If you've built the loveliest farmland, found yourself the handsomest spouse, and grown the tastiest turnips in Stardew Valley, and now you want another life sim to envelop you for the next few months you should try Verdant Village.
It's a very early alpha demo. Lots of the world isn't implemented yet, and many features aren't in there either, but there's something to be said for getting in on the ground floor with a game like this. Verdant Village is a farming-focused life simulation game, but with a medieval fantasy twist. It's as if you've rocked up in a JRPG, but you decided to stick around in the starting town rather than heading off on a grand adventure.
Naturally there are tools, and trees, and shrubs, and livestock. And, because it's a fantasy game, there are quests, and alchemy, and a king who rewards your washed-up sailor with a house they can live in, free of charge.
You won't find many houses you can enter, at the moment, but you will be able to fish, and mine, and plant things, and generally sort out your decrepit home. That's enough to be getting on with while developer Exodus works on the rest of the game.
For more great free experiences, check out our roundup of the best free PC games.
