Stardew Valley Meets Resident Evil In New Farming/Horror Hybrid

A new game on Steam marries Stardew Valley-style farming with Resident Evil-inspired horror, and you can pick it up on sale between now and late May. It seems like there’s been no end to farming simulators since Stardew Valley became popular: every week, a new one pops up with an intriguing twist.

And although the intersection of farming sims and horror isn’t even anything new, this week saw the release of yet another game that blends the two genres, and yet still manages to look unique. Besmirch was released on Steam on May 11, 2026. Early reviews on Steam are universally positive as of the time of writing, with 17 reviewers all praising the gameplay, visuals, sound, and writing.

Besmirch describes itself on its Steam page as a “survival horror farming sim,” a designation that’s hard to argue with. The majority of the gameplay is just that: during the day, you’ll grow crops just like you do in Stardew Valley, but at night, you’ll fend off hordes of unholy aberrations that are straight out of your favorite horror game.

The twist here is that the titular town of Besmirch is starving. Ruled over by a greedy baron (not unlike Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village), the people simply don’t have enough food to go around. As the farmer, it’s up to you to decide who gets fed and who goes hungry, and that’s not always an easy choice.

The Resident Evil parallels exist, but many Steam reviewers compare it to a different horror title: Airdorf Games’ FAITH: The Unholy Trinity. With their old-school muted color palettes, 8bit-inspired graphics, and demonic monsters, the two games have a lot in common aesthetically and thematically.

It’s hard not to draw parallels to Pathologic 2 as well. In that game, you have limited resources to cure a plague that spreads dynamically through the town — in Besmirch, you have limited food, and lots of hungry mouths. There’s a similar feeling of inadequacy as a caretaker that arises through the gameplay of both.

Of course, you’ll also be able to get to know the townspeople of Besmirch, although, beset by hunger and oppression, they will be slow to trust you. You’re less romancing your neighbors as you would in Stardew Valley than you are convincing them not to exile you.

Besmirch is available now in early access. Its version 0.7, released on May 11, adds a fishing mechanic, multiple festivals, a bandit takeover event, and more content to the spring and summer seasons. Version 0.8 is expected out in Q4 2026, and will introduce new bosses, social event cutscenes, new town upgrades, and a swamp region.

More updates are planned for early 2027, including additions of animal husbandry, a multiplayer mode, and a final boss. The full release of version 1.0 is expected out by the end of next year (hopefully, the devs say, in time for Halloween). Also, between the time of publication and May 25, you can pick up Besmirch on a 20% discount — $7.99 to its usual $9.99 — to commemorate its release.