Considering the endless amount of historical adventures, sci-fi explorations, and fantasy journeys that the gaming industry offers, it may come as a surprise that many gamers would rather spend their free time playing a video game version of the real world. Although it may seem strange at first, it's hard to deny that the life simulation genre has encapsulated many players. Life simulation games hold some of the most well-known titles in gaming, including The Sims, Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and many more.
One of the most beloved subgenres of life simulators is farming games. Farming video games allow players to experience the joys of turning a stretch of untouched land into a thriving, profitable farm without having to break a sweat. For those looking to get into this genre, here are some of the best farming games available.
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Updated May 20, 2024, by Mara Cowley: Summer is just around the corner, bringing with it verdant greens and flourishing crops. Farmers are busy at work tending to the crops and cattle, and gamers who want a taste of this life can get it from the comfort of their own home. There are so many farming games that task players with the day-to-day life of owning a farm and rearing it successfully, producing vegetables, fruit, and animal products such as milk and cheese, all with the click of a mouse or controller button. With so many farming simulation games on the market, it is hard to choose the best farming game. This article has been updated to include even more fantastic farming games players can make precious summer memories with.
27 Roots of Pacha
A Unique Setting for a Farm Game
Farming games take place in different locations. Some remain realistic and choose settings that mirror reality. Others verge into fantasy, including magic and monsters. Roots of Pacha choose neither of these options, instead taking place in the Stone Age.
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Players can farm, wed other characters, explore the prehistoric landscapes, and even befriend adorable animals such as wooly mammoths. If that isn't enough to convince players, they can also recruit friends for a fun multiplayer experience.
26 Sun Haven
A Fun Farming Game to Enjoy Alone or With Friends
In a world where magic exists, the player finds themselves stuck in Sun Haven with just the clothes on their back and what they have in their pocket. Thankfully, that is enough for a rudimentary start in this small town.
Players will start a farm, meet the residents, and travel across the world with a choice of three cities to start their farm in. They will fight off monsters and cultivate an entire community. What's more, players can share the fun with up seven other friends, which is sure to make for chaotic multiplayer fun.
25 Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
Combines Action, Role-Play, and Farming Action
Farming games are sometimes just that: farming. Players tend to their crops, rear cattle, and produce animal products such as milk and cheese. They sleep for the night, rise early, and repeat the process over again. And while some games have found success with this simplistic cycle, there are titles that are not content with this, and introduce other mechanics.
One such game is Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin. The eponymous character Sakuna fights off the demonic beasts in the untamed wilderness she finds herself in, and then cultivates a home for herself in the land she is trapped in. This includes a rice farm, which in turn makes her stronger.
24 Ooblets
Charming and Cutesy
Full of charm, cuteness, and fun, Ooblets will immediately capture the hearts of any who play it. As one might expect, players are tasked with managing their very own farm, but what sets this game apart from the rest is the inclusion of the titular Ooblets, creatures that players can own and train like Pokemon.
As such, players will never run out of things to do in this loveable game, and the developers are promising more content to come. Now is the perfect time to jump in and experience the game that is a strange but enjoyable mixture between Stardew Valley and Slime Rancher. As it doesn't take itself seriously at all, plenty of laughs are in store.
23 Graveyard Keeper
For the Wednesday's of Farming Sim Players
This spooky sim game strikes the perfect balance between gloomy and gothic graphics while maintaining the fun and relaxing gameplay players have come to expect while playing farming games. The agricultural players will care for is a little different from what they might be used to, as they will be maintaining cemeteries and graves.
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There are also ethical dilemmas to consider, romance, and striving to be successful under the thumb of capitalism. So, alongside gathering resources and managing their land, players will also speak with townsfolk, solve their problems, and even delve into a dungeon in hopes of finding rare resources and valuables to sell.
22 Staxel
Has All the Classic Gameplay Fans of the Genre Expect
Staxel feels very much like the lovechild of Minecraft and Stardew Valley. The game is another on this list that gives players a rundown farm and tasks them with making it thrive by restoring it in any way that they choose.
The game doesn't reach the sky-high quality of the two games that it's trying to replicate, though it's still a solid farming sim that is worth it for fans of the genre. It features all the classic farming game activities such as tending crops, caring for animals, and experiencing the joys of rustic village life.
21 Pumpkin Panic
A Free-to-Play Horror Farming Game
Another spooky farming simulator, Pumpkin Panic unabashedly wanders further into the realm of horror, terrifying players with its countless monsters, that, along with managing their farm, players will need to avoid if they hope to survive.
