We’ve all made mistakes. Burnt the toast. Sent a message to the wrong person. Accidentally turned a sibling into a cat… Okay, maybe not that last one, but that’s exactly the problem facing the heroes of Ashwood Valley.
Ashwood Valley is a charming new cozy adventure that has arrived on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S after previously finding an audience on Nintendo Switch.
Available now for £9.19, this latest release from RedDeer.Games blends farming, exploration and light-hearted fantasy into an adventure that’s difficult not to smile at.
At A Glance
- Game: Ashwood Valley
- Price: £9.19
- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
- Developer: RedDeer.Games
- Publisher: RedDeer.Games
When Magic Goes Very, Very Wrong
The story begins with siblings Luna and Draco doing what magical siblings probably shouldn’t be doing – experimenting with spells they don’t fully understand. Predictably, things go sideways.
A magical mishap tears open a portal to another world and leaves one of the siblings trapped in the body of a cat. Rather than panic, the pair find themselves in the colourful world of Ashwood Valley, where the only solution is to settle in, make some friends and uncover whatever magic might reverse the curse.
From there, and whilst saving your sibling is the ultimate goal, Ashwood Valley isn’t interested in rushing you from one objective to the next. Instead, it encourages players to settle into valley life.
That means restoring a run-down cottage, growing magical crops and getting to know a collection of eccentric locals who feel as though they’ve wandered out of a fantasy storybook. One minute you’ll be helping a mayor with an alarming fondness for chocolate, the next you’ll be chatting with dwarves who seem to care an awful lot about cheese.
And yes, there are strawberry cows.
Cozy Gaming At Its Most Relaxed
The changing seasons bring new activities and discoveries, the hand-animated pixel art gives everything a warm storybook feel, and the gentle pace means you’re free to explore however you like. There are quests to complete, secrets to uncover and plenty of animals to pet along the way.
This isn’t a game about rushing towards an ending. It’s about enjoying the journey while you’re there.
Its combination of farming, exploration and magical storytelling won’t reinvent the genre, but sometimes that’s not what players are looking for. Sometimes you just want to fix up a cottage, meet some weirdly lovable villagers and figure out how to turn your sibling back into a human. Ashwood Valley lets you do exactly that.
Ashwood Valley is available now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S for £9.19. Make your way to the Xbox Store.
