Released in early access on November 26, 2025, Cowboy Life Simulator is a new "simulation / RPG / survival" game developed by Odd Qubit and published by RockGame SA.
Concept and promises
- The premise: you play a disillusioned former businessman, determined to leave it all behind and start over in the Wild West. Buy a farm, build a ranch, manage your land and animals.
- Gameplay combining ranch management, livestock farming, agriculture, harvesting, crafting, construction, and social life: building construction, planting, animal care, harvesting, crafting, ranch development.
- Open world + exploration: the ability to move freely on horseback or on foot, explore the lands, discover secrets, varied places, which adds an adventure/survival/discovery aspect.
- Narrative and RP / Social life: the heart of a small village (Bravestand) populated by inhabitants with whom you can interact, complete quests, build relationships, discover stories, which gives meaning to the ranch routine.
- Progression and freedom of style: the game features a "Farm / Fame / Frontier" system for progression, allowing for a certain degree of freedom in approach. Quiet ranching, exploration, survival, or a mix of genres.
The overall idea: to recreate a "living, free, immersive" Wild West, more focused on "ranch life, reconstruction, freedom" than violent action or gunfights. It's a "western unlike any other."
What the players are saying and initial feedback: the reception is very positive
- The overall observation on the Steam page: “Very Positive” with approximately 93% positive reviews.
- Players praise the immersive atmosphere, the "ranch and freedom" feel, and the variety of activities (farming, raising livestock, crafting, building, exploration, etc.). This mix is very appealing, especially to those looking for a relaxing and open-ended game.
- The village of Bravestand and its inhabitants, the "community" aspect, the narrative quests, the social interaction. All of this gives meaning to ranch life, it enriches the experience, it's not just "plant/harvest/rebuild".
- For an Early Access game, having complete mechanics right now (farming, breeding, building, crafting, exploration, light combat, quests…) is well received and provides a good foundation for this type of game.
But it's not (yet) a revolution: the flaws of an Early Access game
As always with early access, some aspects raise questions or could be improved according to player/community feedback:
- The game suffers from a few lack of finishing bugs, inaccuracies, or interaction mechanics that are not always fluid (such as picking up objects, ergonomics, and the sometimes criticized responsiveness of NPCs).
- Some critics point to a somewhat basic "survival/crafting/farming" aspect, where immersion and a true Wild West feel are desired. For some, the "farm simulator + crafting + open world" element may lack the depth needed to truly "play cowboy" like in a more serious game.
- The game is not (and is not intended to be) an "action/gunfight/dramatic story" western. If you're looking for shootouts, organized crime, or hardcore western gameplay, Cowboy Life Simulator isn't for you; go play Red Dead Redemption 2 instead.
- As is often the case with Early Access, some planned features (according to the studio) are still to come: world expansion, system improvements, addition of biomes, etc.
The Univers-Simu perspective
Cowboy Life Simulator is clearly a title interesting to followIt does not aim for action, but rather exploration, reconstruction, returning to the land, the "quiet western": what many players like when they want a break after more intense or stressful simulators.
