While Stardew Valley was far from the first of its kind, fans of the cozy farming sim genre have been looking for another great farming sim since its launch and eventual explosion in popularity. Developer ConcernedApe is working on his next game Haunted Chocolatierbut until it launches, the search for something that scratches the same itch continues. This is what makes the upcoming arrival of 2026 news Steam games like Frozen Way's Farmbot such a big deal because it gives gamers another promising option to keep an eye on while waiting for the genre's most anticipated titles.
Formerly known as “Farmatic” before adopting the title Farmbot in September 2025, the Steam farming sim will take the best parts Stardew Valley, Satisfactoryand even Palworld and combines them into one for a systems-driven concept of a cozy farm formula. With traditional crop cultivation, animal care and exploration Stardew Valleyconstruction mechanics Satisfactoryand automation Palworld, Farmbot might just be the next best thing for fans of the cozy farm sim genre.
Farmbotic combines the farming and exploration of Stardew Valley with the automation of Palworld
The basis is agriculture Stardew Valleyand as its name suggests, it is a major part of the experience in Farmbot. “Grow crops, raise animals and grow special mutant plants,” reads the game's description on Steam. “Manage your resources, optimize production and grow your small farm into the largest and most prosperous in the area.” With this loop, Farmbot maintains playability Stardew Valley it is known for being played from a first-person perspective rather than a third-person perspective.
Similar to Stardew ValleyIn the mines, players can also “venture into the depths beneath the mountain” where they collect ores and craft better weapons. Farmbot. FarmbotIn the mines, players take an elevator to reach deeper levels, and there are even different biomes that can be discovered as players travel further.
Farmbotic features at a glance
- AUTOMATED ECONOMY WITH ROBOTS – Deploy and manage Farmbots to handle planting, harvesting and other tasks.
- BUILD AND OPTIMIZE PRODUCTION – Build machines, connect systems like pipes and optimize the flow of resources across your farm.
- FARMING OF CROPS AND ANIMALS – Plant crops, raise animals and grow special mutant plants as your farm grows.
- EXPLORATION AND COMBAT – Venture into the underground mines and collect ores and materials while fighting mutated creatures.
- COLLECTION OF RESOURCES AND UPDATES – Collect materials like Rhemidium to create advanced tools, machines and upgrades.
- RETRO-FUTURISTIC AESTHETICS – Charming art style inspired by 70s and 90s retrofuturism with imaginative robot design.
- COMMUNITY AND QUESTIONS – Interact with NPCs, complete quests and become a part of village life.
- SOLO AND CO-OPERATIVE PLAY – Full possibility of independent play and online cooperation with up to 4 players.
- CROSS GAME – All friends on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC can join the same farm.
Farmbot it also features a local village and townspeople for players to interact with, similar to the game Stardew Valley. How far these interactions will go is up in the air—for example, whether there will be a similar affinity system Stardew Valleyis — but FarmbotThe Steam description mentions players completing quests related to villagers and “becoming an integral part of the community.”
PalworldThe game loop of collecting monsters manifests itself in Farmbot in the form of automated systems that help keep the farm running even when players are out exploring. IN PalworldPlayers don't rescue buddies just to collect them, but also assign them various tasks around the base to help maintain it and keep production flowing while players are away. Anyway, Farmbot sees players managing their farm alongside advanced robots that can perform tasks such as tending to plants and animals.
Farmbotic's construction and automation mechanics channel the spirit of satisfaction
Maybe even more than Palworldhowever, FarmbotThe building and automation mechanics bear a clear resemblance to the critically acclaimed Coffee Stain Studio staple Satisfactory. Instead of relying solely on manual farming, Farmbot encourages players to set up systems to do the work for them, using machines and farmbots to plant, harvest and produce much more efficiently in the same way Satisfactory pushing players towards fully automated factories.
Develop your farm into a high-tech operation by automating processes with advanced robots and specialized farm centers, making your farm more efficient and easier to manage.
Where Satisfactorythe game loop revolves around locating resources, building production lines and constantly increasing efficiency in all areas, Farmbot takes the same structure and uses farming to contextualize it. Crops, animals and mined ores are resources that players can harvest, grow and collect, all while automated machines and farmbots keep everything running. Along the way, players can unlock new tools and upgrades, with farms naturally becoming more complex, encouraging players to rethink their layouts and solve potential obstacles in a way that's directly inspired by Satisfactorysteady cycle.
In the heart FarmbotThe resource gathering loop when building a base is something called “Rhemidium”, a radioactive material that is somehow linked to “new plants, machines and more”. Presumably, players will be able to find a mysterious resource in the game's mines, though it's unclear how deep they'd have to venture to discover it. FarmbotThe Steam description also mentions players growing “special mutated plants” that may be related to Rhemidium in some way.
Farmbot it also supports cooperative play for up to four players, where groups can work together to manage a farm, gather resources, build machines, or fight monsters in search of ores. The game also features crossplay, so players on Steam can also experience it with their friends on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 consoles.
Farmbot it takes on the elements of farming, exploration, and villages that have spawned Stardew Valley popular with systems focused on inspired automation Palworld and Satisfactoryand wraps it all in a collaboration-friendly structure that supports bigger, more efficient farms over time. With bots handling repetitive tasks, deeper mining of rare resources, and crossplay support on PC and consoles, Farmbot is shaping up to be a solid farming sim that could end up being a great addition to a growing library of cozy games.
Farmbot triggers on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S in 2026.
