Fifteen seconds. That’s all you’ve got to collect an entire field’s worth of food. There’s wheat everywhere, carrots waiting to be gathered, and a delicious-looking pie sitting just out of reach. You’re already carrying more than any sensible sheep should be able to manage when you spot something moving near the barn.
Oh, brilliant. There’s a goblin eating your harvest.
Barn Rush is a cozy, pixel-art collectathon roguelite from solo developer gumballandmoo that’s taking part in October’s Steam Next Fest. With a free demo available now, you’ll race around collecting food, unlock increasingly absurd upgrades, and attempt to turn a little farm animal into the most efficient harvesting machine the countryside has ever seen.
Ready, Steady, Harvest!
The rules are straightforward. You’ve got 15 seconds to collect as much food as possible before the timer runs out. You’ll dash around the field gathering wheat, carrots, pies, and anything else worth taking home. Food automatically joins the growing stack on your back as you pass, so there’s no need to stop and pick everything up individually.
Your barn provides somewhere to deposit your harvest, although anything you’re still carrying when the timer expires counts toward your total, too. The challenge comes from deciding where to go next. Do you grab that cluster of carrots nearby or sprint across the field for something more valuable? There’s barely enough time to think about it before the buzzer sounds.
Rounds arrive in groups of five, with a Harvest Goal determining how much food you need to collect to continue. Every fifth round introduces a 45-second Gauntlet, complete with a larger field and an additional challenge. You’ll also encounter a hungry goblin who’s decided your hard work looks like a perfectly good lunch.
Miss your target, and it’s back to the beginning.
The World’s Most Questionable Farming Equipment
Thankfully, you won’t be collecting every carrot yourself forever. Between rounds, you’ll choose upgrade cards that improve your harvesting abilities. There are more than 65 to discover across Wooden, Silver, and Gold tiers, with options to reroll choices, remove unwanted cards, or save something promising for later.
Some upgrades are exactly what you’d expect from a farming game. A tractor can help gather food, while helpful bees provide additional assistance. Others suggest the local farmers have been getting a little too creative.
There’s WHEAT-FM, a radio station that attracts wheat directly to your barn. You can recruit a pelican to deliver food, equip a Magnet Pulse to pull goodies toward you, or use a toaster to launch yourself across the field. Yes, a toaster. There’s even an upgrade involving gassy burritos that sends your sheep dashing farther than before.
Get the right combination together, and you could end up with an entire harvesting operation working around you while you concentrate on grabbing whatever’s left. Grandpa’s old tractor has probably never had this much competition.
Feeling Lucky? Give the Hay Wheel a Spin!
Survive five rounds, and you’ll face another decision. You can collect a guaranteed Silver Chest containing useful upgrades or take a chance on the Hay Wheel, which offers an opportunity to win a much rarer Gold Chest. Naturally, there’s a catch. The wheel could also reward you with something you really don’t need or want.
It’s a gamble that becomes increasingly tempting when you’ve already assembled a good collection of upgrades and fancy adding something spectacular. Perhaps your current setup is collecting food quickly enough to meet every target. Do you play it safe and keep improving steadily, or risk a disappointing reward for the chance to make your next few rounds much easier?
Whatever you choose, the clock won’t be getting any slower.
A Farm Full of Familiar Faces
The food you collect earns Feed, which can be spent on upgrades during your run or saved for cosmetic rewards at the Farmstead. The full game features 17 playable animals, alongside different colors, hats, and seasonal farm themes. You can also create separate profiles for family members, complete with individual high scores and statistics.
There’s no permanent power advantage between runs, either. Every attempt starts on equal footing, leaving your success down to the upgrades you collect and how efficiently you manage those precious seconds.
Barn Rush features up to 50 rounds, several difficulty options, and a selection of unlockable animals and farm themes. The full game is scheduled for November 16th, 2026. It’s easy to imagine starting with the intention of playing a few quick rounds, only to spend the next hour chasing a slightly better harvest.