Fractured Blooms is launching a Steam demo today, October 27th, 2025, and after playing it for about 40 minutes, I can tell you something dark and sinister is on its way.
If you know anything about me, it should be that I love a good simulator. Fractured Blooms has been advertised as a psychological horror, RPG, farming simulator. Where does one even start with that?! “Cozy life-sim trapped in a horror time-loop.” If there is something you are about to learn about me, it’s that I’m a big wuss and playing Fractured Blooms only amplified this.
There’s something about doing menial day-to-day tasks like collecting the laundry, sowing seeds, picking tomatoes, and cooking dinner that adds a new layer to the horror genre. As I mentioned above, Fractured Blooms is a time loop. I started my first day in a beautiful world, but the colours were dull and faded. The story is narrated by…you, I guess? It’s like you’re following along with a story, “I tended to the tomatoes. I got the seeds from under the porch. I planted the seeds.” There are some small details included, like how you wish you could plant flowers.
You follow along this dreary, monotonous day, heading inside to cook dinner. At this point, nothing particularly spooky is happening, but with every step, you feel a bit more uncomfortable. Something about having to unlock the door AND turn the handle, pick up the knife, chop the food, put down the knife, and even only having the ability to carry one thing at a time creates this sense that there are too many steps and you know those steps are going to come into play later.
“Cozy life-sim trapped in a horror time-loop.”
I learned my name was Angie, and I was tending the garden, making dinner, for whom, I do not know, and doing the laundry. The house felt lived in, but deserted. Small noises could be heard throughout, and I didn’t want to explore room to room — I’m a wuss, like I said. As you begin to head upstairs to bed as instructed, you start to experience some of the terror and dread. Angie hates the upstairs, and going to bed feels like a nightmare.
And the time loop begins. Awaking on the same day at the same place, Angie begins to narrate again, only this time, she isn’t all you hear. I won’t spoil any surprises, but round two is the same but different, and gives only a taste of what is to come in Fractured Blooms. I do not know how the overall game will play out, or how the loop will differ, but I know day two made me want to avoid a day three, that’s for sure.
The game description says, “Restore your neglected house to its former glory by growing crops, cooking delicious meals, learning new recipes, and taking care of its inhabitants…” What inhabitants? No, thank you! It sounds like I am about to play Stardew Valley, but this is not the farming simulator I am used to. This demo has me really eager to see how life sim mechanics can play into Fractured Blooms beyond these two days I experienced.
“Something about Fractured Blooms has been calling to me since it was first announced.”
I definitely don’t hate the idea of decorating a horror house, though I don’t really want to be cooking my friends for dinner or anything—though I’m sure some Sims players have tried. Better yet, I’ll watch all you horror fans play so I don’t have a controller-through-the-TV situation. And yes, it is recommended to use a controller for the demo.
The visuals in Fractured Blooms are beautiful. The world is dark and muddy feeling so far, but that is by design. Day two was a lot more colourful, but that doesn’t mean less horrifying. What is truly outstanding in Fractured Blooms is the sound design. Every step or sound in the distance is filled with anxiety. The voices during narration are so purposeful and different. The sound is what sets the stage, and I highly recommend headphones if you can.
I am not a die-hard horror game fan, and I won’t claim to be, but something about Fractured Blooms has been calling to me since it was first announced. I think Serenity Forge might have something special here, and I think horror fans might want to dive into some daily chores with this one.
Fractured Blooms from Serenity Forge does not have a release date at the moment, but the super simple yet utterly horrifying demo is available to be played on Steam now.
“Plant them, Raise them, Pick them, Cleanse them,
Plant them, Break them, Stain them, Save them,
Blood as thin as glass.”
It’s a real vibe, isn’t it? Play Fractured Blooms now if you dare!
