Welcome to Elderfield Review – Sinister, Suffocating Stardew

Welcome to Elderfield Review

Stardew Valley sent enormous shockwaves throughout the whole medium. That game’s tremendous success inspired an entire genre’s worth of releases. So it’s no surprise that something like Welcome to Elderfield eventually crawled out of the depths. The premise is a fascinating one: what’s it like to live day-to-day in a Lovecraftian nightmare? Okay, the actual premise is more like ‘what if Stardew was evil,’ but it’s still fascinating! While the game is pretty well executed, I’ve learned I’d generally rather not live in a world so nasty and grim. Which is fine – this writeup is for those of you more intrigued by such a promise.

Elderfield starts with you just, waking up there one day. Which is normal for anyone starting a game, yes. But it turns out no one remembers a life outside of this town. Also, all of the roads that lead out of town end rather abruptly. So it’s up to you to make the most of your time here, since you’re apparently never leaving. Everyone sort of remembers you, but it’s also like you’re meeting for the first time. Every element of this game is charged with a sinister atmosphere. The lo-fi music is hypnotic and grim, the character portraits have this ‘mental patient’ vibe, and every action you take is potentially quite dangerous.

In the Dead of the Night

Played at the default setting, Elderfield is constantly trying to hurt you. Harvesting materials makes noise that attracts monsters. The local mall is infested with dangerous creatures. Even sleeping through the night can have damaging consequences if you’re unlucky enough. Thankfully, death comes with minimal consequences. I mean, you get knocked off so often, the game would be impossible otherwise. Things are brutal enough already, you know? But even with the whole town coming for your throat, you can still eke out a life of sorts.

Once you get your job at the local farm, the game’s core loop starts taking shape. Surviving and thriving in this haunted village involves a complex chain of crafting systems. You farm, hunt horrible monsters, harvest their remains, and slowly build the amenities you require. It’s a patient, grinding process that nevertheless yields some manner of satisfaction from time to time. You’re so consistently harrowed at every turn that each bit of forward progress feels like a titanic victory. Crafting armor, finding weapons, and filling your equipment page is truly rewarding. Or it would be, if the random battles weren’t so constantly punishing.

Fighting For Your Life at the Local Mall

To be fair, you do eventually get powerful enough to brush off most of these nasty encounters. But the path to this blissful state is paved with bodies, most of them your own. You’re slapped down with brutal debuffs, high encounter rates, and unlucky dice rolls. It’s all part of that grim atmosphere I’m so repelled by. But it’s not a bug, it’s a defining feature. You’re supposed to feel like this horrible town is grinding your soul into paste. It’s intended to be a brutal slog for the first couple dozen hours. I’m sure a lot of you are reading about this intentional experience and getting terribly excited.

I can’t be coy about it, I hate this nasty vibe. Elderfield feels like a slow, suffocating punishment to me. But I also can’t deny how beautifully crafted the atmosphere is. From a developer perspective, this a triumph. Horror games are all about making a player feel bad in an incredibly specific way. This kind of game feel is downright surgical in its precision. This whole town feels like a nightmare you can’t wake up from. You’re tasked with extracting normalcy from a persistently insane environment. In that respect, every victory you earn feels twice as momentous. Making a life for yourself in this game, with this kind of constant oppression, feels like a genuine achievement.

Cursed Yet Charming

Of course, the town of Elderfield is more than just oppressive vibes. There are also mysteries to solve, people to meet, and dark offerings to provide. Why are everyone’s memories so fragmented and unreliable? What’s with the cultists with the tentacle faces? How do those businesses in the mall stay open, anyway? In between building up the local farm and bludgeoning countless monstrosities, there are so many secrets to tease out of this creepy little town. It’s hard to find the time at first, but once you do, your curiosity is eventually rewarded. And yes, poking your nose where it doesn’t belong is often a fatal mistake. But that’s just part of the charm of this town, right?

This is more of a cursed life sim than a cozy one, to be sure. You’re in constant danger, making progress is a nasty grind, and the vibes are utterly rancid. But every victory is a sweet one. The life you build here is hard-fought and well-earned. The people you meet look like the scribblings of a deranged inmate, but they’re part of the mystery and charm of this place. If you can stomach it, Welcome to Elderfield is an endearing escape from the normal world we’re all forever trapped in. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough, but who knows? Maybe you, like the other denizens, will never leave once you arrive.

***A Steam key was provided by the publisher***