Stardew Valley is one of those games that makes manual labor a great thing to do. Added to its charm are its pixel art and a fantastic soundtrack. This life simulator offers tilling, raising livestock, and foraging the forest, among other things. Seriously, it takes a whole lot of time to “finish” the game.
However, if you were able to milk the entire game out of its content, here are 10 other farming life simulators that you should immerse in.
Stardew Valley Game Features
 Release Date: | February 26, 2016 |
 Developer: | ConcernedApe |
 Publisher: | ConcernedApe |
 Platforms: | Windows |
 Genre: | Simulation, role-playing |
 Setting: | Farm |
 Game Modes: | Single-player, Multiplayer |
1. My Time at Portia
If you are looking for a more 3D Stardew Valley experience, My Time in Portia should be a perfect replacement. After hundreds of hours of exhausting all the pixelated activities in Stardew Valley, refreshing your perspective with three-dimensional graphics should suit you. Even though this game is 3D, it still has this cutesy art direction and not some drab gray and brown hyper-realistic graphics.
Just like the games that came before it, specifically Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, My Time at Portia starts with having a relative die and you inheriting the entire farm. In the case of this game, you inherit your father’s old building workshop and are tasked to rebuild the workshop from the ground up, and as a consequence, the town itself.
One of the best aspects of this game is that it is a colorful 3D game. This is a gorgeous game that should hook in those who are tired of pixelated graphics in farming simulations, or those who are not into the retro aesthetics of Stardew Valley.
While My Time at Portia nails the “work” aspect of a life simulation, the relationship building is not that intricate compared to Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, and Animal Crossing. That is true even compared to other games included in this list.
All these farming life simulators have these amazing soundtracks. This is mandatory given the ungodly amount of time players pour into this game. If the music is grating, no one is going to endure the game. Fortunately, My Time at Portia has great music while you build, craft, and grind.
If you like this game, check out My Time at Sandrock. Similar to My Time at Portia, My Time at Sandrock sets you into a desert community. It is the Wild West and you are to build the rugged city-state. However, this is still an Early Access game, although, to be fair, at its current state, it is more than playable.
It is not bold to claim that this early access title is much more playable than some games on this list especially the old-school ones.
- Developer: Pathea
- Publisher: Team17, Nuverse
- Release Date: January 15, 2019 (PC) / April 16, 2019 (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One) / August 4, 2021 (Android, iOS)
- Platform: PS, Xbox, PC, Switch, Mobile
2. Littlewood
If you prefer to dabble in a world of pixels, Littlewood is a good alternative for Stardew Valley. The art style should remind you of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.
Littlewood has a little twist in its narrative. Seemingly, the farming and rebuilding of the town happened after you defeated the final boss in a JRPG. You take on the role of a magical Hero destined to battle a Dark Wizard and save the world after the final fight, the world is saved from an evil entity. Your controlled character is reawakened and finds themselves suddenly in charge of reconstructing the community you live in and having fun with the newly found peace. Do not worry, this is not the calm in Final Fantasy X.
There is farming, crafting, and socializing, the staple of the genre. There is also terraforming, the current trend of farming sim started by Animal Crossing. You have to remember that this is a JRPG land, so you are not dealing with just humans, but also orcs, goblins, and other fantastical beasts.
- Developer: Sean Young
- Publisher: Smash Games
- Release Date: August 4, 2020 (PC) / February 26, 2021 (Nintendo Switch)
- Platform: PC, Switch
3. Forager
Forager is a unique game in this list because it is not just channeling Stardew Valley. It is also inspired by Terraria and Minecraft. Aside from crafting and building, there are heavy “gamey” elements like branching skill progression and bite-sized levels.
Due to its bite-sized levels, Forager does not have the overwhelming grind most people do not like with farming and life sims. You start on a small island and craft your way into better equipment. Here is the game loop. You pulverize rocks and harvest plants to upgrade your equipment so that you can clear the maps quickly. You open lots one by one and the objective is to clear to move on from one to another efficiently.
There is a skill tree here, so you have to upgrade your sword or your shovel, your backpack, or your controlled character himself. These skills are categorized into four: Foraging, Magic, Economy, and Industry.
- Developer: HopFrog
- Publisher: Humble Bundle
- Release Date: April 18, 2019 (PC) / July 30, 2019 (Nintendo Switch, PS4) / July 16, 2020 (Xbox One) / November 6, 2020 (iOS) / December 9, 2020 (Android)
- Platform: PC, Switch, PS, Xbox, Mobile
4. Farm Together
Farm Together is for those parents who want to play Stardew Valley with their children. Or anyone really who has another person to share the farming, the crafting, and the raising of animals. Compared to other life simulations out there, Farm Together is the easiest one because it is aimed at casual players. Playing at your own pace is not a bad thing. Everything needs not be Dark Souls, La-Mulana, or Ninja Gaiden.
