by theygamesThere have been countless Stardew Valley-like games in recent years looking to tap into the co-op charm and coziness of ConcernedApe’s masterpiece. However, few look quite as similar to Stardew as this new farming life sim. Dreaming Isles has an almost identical visual style and UI, the ability to forge relationships and romances with NPCs, and of course the ability to run and grow your own farm. However, there’s one core difference – it adds in a piratey twist with some surprisingly in-depth naval combat.
At a first glance, Dreaming Isles struck me as a bit of a shameless Stardew clone, given the obvious similarities. It’s even made by a solo dev, if you want even more points of comparison. Imagine my surprise, then, when I saw that it actually takes place across a fairly large oceanic map dotted with island locations and lets you take to the high seas and engage in ship battles in your own vessel. There aren’t any games like Stardew Valley I can think of that let you do that. I do love a bit of ship combat – Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remains my favorite entry in that particular series for that very reason, and Sea of Thieves is an absolute hoot as well. But somehow, developer YawningDad has managed to bring it into a top-down, cozy life sim.
Your adventure in Dreaming Isles starts with you washing up on an island that used to be a farm, and this will be where you build up your homestead. As you toil the land and get to know the locals, you’ll also begin to learn about a feud between shipping corporation Global Trade and a legion of pirates that’s raging out on the water.
The farming mechanics are a bit more streamlined and limited compared to what you find in Stardew Valley, such as there being no need for you to manually water crops as it will routinely rain. But you’ll be able to grow produce to use, sell, or (incredibly) turn into ammo that you can fire from your cannons on your boat. Different foods have different effects in battle, such as freezing enemy ships or setting them ablaze.
Your boat is highly customizable, and new weapons, better sails, and other modifications can be made to let you travel faster and sink enemies more effectively. When exploring the seas in search for new locations, you’ll regularly run into other vessels that are either piloted by pirates or members of Global Trade. It’s up to you to pick an allegiance, and an in-game reputation system will constantly adjust depending on who you side with. The more the pendulum swings either way, the more hostile or friendly each faction will become.
There’s an array of beautifully-designed island locations to explore, and while there will be new NPCs to encounter, there may also be new threats on dry land too. You’ll run into a variety of creatures which you can dispatch with melee weapons like swords or with magical stones that grant you a wide range of abilities.
On top of all of that, there’s a cast of core NPCs to befriend or romance, a fishing minigame, cooking and crafting, and the ability to adopt stray cats and dogs that you find on your travels – they can reside at your farm or come sailing with you on your boat.
Dreaming Isles is out right now on Steam, and until Monday, January 20 there’s a 15% discount making it just $16.14 / £13.50. To grab it or learn more about the game, head to its store page here.
While the base game you can play today is pretty stacked (especially considering this has been cooked up by a single developer) there’s an ambitious roadmap of new content and features too. In Q2 or Q3 of this year, a new desert location, child adoption with NPCs, and house customization will arrive. At the start of 2026, YawningDad plans to a new bar management minigame, boat races, and the location of Pecunia, the capital city of the Global Trade faction.
For more titles like Dreaming Isles, consult our lists of the best farming games and the best life games.
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