Stardew Valley is a farming sim that lets you experience the joy of living that country life. I am a huge fan of relaxing games and SV is one of the best you can play as proven by the overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam. But if you are not able to play the game or you don’t prefer pixel graphics, there are multiple games like Stardew Valley that you can play instead. Here’s a list of the best Stardew Valley alternatives to play on PC (Steam), Xbox, PS, and Nintendo Switch.
Best Games like Stardew Valley (Similar Farming Games)
Stardew Valley has a concept where you have inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot and it’s your duty to give it a complete revamp. But it does not stick to only being a farming sim game – it provides a heartwarming experience as you form deeper connections with the people in your neighborhood. There’s so much to do that you will find yourself immersed in its world from the get-go. Take a look at the best games like Stardew Valley (in no particular order) and choose your favorite alternative to try out.
My Time at Portia
Bringing back a neglected area to its former glory is the core theme of Stardew Valley and My Time at Portia follows similar footsteps. Players have loads of things to do in this game, including quest completion, raising animals, ensuring that crops grow well, and more. Gather resources, mine, craft while also befriending new characters and forming connections. The graphics are pretty nice and the color scheme is just right to give you that relaxing experience.
Forager
Forager is a pixel-graphic-styled 2d open-world title that gains inspiration from Stardew Valley, Terraria as well as Zelda. In Forager, gathering, fishing, mining, planting and caring of animals is there of course. But what sets it apart is that you can also solve puzzles, and choose how you want to go ahead in the game. Do you want to be a farmer, explorer or builder? Wear your exploration hat because you never know which hidden secret you might unlock.
Farming Simulator 22
Farming Simulator 22 is the winner of the Sit Back and Relax Steam award for 2021 and it’s very well-deserved. This game is purely farming and less of the other experience you get in Stardew Valley. But if farming is your favorite part of SV, you will love this one. Step into the role of a modern farmer as you shoulder various responsibilities related to agriculture, animal husbandry, and forestry. If you want to take things up a notch, you can show off your planning skills and create a lush vineyard, an olive orchard, or farmland. Bring your farming dreams to life with Farming Simulator 22, which is one of the best alternatives similar to Stardew Valley.
Animal Crossing New Horizons
Animal Crossing New Horizons is one of the best relaxing games and I highly vouch for it. With multiple characters to interact with, daily tasks to complete and the island to decorate, there’s so much you can do. Let your creative juices flowing and use all the elements of bridges, stairs and customization options to make your island truly unique. It’s the cutest and my favorite game similar to Stardew Valley.
Story Of Seasons: Pioneers Of Olive Town & Friends of Mineral Town
A farming sim game list is incomplete without the mention of Story Of Seasons games. Similar to Stardew Valley, in these games, you need to build your farm from the ground up, embark on new adventures in the community, and participate in various events. What’s more, you can also find love in this game. Story Of Seasons games will give you the change of pace that you may want after a long and stressful day of work.
Astroneer
If you want a unique environment, different from the usual farming graphics, then try Astroneer. In this space-themed game, players can build bases, create vehicles, dig, collect, craft, and basically do whatever they wish. Travel between and explore planets and face challenges on every terrain.
Kynseed
Kynseed is a sandbox life sim RPG that’s created by developers who worked on the Fable series for Lionhead Studios. The graphics are similar to Stardew Valley (pixel-style) and the things you can do are similar too. Yep, you can gather resources, farm, buy items, build relationships and start a business. Live the life you want in this 2D open-world game.
Garden Story
Adding to this list of cozy games is Garden Story. It offers you a whimsical world where you have to do whatever it takes to rebuild the village. There are loads of tasks to complete that will ensure that you are engaged and engrossed. It has elements of dungeon crawlers, farming sim, and action games which end up giving Garden Story a whole new flavor. Even if you have 10 minutes to spare, you can get a quick gaming session in and feel rejuvenated.
So, these are some of my favorite games like Stardew Valley that can be good alternatives if you are searching for farming sim games. But as I mentioned, most of these games do not limit themselves to farming – once you are immersed in their world, you will feel like going back to it daily due to everything else they have to offer. I will be adding more games to this list, so that you have more similar options to choose from, so check back soon. Meanwhile, here are some more games like your favorite titles.