Stardew Valley with animal people and a lot more depression is an instant hit on Steam: "The plague is coming. The community must work together if everyone is to survive"

Grimshire.

Y'know what Stardew Valley could use a little more of? Some impending doom. It seems plenty agree, because new farming sim Grimshire, centred on surviving an oncoming plague, is doing numbers on Steam right after entering Early Access.

On its face, Grimshire looks like another cheery riff on ConcernedApe's beloved agricultural simulator. You grow crops, chat and organize things with the locals, and gradually upgrade your plot of land. The residents are all anthropomorphic animals, for extra cuteness, like in The Wind and the Willows or The Fantastic Mr. Fox.