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Imagine Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2 visiting Stardew Valley. Actually, don’t even imagine it, because he’ll probably rob the train, shoot the mayor, and drag Pierre through town behind his horse. How about this: that Arthur Morgan has a twin brother named, um, Garthur, and that Garthur Morgan is not a violent bank robber outlaw but a kindly, gentle farmer who enjoys a quiet life of fishing, crafting, and chatting with the townsfolk imagine. And it’s just now and again shot several bandits and cattle rustlers.

If you go there that’s what you’ll find Cattle Country on Steam: A laid-back cowboy life simulation where you plant crops, raise animals, go fishing, romance the locals, and occasionally get involved in a few scraps. And guess what, partner? Cattle Country has just entered open beta, so you can play it for free.

If you’ve played Stardew Valley, you’ll find many similarities in Cattle Country, such as the handy box you drop items into to automatically sell them and the calendar that shows everyone’s birthday in town. I’ve only played for a few days, but you start with a nice little plot of land, a few crops already growing, and loads of tools and materials, so you can jump right in and get started quickly. I already have a dog and a cat, I’ve caught a lot of fish, cooked a few meals, and met most of the townspeople, including the blacksmith and the sheriff.

There’s no sign of him being an outlaw yet (and I don’t even know where to get my little pixelated hands on a six-shooter), but this suits me just fine for now. I’m a little interested in Red Dead Relaxation. Save the payment for later use.

There are a few welcome changes to the familiar Stardew formula: The inevitable mines you need to visit to blast rocks and collect minerals turn the game from a top-down view to a side-scroller, which means you’ll have to use craftable ladders. Ledges to navigate up and down levels. So it’s a bit of a departure. And so far it doesn’t look too rough. It was hard to get my first sprinkler in Stardew, but on my second day in Cattle Country I bought one at the grocery store. Were there fountains in the Wild West? Probably not, but I’m willing to suspend disbelief if it means I can surpass primitive watering can technology.

To participate, just visit: Cattle Country Steam pageand in the sidebar you will find the demo button to download. The only reason I mention this is because demo downloads are usually highlighted with a big green bar in the middle of the store page, but for some reason this casual cowboy game is harder to spot.