In Farm Together, crops do not wither if you fail to take care of them. Animals do not die if you do not feed them, and there are no consequences in your funds if you happen to be a terrible farmer. Farm Together is the Cities: Skylines of city builders. It is more of a farm painter than a hardcore simulator. Nevertheless, Farm Together is the only option for those who are not to be bothered by the moon phases and seasons to unlock or find certain animals or crops.
Farm Together is a great introduction for those who do not play games or little children whose parents want to introduce them to the hobby. It is easy to grasp, it is great looking, it rewards patience, and it allows for a lot of creativity without feeling like you are doing all the manual labor.
- Developer: Milkstone Studios
- Publisher: Milkstone Studios
- Release Date: October 12, 2018 (PC) / January 18, 2019 (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S) / February 1, 2019 (PS4, Nintendo Switch)
- Platform: PC, Switch, PS, Xbox
5. No Place Like Home
Every other game on this list is all about peaceful farming: the environment is lush verdant flatlands, void of pollutants and contaminants. Everything is peppy and vibrant. No Place Like Home hits close to home, for the lack of a better phrase, as you are going to clean up the Earth while everyone else scrammed to Mars.
No Place Like Home depicts you as one of the few Earthlings who stayed behind while everyone else went to Mars. The earth is in chaos, with trash everywhere and pollution wreaking havoc; luckily, you have some tools to assist you in not only cleaning up the mess but also recycling it so you can use it to rebuild your town and make Earth more livable again. Your objective in this game is MEGA: Make Earth Great Again.
There is combat in this game, as you fight against rogue robots. Other than that, No Place Like Home is doing chores at home: cleaning up everything. As you are guided by a talking chicken, there is an overarching narrative in this game as you are looking for your father.
- Developer: Chicken Launcher
- Publisher: Awaken Realms
- Release Date: March
- Platform: PC, Switch, PS, Xbox
6. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town
Gamers from English-speaking territories know Story of Seasons as Harvest Moon. Nevertheless, it looks like the Story of Seasons is the naming convention of all the games from hereon forward including the remakes. Harvest Moon has a more unique touch to it, nevertheless, it is just the name, all are the same game.
If you prefer more of the pixelated version, the Game Boy Advance (named Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town), is still a great game and it aged gracefully. In fact, that game is considered one of the Greatest of All Time. Play it in 2004 or 2022; it is still a blast and a must not miss experience.
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is the 3D remake of the GBA original. Players control the character of a young farmer who has relocated to a small town to take over the family farm. The protagonist has been charged by Mayor Thomas with revitalizing the farmland and bringing prosperity to Mineral Town. The controlled character must produce animals, befriend all of his neighbors, and woo all of the attractive bachelors and bachelorettes.
Worth noting that the last sentence of the preceding paragraph is only true to the remake. The GBA does not allow same-sex relationships. The remake now allows this archaic restriction imposed almost two decades ago.
For the convenience of those who are looking for the difference between the GBA original of Friends of Mineral Town and the Nintendo Switch remake, here is the list of the changes:
- Two new romantic heart events for marriage candidates
- Items now stack within the rucksack
- Easier mining due to the addition of elevators and pitfall holes
- The rank system of crops rated on a 5-star scale
- New crops: soybean and chili pepper
- The controlled character can now traverse over the crops
- New farm animals: Angora Rabbit, Brown Chickens, Alpaca, Strawberry Cow, Fruit Cow, and Coffee Cow
- The horse can travel outside the farm
- New pets: varieties of dogs, cats, capybara, and penguins
- New park area
- The mirror inside the farmhouse can customization of the controlled character
- Customization options for the animals
Now that it is out of the way, the core gameplay of Friends of Mineral Town stays the same. The majority of the time, players are tending to their farm and cattle. Also, the controlled character must gain the favor of the locals. The first year is especially difficult because most players haven’t had access to a fully grown horse or animal that can participate in the activity in the festival, which isn’t fun and feels like a waste of a day. The festival attendance should have been used for farm improvement for the next year. Good thing the controls for this are straightforward and easy to remember. The music and graphics are calming. Otherwise, the dull initial experience would make players quit.
After the rough first year, you will finally have the best gaming experience. You can fish, gain friends, attend festivals, and improve your house. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town sure retains the old-school gameplay that may not be accessible to a modern audience, but it is still a great experience despite that.
- Developer: Marvelous Interactive
- Publisher: Marvelous Inc, Xseed Games, Marvelous Europe
- Release Date: October 17, 2019 (Nintendo Switch) / July 10, 2020 (PC) / October 15, 2021 (PS4, Xbox One)
- Platform: PC, Switch, PS, Xbox
7. Animal Crossing: New Horizons+
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a popular game by itself. However, during the pandemic, it shot up into the stars as this game blew into the mainstream audience like never before. Some may pin that on the fact that during lockdowns, there is not much to do and just work on digital farms. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the kind of game that you could lose all your time to due to its addictive gameplay loop.
In the beginning, you’ll be crafting everything you have, even your necessities. It’s an easy way to add mini-goals to an otherwise open experience, and it works remarkably well almost all of the time. You have no stores. There is no museum. There is no infrastructure or convenient means to move about.
