We Harvest Shadows: Farm Sim by Day, Existential Dread by Night!

We Harvest Shadows is an upcoming first-person narrative game developed and published by David Wehle, known for his previous work on The First Tree. The game blends farming simulation with psychological horror, offering an experience that is both serene and unsettling at the same time. While the full game is yet to be released, a demo is available on Steam which is what got me interested in sharing it with all of you!

In the Demo, we are introduced to Garrett, a city dweller who has chosen to pack up and head for the hills for a more secluded life on a farm nestled in the Appalachian wilderness. When you take the journey with Garrett on the beautiful scenic drive to his new life, you instantly feel calmer and the beautiful music that floats through the air around you helps your worries melt away. You can almost feel yourself breathe better and your body stops being so tense from having your guard up 24/7.  

The demo offers a sneak peek into Garrett’s new lifestyle and getting used to doing your chores - in a timely manner. There are no thirst or hunger meters to keep monitoring so over time it starts to feel more like a cosy farm simulation. You have a to-do list to keep you occupied and the tasks change daily to keep you busy. Working on cleaning up your new home, maintaining and collecting your crops, selling / buying equipment and exploring your new surroundings. The controls all come very naturally allowing for seamless interaction with the environment, with fewer obstacles leading you to overthink or take you out of the immersion. 

What to do....What to do!

As night falls, the game introduces subtle horror elements through simple things such as creaking floors, doors or windows being opened, distant whispers, and fleeting shadows all amplifying the sense of isolation and suspense.

It’s similar to the eerie silence of camping in the wilderness or experiencing a power outage at home—when familiar external sounds vanish, leaving you hyper-aware of every creak and whisper

This slow-burn approach to horror emphasizes atmosphere over jump scares and you can really feel yourself on edge from each minute noise in your surroundings becoming almost hyper-aware. The music and sounds used are a standout feature: the stark difference between the serene sounds of day versus the eerie noises at night, making it more and more important to get your chores done quickly and getting to bed early.

Since the release date hasn’t been announced, I expect the full version will expand on the narrative, delve deeper into Garrett's backstory, and introduce more complex farming mechanics and horror elements. I would anticipate that the balance between daytime chores or farm expansion and nighttime survival challenges will become increasingly more difficult to achieve before the sun goes down and the nighttime fun begins.

Something looks......different?

Final Thoughts:

I really had a great time playing through this demo, and would suggest anyone interested in horror games with a twist might also enjoy it. There is always room for jump scares and more obvious horror in games. It is rare for me to come across a game that offers such a false sense of security and attempts at building your courage and calmness up before sneaking in with something unsettling to break your walls down again and again in such a thrilling way!

Anyone who is interested in a serene yet suspenseful adventure should consider adding We Harvest Shadows to their Wishlist and trying the Demo for themselves.

Try the Demo

“We Harvest Shadows is a gaming experience unlike anything else. It's relaxing yet terrifying. It’s beautiful yet ugly. It’s the type of experience which sits with you for years after the closing credits.” - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1559720/We_Harvest_Shadows/

Check out the Official Trailer from the creator himself :