Steam Must-Play Free Taster Is A Stardew Valley Alternative With Robots

Stardew Valley is one of the titans of the cosy gaming genre, with many titles having taken inspiration from it over the years.

That includes Silicone Heart, an upcoming cosy sim and automation adventure which is essentially Stardew Valley with added robots.

Developed by Garden of Dreams and published by Crytivo, Silicone Heart sees players build “a self-sustaining cyber farm on a planet-sized junkyard”.

You’ll enjoy all of the usual cosy activities including farming and growing crops, but almost everything revolves around machinery.

You’re the only human on this planet, so you’ll need to craft some handy mechanical tools if you want to get every job done.

The player is also, however, going to want to build robots that can help you out as well as machines that can automate various tasks.

You Can Enjoy The Game On Steam Solo Or In Co-Op With A Friend

You can’t admit that you’re a human either, as all robotic life on this planet is hostile, so you’ll need to wear a mask and blend in as one of their own.

“Silicone Heart can be played solo or with up to four players in a shared world,” the synopsis reads.

“You build a single farm together, manage the same resources, and contribute to one progression system.

“Everything you grow, automate, and repair benefits the entire group. Co-op does not change the core mechanics. It simply allows you to experience them side by side.”

There are damaged machines dotted around the game’s world which you can repair and restore as well as creating your own from scratch.

You don’t have to do the same thing as your friend either if you play Silicone Heart in co-op, with players able to split off to complete different activities.

You may wonder why you need to grow so many crops for a colony of robots?

Well, those crops can be turned into fuel which will power your automation empire.

Crytivo

Eventually, players will be able to automate planting, harvesting and processing, whilst also setting up drones to monitor activity.

This will allow you to enjoy activities like exploration, experimentation, and expansion instead.

“Inside the city, robots follow rigid routines modelled after human systems,” devs tease of the story.

“They complain about inefficiency and leadership while continuing to repeat the same patterns.

“As the only human living among them, you witness a society shaped by the very structures humanity once built. The more you repair and integrate into this world, the more its inhabitants begin to feel less like machines and more like individuals shaped by circumstance.”

Silicone Heart is currently only scheduled to land on PC storefront Steam and the Epic Games Store.

It unfortunately hasn’t set a release date nor does it have a free demo available for us to sample, but you can wishlist the game now.

More excitingly though, you can request to partake in its current free playtest which offers an early chance to go hands-on.

Simply head on over to Silicone Heart’s Steam listing, and select “request access” where the playtest is mentioned.

If successful, devs will send over the next steps.

READ MORE: Stardew Valley Creator's Next Game Gets Unexpected Hefty Map Tease