Upcoming farm life sim Everholm calls itself “cozy, but not too cozy.” Launched through a creepy portal while in search of her sister, Lily lands on a mysterious island where everyone seems to know who she is. It’s got the cute cultivation of other Stardew-style farm games, but there’s clearly a mystery brewing too. Everholm appeared in today’s PC Gaming Show with a fresh trailer to announce that you can once again play its demo.

I got to try Everholm’s demo when it popped up in the Steam Next Fest earlier this year and quite liked it. There was a lowkey spooky vibe as I tried to meet everyone in town and always felt like there’s something going on around here I should know about as everyone seemed to already know me despite having just plopped through a magical portal into my adorable little homestead.

I admit that I’m quite partial to pixel art in my cozy games so Everholm was in my good graces just from a few screenshots. But it also takes the typical top-down view that we’re used to and tilts it into an isometric view instead. It really is the little things, because planting my first little plot of crops outside at a jaunty little angle just made me happy.

Also unlike other farm sims, Everholm calls itself a non-linear adventure. “Help others or choose to ignore them and enjoy the cozy atmosphere and non-linear story as you prefer,” says its store page. “Unlock new pieces to the puzzle of where Lilly’s sister is and how to bring her home.”

I’ve not yet gotten to dig too deeply into Everholm myself yet but the first few days I spent farming, fishing, meeting the other mysterious locals, and diving into its mines have left me plenty curious for more. With how many farm sims I have to choose from these days, I’ve become a bit of a stickler about first impressions and Everholm made a good one with its super cute art style, spooky story, and responsive controls. 

You can give it a try yourself if you missed it last time now that the demo has returned to its store page on Steam.