Fantasy Stardew Valley rival Coral Island finally has the feature I wanted most

Of the many farming-focused life sims to follow in the wake of Stardew Valley, Coral Island is the one that's held my attention the most. Its fantasy spin on the formula gives you underwater farming and Merfolk romances along with all the everyday island life activities that you'd expect, and its stunning character art complements its picturesque world perfectly. If you've ever been tempted to try it, now's the time. The long-awaited multiplayer and romance update is here, and it's surged Coral Island to a year-long Steam high. Even better, a Steam sale means you and your friends can experience the magic at a discount.

Getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life, your time on Coral Island is all about bonding with nature. There's all the fundamentals you'd expect from one of our best farming games; grow the crops you want, build the homestead of your dreams, befriend the locals, woo and even marry one of up to 25 romanceable characters. But then there's the ability to dive beneath the waves and create an underwater farm, help restore the local coral reef, and even visit the magical Merfolk Kingdom, making Coral Island one of the best fantasy games you'll find on Steam as well.

The Coral Island 1.2 update brings multiplayer to the table. The long-promised feature is the main reason I haven't spent more time with it, as I'm eager to put together a farm with a few like-minded friends. You can start a co-op game (or join someone else's) from the main menu, with the ability for up to four players to build a farm together, and cross-play support available as well.

There are lots of customization options on the table; you're free to adjust the profit margins to increase the level of challenge, and determine if money goes into a shared pool or whether you'd prefer to let everyone have their own separate fund. Quests can likewise be handled together or separately. As for building, you can set Architect mode open to all, or restrict it to just the host, while house decor can be handled by the homeowner, the host, or as a free-for-all among the entire group.

Everyone in your game is free to make friends and romance NPCs at your own leisure, as it's all tracked per player. You can only marry one NPC, but there's alternatively the ability to tie the knot with one of your fellow players, and this even supports having children together. The UI has been given an overhaul to help you keep track of your farming companions, with journal stats and map information available to see how everyone's doing.

Speaking of romance, that's also been given a major upgrade in the new Coral Island update. Stairway has introduced "more depth and meaning" with new hangout events that will act as landmarks in your relationship. You'll discover these as your relationship grows, and this continues even beyond marriage with an extension of the heart counter up to level 15, with the final five ranks reserved for your special someone.

The patch is also packed with other smaller improvements and fixes, and it's already caused Coral Island to surge to its highest player count in more than a year. In the last 24 hours, the concurrent Steam players have peaked at over 9,000, suggesting that plenty of enthusiasts have brought their friends along for a brand-new journey. If you're tempted to do the same, a Steam sale to celebrate the overhaul will let you snag a solid saving.

Coral Island is 33% off on Steam through Thursday August 21, meaning you'll pay just $20.09 / £16.74 for your copy. Grab it here if you're ready for a relaxing getaway.

Alternatively, we've rounded up the best relaxing games for plenty more laid-back adventures. With just how good Coral Island looks, you might fancy an upgrade to the best gaming monitor in 2025 as well.

Who's your Coral Island crush? Chat about that and your best farming tips with more than 10,000 like-minded PC gamers in our community Discord server, where you can show off your hard-earned homestead.