5 Best Farming Sims Like Stardew Valley

Simulation games can sometimes be quite demanding, requiring players to manage complicated systems and fine-tune numerous settings to achieve a realistic experience. However, that’s not always necessary. Stardew Valley, while a farming simulation, makes farming enjoyable and fast-paced. Many players find the game’s focus on building a life and relationships, similar to Animal Crossing, even more appealing than the farming itself.

This game lets you play however you want – you can carefully plan everything, or just relax and do what feels right. It offers as much depth as you’re looking for, and it’s similar to other games that fans of Stardew Valley will enjoy. Plus, there are some promising games still in development, like Fields of Mistria, that are shaping up to be unique experiences beyond just copying Stardew Valley.

5. Sakuna: Of Rice And Ruin

Of Rice Farming And Scrolling Beat ‘Em Up Action

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a unique farming game centered around growing rice. While managing a rice farm – which involves tasks like threshing and controlling water – could be tedious, the developers at Edelweiss cleverly added an enjoyable, arcade-style twist. The game is split into two main parts: carefully cultivating rice and engaging in fast-paced, 2D action combat.

In this game, you play as Princess Sakuna, who has been banished from the heavens for being mischievous. She now lives on an island full of demons alongside a group of humans. As the only one who can fight the demons, Sakuna explores side-scrolling levels, using magic to move around and defeat enemies. These levels provide resources needed for farming, which you view from a 3D perspective. The better Sakuna’s rice crop grows, the happier the humans are, and the stronger she becomes in battle. Farming involves managing things like fertilizer and water levels, but it’s presented as a series of fun, arcade-style mini-games. With its blend of action, charming characters, and relaxing atmosphere, fans of games like Stardew Valley will find a lot to love.

4. Graveyard Keeper

Manage A Medieval Graveyard And A Farm

Looking for a new challenge after becoming a pro at Stardew Valley? Graveyard Keeper offers a completely different experience. You’re mysteriously sent back in time and tasked with managing a graveyard in a medieval town. While there’s still a farm to run, the main focus is the unique and slightly spooky job of keeping the graveyard in order.

Graveyard Keeper shares similarities with games like Stardew Valley in its farming and resource management, as well as its art style. However, it stands apart with a stronger focus on story. You play as a keeper trying to find a way home, which involves a lengthy quest to collect specific items and interact with many characters. The game is surprisingly deep, with lots of different things to do and a complex skill system. You’ll also face moral choices that impact the story. While it doesn’t have the same level of social interaction as Stardew Valley, its slower pace and structured gameplay might appeal to some players. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, so new players should pay attention to any helpful tips they receive.

3. Roots of Pacha

Developing Stone Age Agriculture

If you find the medieval world of Graveyard Keeper too recent, Roots of Pacha offers a much older experience, taking you back to the Stone Age. It fully embraces this setting, even using a piece of flint as your cursor. While Roots of Pacha and Stardew Valley share a similar art style, the setting is what truly makes it unique, as their gameplay is quite different.

As a huge fan of ConcernedApe’s games, I was so excited to try Roots of Pacha, and it’s really different from Stardew Valley in some great ways! One thing I immediately loved is that mining isn’t scary at all – there are no enemies, anywhere! It’s perfect if you just want a relaxing experience. A lot of the game revolves around working with your tribe to unlock new technologies, which is a really cool social element that feels even deeper than in Stardew Valley. You still get that sense of belonging to a community, but it’s more about building a settlement together. Plus, they added animal taming, and it’s so unique! You actually have to earn their trust by playing the flute and connecting with them. It’s a fantastic game to play after Stardew Valley if you’re looking for something familiar but fresh.

2. Farm Together 2

Share The Hard Work Around

While many games offer cooperative play, Farm Together 2 truly centers around it. It features a more detailed system than the first game, letting players build and grow their farms in unique ways. New terraforming tools give you complete control over the landscape, unlike games with fixed layouts, and the town hub encourages more interaction with other players than with computer-controlled characters. The focus is really on connecting and collaborating with friends.

This game stands out with its appealing graphics and extensive customization options. Unlike many similar farming games, it features trains and a much larger world to explore. If you enjoy playing with friends and prefer a fast-paced, arcade-style experience over focusing on relationships with townspeople, it’s a great choice – think of it like Stardew Valley with a unique twist. Plus, it offers helpful automation features, letting you set your tractor to work on its own and reduce repetitive tasks.

1. Sun Haven

A Fantastical Twist On The Genre

As a huge fan of Stardew Valley, I immediately loved the look of Sun Haven – it feels so familiar! But with games like this, it’s important they bring something new to the table, and Sun Haven absolutely does. It takes things in a really fun direction by adding fantasy elements, like dragons and magic spells, which makes it feel fresh and unique.

The game boasts beautiful pixel art and offers a huge range of options to personalize your character’s appearance. It also features a robust multiplayer mode, letting up to eight players play together. Ultimately, this game is best for fans of Stardew Valley who wished it had more in-depth RPG features, a stronger story, and more engaging combat. When you start in the town of Sun Haven, you’re not just a simple farmer free to do as you please – though you can still enjoy that aspect. Your main goal is a quest given by Elios, the Sun Dragon, to defeat the spreading darkness, which will take you on an adventure through several different towns.

2026-02-13 02:38