At first, there isn’t even a simple method to obtain all of your tools. You’ll be roughing it on your new island home for quite some time, but it’s definitely one of the nicest things Nintendo could have done for Animal Crossing.
In the previous Animal Crossing titles, you can go about your personal life while checking back and forth to your farm. New Horizon is a new horizon indeed. The game design is made so that while you are waiting for the result of your current project, you can have other things to do.
This is not a pick-up-and-play game anymore, or a play-by-session, you can play for an extended amount of time because there is so much to do. Animal Crossing: New Horizon feels like an MMORPG that you have to pour your entire soul into playing it.
Crafting is usually always at the core of this, either finding a new recipe or building something to adorn the town with. You also have to collect the materials in the building. Sounds incredibly grueling? Surprisingly, it is addictive.
Your island is enormous, and the possibilities for what you might do with it are endless. Any furniture piece can be moved outdoors, you eventually have access to fences, and much later, you can terraform the terrain.
Unfortunately, beautifying the town isn’t quite as simple as decorating the home. It’s actually rather clumsy. However, the result and limitless potential make it worthwhile. Crafting may be a time-consuming operation because you can only pick one item at a time. You cannot craft in bulk as you are an artisan, not a manufacturer.
The Nook Phone and the Nook Miles are the featured things in this game. The Nook Phone is a smart gadget that has all of the information you’ll ever need about the island, and it even comes with a customized cover. It imbues an unexpected yet always welcome amount of charm, which had me beaming every time my cute avatar pulled it out to check their missions or get a rare call.
On the other hand, Nook Miles are credits that you receive for doing specific things like, growing flowers, crafting, or even by chitchatting with the townsfolk. There are new activities that reward you with Nook Miles every day, so there is a new thing to do or watch out for.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is brimming with charm and appeal, as well as an opportunity to create something unique and distinctly you. It’s captivating while also being one of the most relaxing games you’ll ever play.
- Developer: Nintendo EPD
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release Date: March 20, 2020
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
8. Sun Haven
This is an Early Access Game. Although it is not finished, there is enough content for you to play. However, there are going to be rough experiences due to the fact that it is unfinished.
Sun Haven lists all the things you can do: farm, fish, fight, mine, smith, cook, and craft. All of that are the staples of this kind of game. What makes Sun Haven different is that you can choose the race of your character: human, demon, elf, angel., elemental, naga, and amari. There is also a multiplayer aspect of this game, you can play with up to eight people.
Now there is a skill tree that would allow you to customize your character to your liking further. Not just its physical appearance but its skills and talents.
Sun Haven plays exactly like Stardew Valley. The themes and motifs are just less subdued and most fantastical. There is also a romancing aspect considering the races you can choose from.
- Developer: Nintendo EPD
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Release Date: March 20, 2020
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
9. Graveyard Keeper
If you are in your goth phase, Graveyard Keeper is indeed a keeper Now, this might not be everybody’s cup of tea. Yet, the twist of having to tend a graveyard instead of a farm should raise your morbid curiosity. There is no sunshine anymore here, it is the dark side of farming.
Graveyard Keeper is not an easy game. The activities are now explained in your face. This game is a mature Stardew Valley both in terms of themes and actual gameplay. There is no handholding, even the basic tutorial is somewhat not easy to understand.
You manage your graveyard in the medieval setting as you also branch out to other businesses. There are activities that you might pursue in order to keep out of the red.
This will cause you whiplash as most other games in farming life sim is too goody-two-shoes. Even with the macabre theme of cutthroat capitalism, there is a romantic aspect of this game.
- Developer: Lazy Bear Games
- Publisher: tinyBuild
- Release Date: August 15, 2018 (PC) / June 27, 2019 (Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4)
- Platform: PC, Switch, PS, Xbox
10. Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles.
While the title of this game is distinctly mouthy, this game is everything but a lot. Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is minimalism in Stardew Valley form.
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles’ plot is somewhat simple; the player-created character is stranded on the shores of Gemea, which is being overrun by a deadly miasma known as the Murk. Fortunately, the player character possesses the extremely uncommon ability to see and interact with unique entities known as sprites and is therefore charged with gathering and employing them to wipe out the Murk and save Gemea.
The game’s main selling point is the relaxed manner players may go about managing their farms, traveling around the lovely landscapes collecting materials, crafting products, planting trees, fishing, and so on.
With the great 3D graphics and amazing audio, it makes up for the lack of gameplay depth as compared to Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing.
- Developer: Prideful Sloth
- Publisher: Prideful Sloth, Merge Games, Nippon Ichi Software
- Release Date: July 18, 2017 (PC, PS4) / May 17, 2018 (Nintendo Switch/ February 27, 2019 (Xbox One)
- Platform: PC, Switch, PS, Xbox
Conclusion
Those were the 10 games that play like Stardew Valley, some of these games have other entries aside from what was discussed, like Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing. So just check them out if you really have all the time in the world to farm and live your life in video game form.
