(UPDATE) Green Thumb Not Required in Greenhearth Necromancer
(May 11, 2025: Slightly new name!) Silverstring Media's next title brings the 'whimsigoth' vibes, something most of us could use right now
May 11, 2025 Update: The game has a new name! From a recent update on Steam, the team writes that “The details are boring and not worth going into, but we feel that “Greenhearth Necromancer” speaks strongly to the themes found in the game. You build a home around a hearth, planting roots and gathering community ‘round it. Taken as a whole, Greenhearth Necromancer combines cozy gardening vibes and community building with our necromantic twist.”
Original story follows
Idle games get a bad rap sometimes, with far too many plagued by mountains of microtransactions and stacks of stress, but Glitchhikers developer Silverstring Media is looking to change that conversation with Greenhearth Necromancer, announced today.
In the “semi-idle” Greenhearth, you’ll raise a garden with living and undead plants on your balcony. You heard that correctly; you’ll even be able to raise plants from the dead thanks to magical spells and potions.
The game is meant to be played over long periods, rewarding players with “short bursts of gameplay that punctuate stretches of pure vibes.” (If you’ve played 2022’s Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between, you’ll know that vibes are something that the studio excels at.)
Silverstring wanted to create a game that “respects players’ time and attention,” according to studio head Lucas J.W. Johnson, and they’ve created Greenhearth Necromancer as “something that you want to keep running through the day that’s not constantly demanding your focus.” Have work to do? Not a problem, as players can “just enjoy the gothy plants vibing to the music while you work” and not worry about them dying “because you can always bring them back!”
Creative Director Claris Cyarron describes the game’s style as “a mix of ‘witchcore’ and ‘whimsigoth, with a healthy dose of ‘grandma chic.’”
Like Glitchhikers, the game features a soundtrack of lo-fi beats. There will also be options to customize your garden, space, and experience “an ongoing narrative” of the building where the game takes place.
The studio plans to reveal much more over the coming months, including a public demo later this year. Be sure to wishlist the game on Steam and follow the team on Bluesky. (And if you’re so inclined, drop a subscription here to The Indie Game Cafe.)