Indie dev thought his horror game that turns Stardew Valley on its head would earn 100k Steam wishlists in a year, but cleared it in 22 days: "I'm absolutely floored"

We Harvest Shadows screenshot showing a first-person view of someone watering their crops out on a farm's fields.

We Harvest Shadows is a farming sim of sorts, but it's nothing like Stardew Valley - and its unique dip into horror has already netted thousands of fans, much to developer David Wehle's delight.

The game boasts over 100 thousand wishlists already, and it hit the impressive milestone less than a month after its debut on Steam. In a recent post, solo dev Wehle celebrates We Harvest Shadows' growing community while explaining that it took him completely by surprise: "My pie-in-the-sky goal was 100k wishlists for We Harvest Shadows over the course of a year, and it happened in 22 days."

Wehle thanks fans, saying that he's "absolutely floored by the excitement and love." It isn't all that hard to see why We Harvest Shadows is so popular though - there are plenty of farming games like Stardew Valley to play around right now, but there's nothing quite like Wehle's upcoming title just yet. Described by the dev as a "first-person farming horror allegory," We Harvest Shadows features more than the cozy gameplay loop typical of the farm sim genre.

My pie-in-the-sky goal was 100k wishlists for We Harvest Shadows over the course of a year, and it happened in 22 days. THANK YOU everyone, I'm absolutely floored by the excitement and love. Still doesn't feel real. pic.twitter.com/rvxfvFvqCVSeptember 11, 2024

Players do indeed have an abandoned farm to build up and oversee, with crops and livestock to tend to, but that's not all - they also have to wrangle with the night. While most farming games enforce a strict bedtime, We Harvest Shadows opts to instead pit its protagonist against lonely nights - and what might be lurking after dark. There aren't any jump scares, however, as the game opts for a more slow-burn, psychological approach to horror.

Wehle details "taking inspiration both from slow-burn P.T.-style psychological horror games and Edith Finch-style personal first-person titles" during development, making for a more atmospheric and story-heavy take on the horror genre. While I don't usually dabble in spooky games myself, We Harvest Shadows' one-of-a-kind blend of the relaxing farming sim loop I do love with something a little different has convinced me to join the other 100 thousand wishlisters. 

Can't get enough of virtual rural life? Check out the best farming games around.