As good as its story is, my favorite moments of Red Dead Redemption 2 are the quiet ones. Spending time in camp, wandering the wilds of the Old West, hunting for food, taking care of my horse, or running a moonshine shack in the online mode. Cattle Country, then, is a game that holds a lot of appeal to me. It takes the tried and tested farming sim formula popularized by Stardew Valley and transports it to a world of cowboys and bandits, even sprinkling in a little Terraria-style mining for good measure. Interested? You can try it now for free, thanks to a new open beta on Steam.
As a pioneer heading west to start your new life in the mountains, you’ll quickly settle into the rural life of Cattle Country. Developer Castle Pixel strikes a blend between cozy, wholesome frontier life, offering all the aspects you’d expect from the best farming games, and the more out-there, rootin’ tootin’ action of the Wild West. You’ll work the land, raise cattle, and build your own homestead from scratch.
From there, you’ll begin to make friends among the townsfolk, and can get up to plenty of other activities from farming to animal tracking and hunting, or even mining. This last activity is a particular favorite of mine as a long-time Terraria fan, as it switches the perspective to a side-on 2D style as you carve your way through squares of rock in search of precious minerals, metals, and maybe even hidden bandit stashes.
As you get to know people more, who knows what lies ahead? With 18 romanceable characters to discover, there’s plenty of room for love. Not everyone in Cattle Country has your best interests at heart, however, and that’s where things get a little more reminiscent of Arthur Morgan’s infamous escapades. You’ll have to deal with bandits, nefarious plots, robberies, and cattle drives alike. You might even be forced to defend your honor and your community in a deadly duel.
The best news is that you don’t have to wait any longer to play it, or even spend a single penny for the privilege. Castle Pixel has just launched a Cattle Country open beta, meaning that everyone can play the game completely free on Steam with no pre-order or purchase necessary. “Feedback will be super integral to this process,” the developer says, “and we’ll use your thoughts to help make Cattle Country cozier, cowboy-ier, and ultimately just a better game for all to enjoy.”
The Cattle Country open beta is out now on Steam. You can take part by simply heading to the game’s store page and downloading the demo found on the right-hand side. If you’d like to offer feedback of your own, or simply chat with your fellow players, follow the link from Steam to the Playtonic Discord, where you’ll find a channel just for the game.
Can’t get enough cowboys on your computer? We’ve rustled up the best Western games on PC just for you. Or you could spend your evening sinking into one of the best relaxing games and melt your worries away.
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