Ever since Stardew Valley exploded in 2016, we've been treated to a number of other indie developers creating small farming, crafting, and life sims. They've yet to reach the cultural dominance of Battle Royales, but if they did I'd be a happy camper. All that to say, I've been quietly following Garden Story since it first came across my Twitter feed last year. Yesterday, developer Picogram announced that it had landed a publisher (two, in fact) and a release window for the spring of 2020.
In Garden Story, you'll play as a little grape named, of course, Concord. As with other games of its kind, you'll meet other village folks, solve their problems, and save the Grove from a mysterious "rot." Garden Story's new trailer shows off fishing, friends, and a bit of fighting. It's Steam page mentions that Garden Story will also include some puzzle-solving, which is likely what we see Concord doing by pushing blocks around. On the whole, it looks cute, pixelated, and wholesome: another entry to the category that I wish I'd found a better name for than "Stardew-like."
You can see a lot more of Garden Story on Picogram's Twitter feed where the developer posts gifs of Concord and their other fruity friends.
Funding is always a concern for small studios and solo developers, meaning many small indie games risk pushing release dates back or ceasing development. The rise of indie publishers in recent years is a good sign that little games like Garden Story will continue getting chances and, more importantly, funding. Garden Story's developer has partnered with Portland-based Rose City Games and VIZ Media to release Garden Story some time in spring of 2020.
Until then, you can wishlist Garden Story on Steam.