Besmirch

Gangru does damn fine work. Even his bugs aren't completely unmanageable. I love the game, and the dev is consistent!

The developers are so engaged with their community that I feel obligated to give a thumbs up. I have been frustrated by this game, I feel that it needs about 8% more handholding because the entire tutorial is just how to plant your crops which I feel is a very widely known game mechanic while every other part of the game you're expected to figure it out on your own. If the character and mission menus were a little bit more direct I wouldn't even mention this, but they do need updating. On the massively positive side, if you get stuck you can make a discussion post and one of the developers will help you in less than 24 hours. It just sucks that most people won't engage with that, meaning that the average person trying this game won't appreciate the full effort put into this game and will just get frustrated. Downsides aside, this game has so much potential. It's so unique and has such a great atmosphere. I wish it was just slightly more forgiving so that I didn't have to completely restart my in-game day over threats that I didn't realize were as serious as they are (bees are no joke, folks) but I see the vision and I've never played a game that I can directly compare to this one. Originality deserves recognition. Buy this game and give it it's 2 hours to judge if it's for you before writing it off. Thanks to the developers for the opportunity to both play and develop as a player <3

Besmirch is a farming survival RPG developed by Gangru Games and published by 2 Left Thumbs that takes familiar life-simulation ideas and twists them into something far darker. At first glance, it appears to borrow inspiration from peaceful farming games centered around crops, village life, and daily routines. That comfort quickly fades. Hidden beneath its agricultural systems is a survival horror experience driven by desperation, paranoia, and an oppressive atmosphere that transforms ordinary tasks into constant struggles for survival. The game takes place in a failing settlement trapped under worsening conditions. Hunger spreads through the town, supplies become scarce, and the local population struggles beneath the demands of an uncaring ruler. Players arrive not as heroes destined to save the world immediately, but as another worker attempting to survive in a place where every decision carries consequences. Food matters because starvation is a real threat. Resources matter because there is never enough to satisfy everyone. Even routine farming responsibilities become heavier when survival itself depends on success. Crop management forms the center of progression, but Besmirch treats farming differently than traditional entries in the genre. Growing food is not merely a way to earn currency or decorate land. Harvests become lifelines that influence both personal survival and the stability of the struggling community around you. Deciding where resources go creates meaningful tension. Keeping supplies for yourself may strengthen your chances of survival, but helping others builds trust and supports the town's future. That social element becomes one of the strongest aspects of the experience. Besmirch presents a community shaped by fear and uncertainty. Villagers are not endlessly cheerful companions waiting to hand out rewards and encouragement. People are suspicious, frightened, and desperate. Relationships matter because public perception influences survival. Earning trust becomes another responsibility layered alongside farming and exploration. The atmosphere deserves particular praise because it defines nearly every moment of gameplay. During daylight hours, Besmirch can occasionally resemble a familiar farming simulator. Fields require maintenance, resources need gathering, and daily responsibilities slowly build structure into survival routines. Those moments create a dangerous sense of comfort. When darkness arrives, the experience shifts dramatically. Night transforms Besmirch into something far more threatening. Strange forces emerge beyond the safety of civilization. Ordinary exploration becomes dangerous. The world feels hostile in ways that create genuine tension rather than relying entirely on jump scares or constant combat. Darkness changes priorities. Survival becomes less about efficiency and more about endurance. Exploration strengthens that tension effectively. Areas outside town borders contain secrets, supplies, abandoned locations, and fragments of a larger mystery slowly unfolding beneath the surface. The world rewards curiosity while simultaneously making exploration dangerous enough to remain stressful. Risk and reward remain closely connected throughout progression. One of Besmirch's most impressive qualities is how naturally its horror and farming systems support one another. Horror elements never feel like decorations placed on top of unrelated mechanics. Resource scarcity strengthens tension. Community pressure influences survival decisions. Farming supports exploration while exploration reinforces the darker atmosphere surrounding daily life. The systems consistently work together rather than competing for attention. The visual presentation contributes significantly to that success. Pixel art creates a familiar appearance initially, but Gangru Games uses that style effectively to build discomfort over time. Quiet farmland and ordinary village routines gradually collide with unsettling imagery and increasingly disturbing environments. The contrast strengthens the horror because fear emerges naturally from places that initially felt safe. Audio design reinforces the atmosphere exceptionally well. Ambient sounds help maintain unease even during quieter moments. Music shifts effectively between peaceful farming sections and darker survival scenarios without making transitions feel forced. Sound becomes another tool supporting immersion rather than existing purely as background decoration. Besmirch also benefits from its pacing. The game avoids overwhelming players immediately. Systems reveal themselves gradually while tension steadily builds alongside progression. Farming routines establish familiarity before darker elements begin dismantling any sense of security players may have developed. That progression creates stronger emotional impact than relying on horror alone. As an Early Access project, the game naturally continues evolving. Certain features remain under development, and additional systems are planned to expand both survival mechanics and world depth over time. Some rough edges remain visible, particularly in areas still undergoing refinement. However, the current foundation already demonstrates considerable ambition and a clear creative direction. Players expecting a relaxed farming simulator may find themselves surprised by how oppressive and demanding Besmirch becomes. Likewise, horror fans looking only for action-heavy survival mechanics may discover a slower experience focused more heavily on atmosphere and resource management. The game's strongest achievement lies in how confidently it blends those opposing ideas together. Gangru Games succeeds by understanding that fear becomes more powerful when placed beside moments of routine and familiarity. Besmirch transforms farming into survival, community building into social pressure, and nighttime exploration into something genuinely unsettling. The result feels original within both farming simulation and horror genres. Besmirch offers an unusual combination of agricultural management, village survival, exploration, and psychological tension that creates an experience unlike many of its influences. It remains ambitious, atmospheric, and deeply memorable because it fully commits to its darker identity. Rating: 8/10

Game kicks ass, there's some quirks here and there but overall a great horror/farm sim? Cant wait to see what's coming next in their development of this game, fingers crossed. 9/10

The game is Great! The SpoOkY bones of this Videogame skeleton are very promising, but there definitely a lot of kinks Gross! Bugs! that need to be squashed!

Stardew valley but all the villagers are starving and you receive strange visitors in the night.. actually works really well, I like the uncanny retro-horror vibe. What's here right now is kind of bare bones but with the days going so fast there's plenty to do. There's a good amount of monsters and curiosities to be found in and around Besmirch. Can't wait for more to be added to the game and to see the complete version.

stardew spooky valley