Dark and gritty can be great, but sometimes I just want to play something really, really cute. This is one of those times.

“Stardew Valley” is a farming simulation and role-playing game (RPG) game that came out for Windows in February. The plot — laden with more social commentary than I expected — is that you, the player, work at a soul-rending corporate desk job. Everything changes when a letter from your late grandpa arrives stating that you’ve just inherited his farm in (drumroll please) Stardew Valley.

There’s something incredibly addicting about starting out with a ruined, debris-covered lot and converting it into a farmer’s paradise. The game takes its core elements from “Harvest Moon,” while cutting away the frustrating features present in that franchise and adding a dash of “Terraria.” While exploring, I totally felt like the creators were devoted fans that wanted to craft the ultimate successor in a genre they really cared about. This sentiment can be seen in the detailed characters and the incredibly diverse array of activities such as farming, ranching, mining and fishing. Don’t be fooled by the pixel art style: this game is chock-full of features. The only issue I’ve had is some slightly awkward mouse control with some of the tools, which can result in accidentally destroying a crop.

There are more cool features. Marriage to townsfolk has long been a part of the “Harvest Moon” formula — and because of its independent publisher Chucklefish, “Stardew Valley” is able to include same-sex relationships. The creators also have a direct line of communication with fans. Though it feels complete as-is, the game will be receiving its fair share of updates in the near future, including a co-op option. Modders are also hard at work creating content, such as cosmetically replacing the game’s animals with Pokémon sprites or creating entire new gameplay features.

This is one of those titles I would describe as a love letter to a genre — or maybe an entire Trapper Keeper stuffed with them. It will consume your life for a while. Maybe there’s something paradoxical about neglecting real-life chores to milk virtual cows, but for me the game’s storyline rings true; when I find myself burnt out from studying, Stardew Valley is an exceedingly pleasant place to visit.