ Fear the Spotlight, a cozy horror title that paved the way for the studio’s newest venture.
Just months after the release of survival-horror hit Crisol: Theater of Idols, Blumhouse is back with its next pixelated experiment: Grave Seasons, a supernatural narrative-driven murder-mystery dressed in farming sim clothing, created in partnership with indie game studio Perfect Garbage. And it just might exceed your expectations (and potential concerns) for yet another quaint little town with crops to tend.
Here’s the setup: players have one in-game year in Ashenridge, a mountain town of more than 30 residents, seven major areas, and over 70 interior locations to snoop through. The daily loop has recognizably cozy mechanics—grow seasonal crops, fish, mine, forage, and sell your produce around town—but every harvested crop also doubles as investigation material, feeding into craftable occult items that ward off whatever’s stalking nearby neighbors.
Each playthrough pulls the killer from a pool of candidates, and every candidate has their own campaign, motive, kill style, and targets. Choices are tracked (and autosaved) as the year unfolds: character deaths and survivors lead to unlocked storylines. Save everyone, save no one, or, yes, even fall in love with the monster—Ashenridge lets players leave their mark however they see fit.
The 20-minute demo during this year’s Summer Game Fest started with my escape from prison—literally still donning a stylish orange jumpsuit—to arrive at my mysterious, abandoned farmhouse. My mission in the spooky mountain town? To plant vegetables, flirt with the hot villagers, and…solve the mystery of the town’s brutally slaughtered mayor. No biggie. The eeriness also gets an assist from the game’s ominous soundtrack and a light fog that never quite lifts.
The demo may have only scratched the surface of my adventures in Ashenridge, but one thing was clear: stealth and wit have to be second nature to crack this paranormal caseload. Players will have to dabble in some illegal activities like breaking and entering—but hey, you’ve already been to prison, so what do you have to lose? Well, for starters, your love interest. Or your neighbor. Maybe even your favorite shopkeeper! (The mayor, regrettably, is already spoken for.)
Imagine stepping into a small-town murder mystery (think Twin Peaks or Midnight Mass), but the neighborhood is full of irresistible hunks and hotties, and you’re trying to keep a low profile by tending to crops and staying out of the way. I met a handful of characters, including Leilani, a local florist; Hari, a farmhand; and Rose, the local librarian. At first, they seem kind—or at least interesting enough to hold a conversation. But in a game this sneaky, I know better. Pro tip: don’t let your guard down.
Between killer roulette and storylines that only unlock when certain characters die (or survive), the game’s replay value could give a completionist a run for their money. Any heartthrob could be hiding a dirty little secret.
At SGF, Luca Azenaro-Acero, the narrative designer at Perfect Garbage, confirmed to BGG that the forthcoming title, which is slated to release on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, “isn’t jumpscare-heavy, but it’s more about the dread and gore.”
Considering that the demo ends in a bloody mess, attention to abnormal dialogue and niche clues is a necessity to survive. “The horror elements of this game are in conversation with the cozy elements,” said Azenaro-Acero in reference to the balance between crime-solving and farming. And that delicate balance doesn’t end at sundown—Ashenridge runs on a 24-hour schedule with no forced bedtime. If the dread doesn’t keep players up at night, the neighbors will.
“Every [character] has to be hot,” Azenaro-Acero said as we joked about Yuto, the local grocery store manager. And based on the demo’s roster? Mission accomplished. Ashenridge’s lineup is diverse, easy on the eyes, and refreshingly queer-friendly, with the title sporting an LGBTQ+ tag on its Steam page. Even the main character is giving androgynous, nonbinary tease; Azenaro-Acero didn’t confirm, but a girl can dream.
As newer titles breathe more life into character customization—Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream with nonbinary Miis, pronoun options, and expanded skin tones, and the yet-to-be-released Loftia with a growing library of hand-sculpted textured hairstyles—Grave Seasons is poised to be a welcome addition to this list.
Come this fall, Ashenridge’s gates open to anyone brave enough to farm through a murder spree. Will you figure out the killer before it’s too late? Or die trying to romance them first? Either way, keep your crops watered and your doors locked.
