When 'Silent Countryside Garden Story' was first announced, it was presented solely as a life simulator with the horror elements omitted, making it difficult to pin down the game's true identity. While its visual style was reminiscent of the Yomawari series, the subsequent reveal of the development team and various gameplay elements heightened expectations for a new horror title from Yu Mizokami.

It is a new horror experience from the Yomawari team, but one layered with a cozy life simulator. However, the developers were careful not to make either aspect feel like a mere afterthought. In fact, having released a string of horror games, the team focused even more heavily on the life simulation portion. By including a 'Peaceful Life Mode' that allows players to enjoy the game without any horror elements, they are confident that this title stands as a complete and polished life simulator in its own right.

The demo held in Tokyo, Japan, was played in Peaceful Life Mode, reflecting that confidence. It was enough to feel that the game has a solid foundation within the life simulation genre.

Although the developers mentioned that the final game will guide players through the mechanics quite thoroughly via a Tutorial, this demo threw us straight into the action. Without any introduction, the game began on a random day, starting us off right as we stepped out of the house to begin managing the farm.

The game follows the familiar structure established by titles from Story of Seasons to Stardew Valley. The initial farm was overgrown with rocks, trees, and weeds, which had to be cleared before we could start farming in earnest. After chopping some wood and clearing stones to level the ground, we were ready to till the soil and plant seeds.

However, since we started with absolutely nothing, we had to find the general store to buy seeds. This is where the Yomawari-style presentation really stands out. While it uses a top-down view like other games in the genre, the subtly tilted isometric perspective—a hallmark of Yomawari—feels both familiar and fresh. It is familiar because it borrows that specific camera angle, yet fresh because it uses that same perspective to capture a daytime landscape that we haven't seen before.

The 'Silent Countryside Garden Story' experienced in daylight offers a distinctly different vibe from previous titles. Even though it is originally a horror game, it is characterized by a charming aesthetic, and the interplay of sunlight and shadows creates a much warmer atmosphere. Furthermore, unlike similar games that typically depict Western towns or cities, the Japanese countryside setting creates a unique, distinct feel.

In this small rural village, there are only about a dozen NPCs, which is not a large number. However, because the camera is zoomed in quite closely, the village feels larger than it actually is. Each villager has a specific role and moves according to their own pattern, making the small town feel a bit more alive.

Buildings like Kiki Construction, the library, the clinic, and the general store where you buy items and seeds are scattered throughout the village and can only be visited during business hours. You cannot enter the homes of ordinary residents due to a lack of familiarity. As the developer mentioned in an interview, since the protagonist is a child, there are no deep romance elements. However, it is clear that the friendship and affinity systems function through methods other than romance.

In any case, I bought my first seeds in town, returned to the farm, planted them, and began farming in earnest by drawing water and using a watering can. Because of the camera angle, moving in the exact direction you want isn't always easy, but the game includes basic controller functions: L1 for strafing while locked in a direction, and R1 for moving while fixing the orientation. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes possible to till fields in desired shapes and move with precision.

In contrast to these quality-of-life features, there are elements that hinder farming, such as the protagonist's low stamina. A bit of weeding or stone-clearing quickly drains your energy. This can be improved using 'Magatama' (curved jewels) found in the game. At the shrine right in front of the house, you can enhance various stats like farming techniques and foraging probability

While some Magatama can be purchased with money, other acquisition methods were not confirmed in this demo. However, since Magatama themselves are resources that don't typically fit into a standard life simulator, I suspect they might be obtained through the horror segments or story progression.

You can also replenish your stamina by crafting items like rice cakes. However, the game doesn't explicitly teach you how to craft them at first. While there is a hearth in the house, you actually need to purchase a workbench to do the crafting. This was another thing I realized quite late due to the lack of a tutorial in the demo. You will use this workbench to create most of the production tools needed for the game, such as pickling jars, furnaces, beehives, and sap collectors.

As the list suggests, both collecting materials and utilizing them require additional steps. If you mine ore in the mine, you must bring it back and process it into usable ingots, and food must be fermented in pickling jars. This is how you gradually expand your farm operations.

Hunting also follows this sequential progression. I started with a bow and tried shooting at squirrels roaming outside the village, but I couldn't collect meat because I lacked a license. However, there was no issue with attacking enemies that appear in the mines. Although the mines are home to enemies, they are also places where you can acquire various ores, items, and materials on every floor. Once your stamina is sufficiently upgraded, it seems likely that you will spend your time in these mines after finishing your daily farm chores.

The hour-and-a-half demo ended while I was busy mining. Although I couldn't verify it myself, chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep are listed as livestock. There is also a fast-travel feature where you can blow a whistle anywhere to have a dog run over and take you straight home.

While there was no content regarding the horror segments, the game felt like it had plenty to do overall. Although I couldn't fully experience the fun of the life simulation aspect—which usually hits its stride only after you've upgraded your stamina and established your facilities—the potential was clear.

However, the sheer variety of items that can be unlocked in the in-game encyclopedia suggests there is plenty of content to keep players engaged for a long time. While the horror in Yomawari uses various directorial techniques to amplify fear, it is relatively mild compared to many recent horror games, so it seems likely that players will be able to enjoy even deeper content when considering that aspect as well.

Silent Countryside Garden Story' is scheduled for release on July 30 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and PC.