While the farming simulation genre doesn’t lack titles today, Stardew Valley is definitely one of the most successful games to come out, drawing millions of players to its adorable graphics.
Created by a lone developer with the internet moniker ConcernedApe, Stardew Valley quickly became an indie hit. Drawing from older games from the Animal Crossing series or Harvest Moon, the game gives you control of an entire farm to do with as you wish. The neighbouring village has various NPCs, each with its own personality and needs. It will be up to you to navigate this world while you farm and grow animals, all in an effort to make this rundown farm successful.
Even though ConcernedApe did not invent the genre, he did bring a dose of realism into it. The game takes plenty of liberties regarding exploration, but NPCs are pretty realistic. They have preferences and favoured items you must gift them if you want to be close friends. Gift them the wrong thing, and they will thoroughly inform you how upset they are. With plenty of customization and options to arrange your farm, Stardew Valley really lets you unleash your creativity. So let’s look at some of the most successful games in the genre that you can try out right now.
Graveyard Keeper
For macabre fans, Graveyard Keeper might offer an intriguing spin on the usual formula. Your character wakes up in a medieval world without knowing what happened. You will be quickly informed by a magical skull that you are this village’s graveyard keeper. This means you have a lot of responsibilities and tasks to handle. Busywork is the game’s name, but the overarching story keeps things mysterious. A complete crafting system with many items is at your disposal, keeping things rewarding throughout.
Moonlighter
Moonlighter switches things up by having you run a magic shop instead of a farm. You must explore various levels filled with enemies to gather items. You then open your store, sell those items, and rinse and repeat. NPCs have their businesses where you can upgrade your gear or buy new items to help you in combat. Even though it diverges from the Stardew Valley formula, Moonlighter still has that quirky charm with interesting characters and a world that feels alive.
Garden Story
Throwing you in the shoes of Concord the grape, Garden Story is an adorable-looking adventure. The world of fruits and vegetables is threatened by The Rot, and it will be up to you to save it. You will have to slash your way across this magical land while helping out any NPCs you encounter. Even though the core gameplay is more akin to older Zelda games, the laid-back pace of the game will quickly remind you of Stardew Valley.
My Time at Portia
Mixing elements from The Sims with a farming sim, My Time at Portia will have you manage your character’s needs and your fellow villagers. Every day in this beautiful cartoon world is filled with tasks you must undergo on your path to success. Before you know it, you’ll happily explore your farm grounds on your horse, taking in the rural beauty while figuring out what’s next on your list.
Forager
Taking a more simplistic approach to the genre, Forager is a cute little game with straightforward controls and engaging gameplay. You must gather resources while unlocking new parts of the island you are exploring. The further you get on the tech tree the longer it will take to farm the necessary items to advance. Enemies are also present on the map, as well as cute NPCs that need your help. Try Forager if you’re looking for a quick distraction that won’t overwhelm you with rules and information.
Voodoo Garden
Fans of the occult will feel right at home in this game. This is an idle clicker where you harvest various items from your garden. These range from your usual fare of fruits and vegetables to more bizarre things. Think of something you hear about in tales about witches, like frogs’ legs and a newt’s eye. Then your character will create various potions and spells out of these items to appease your clients. If you’re looking for something that can be easily played while watching something or relaxing, you should give Voodoo Garden a spin.
Dinkum
Set in the Australian outback, this is a great 3D simulation game. The main difference to Stardew Valley is that you have to manage an entire town. Your main goal is to create an idyllic village that will attract newcomers to move in. While at first you’ll be doing the usual tasks like cutting wood, gathering ore, and farming for food, soon enough, you will have to start building houses, stores, and much more. All this while trying to evade alligators and other critters roaming around. And unlike other similar games, you have an entire island at your disposal. If you’re worried about space, rest assured that this is a pretty huge island. Filling it up could give you hundreds of hours of enjoyment.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
One of the series that created this entire genre, Animal Crossing doesn’t need a lot of introduction. The latest game in the series might look more of the same, but there is plenty to enjoy here. All the essential elements of the genre are present here. Gather resources, customize your island, and interact with various NPCs. But these parts go hand in hand, since creating a beautiful island will bring more visitors. And some of these visitors will be happy to move to your island, increasing your population. If you want a game that you can relax with at the end of a day of work, New Horizons is the perfect title.
So if you’re tired of the fast-paced nature of action or FPS games, you can take a relaxing break with any of these games. They will surely bring a smile to your face while keeping you engaged in their little gameplay loops.
