If you’re yet to try Cattle Country, you may want to go about changing that.
Uniquely combining RPG and life sim elements in one gorgeous pixel art adventure, Cattle Country is as much inspired by Red Dead as it is Stardew Valley.
Developed by Castle Pixel, the cosy title launched earlier this year; it essentially sees you set-up a new life in a frontier town in the 1890s.
All of the usual life sim fare is included, so you’ll farm, mine, harvest, romance, and decorate your new humble abode.
So too, however, will you also need to fend off bandits in shootouts and put a stop to dastardly outlaw plots.
I can personally recommend the title, and I awarded it a score of nine earlier this year in our review, writing, “Cattle Country defies the odds and certainly manages to make its mark on the life sim genre. It’s charming, fun, and packed with unexpected surprises and a thrilling sense of adventure that sets it apart from many of its competitors.”
The game is available across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and you can pick it up pretty cheaply.
Now is arguably the perfect time to jump in as Cattle Country has just launched a huge free update that adds a ton of content to the game.
Titled the ‘Family’ update, it’s available to download now on all platforms except for Nintendo Switch where it’s due to launch “shortly”.
You can now get married
It unsurprisingly adds new family features so players can now go further than romancing your favourite cowboy or cowgirl.
The update allows you to marry, eventually going on to have a child which you can raise on your homestead.
Spouses and children reportedly have their own unique behaviours, so you can watch them traipse around your ranch as they farm, fish, and tend to crops before they come home to share a delicious meal with you.
Family members can also help gather items. You may as well enjoy the free labour.
They’ll also make breakfast and dinner as well as light the fireplaces in your home. How cosy!
The update also introduces a number of quality-of-life updates.
Players can now sit anywhere, choose from various farm starter layouts, craft and cook directly from nearby chests, and access new upgrades including barn, coop, and shed extensions.
Halloween events were also introduced although we’re a little beyond that now.
The next time it’s time for Halloween though, you can expect festive decorations, a crypt maze with a hidden combat challenge, and pumpkin carving.
Let’s hope we also get some Christmas features in the next couple of weeks.
I’m really thrilled to see the Castle Pixel team supporting this title with post-launch content; I hope it’s the first update of many as Cattle Country deserves so much love.