Players can farm, fish, and scream in terror in this free-to-play indie title that is available on Itch.io. With a playtime totaling around an hour, it is short-lived compared to other farming titles, but that doesn't make the game any less fun to play.
20 Fae Farm
Combines Farm Simulation with RPG Elements
This enchantingly-named farm simulation game joins the legions of many in the genre with a cutesy, charming art style, and many features that make it worth checking out for fans of similar titles. Fae Farm seamlessly combines farm sim gameplay with elements of RPGs, creating a truly immersive experience where players can lose themselves.
The game opens with the player character shipwrecked on an island, where they are taken in by the friendly mayor and given an unused farm to cultivate. Along with growing crops, players can also fish, explore the island, engage in combat in the dungeons, craft items, and romance other villagers. With so much fun content, Fae Farm is the game for farming sim fans.
19 Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
This Remake Breathes New Life into a Classic Title
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS5 , Switch , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- June 27, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Marvelous
- Genre(s)
- Life Simulation
A remake of the classic Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, Story of Seasons revived this title for a modern-day audience with some new bells and whistles to make it appealing to first-time players and fans of the original.
Like many other games in this genre, players can split their time between rearing plants and cattle, befriending or romancing other villagers, crafting items and consumables, and even building facilities in the valley to chart forward a new way of life. There is much to enjoy in A Wonderful Life, making it a worthwhile remake to revisit or try for the first time.
18 The Stillness Of The Wind
Gameplay Reflects Physical Capabilities of Player Character
This is one game that may have flown under the radar of many gamers, despite its Harvest Moon-like gameplay and the serenity it bestows. Players control a pre-existing character named Talma, who has entered their twilight years, yet is still determined to take care of their farm. As such, her movements are a little slower than what players may be used to, without it being too much of an annoyance.
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Though this is a farming simulator at heart, there is a touching story woven in where players learn a little about Talma through her interactions with the farm and some hallucinations that visit her as the seasons wear on. For players who want a strong story to go with their farming gameplay, The Stillness of the Wind is the perfect pick for them.
17 Coral Island
Players Can Experience the Dream of Life on a Lush Tropical Island
Coral Island
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- November 14, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Stairway Games
- Genre(s)
- Farming , Simulation
Set in an idyllic island environment, Coral Island encourages players to transform and protect the natural wonders around them.
In Coral Island, players can fill their days by tending to their crops, exploring caves, restoring coral reefs, and even romancing the local townsfolk. The game is inspired by Southeast Asian environments and cultures and allows players to experience life on a lush tropical island.
16 Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Players Can Visit Each Other's Islands to Show off their Farms
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Released
- March 20, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
Released for the Nintendo Switch in 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the go-to form of life sim escapism for many during the pandemic. But after its expansive 2.0 update at the end of 2021, the game officially dips its toe into the waters of farming simulator games too.
Players can grow a variety of crops in the game including pumpkins, wheat, potatoes, and carrots. To ensure maximum output, these crops must be carefully tended during their growth cycles. Players can also cook sweet and savory dishes with their produce, which they can then eat or gift to their villagers. What's more, the multiplayer elements allows friends to visit each others islands to see how they have been cultivating it, and get some inspiration on how to develop their own.
15 Dinkum
This Farming Game Challenges Players to Defend their Land
Self-published by one-man developer James Bendon, Dinkum is an interesting mix of Animal Crossing and old farming game classics like Harvest Moon - except, Dinkum drops its players on an island inspired by outback Australia.
In addition to classic farming sim features such as tending crops, caring for animals, and attracting new townsfolk to their village, players will need to defend themselves from deadly predators and hunt animals to survive. Dinkum promises a bonanza farming experience as well as the chance to befriend giant wombats.
14 Kynseed
Kynseed Brings Magical Elements to Farming Gameplay
Seeing its full release at the end of 2022, Kynseed is a sandbox-style game. Inspired by games such as Fable and Stardew Valley, the game combines the farming genre with more magical elements from fantasy RPGs.
Kynseed doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, offering many quintessential features from the life simulator side of the farming genre, such as letting players run their own business, building rapport and relationships with locals, and, of course, having the freedom to farm on a blank canvas of land.
13 Littlewood
Set in the Aftermath of a Great Battle
Littlewood stands out with its fantastic art design, which has a burst of colors that make the game look delightfully welcoming. Unlike most games that see the player embarking on an adventure, Littlewood is set after the protagonist has already defeated the villain. However, the protagonist has no recollection of what happened, and their local town is in dire need of rebuilding.
Littlewood lets players learn new hobbies, harvest materials, and complete tasks for the townsfolk in the hope of learning about their past.
12 Story Of Seasons: Pioneers Of Olive Town
Has an Impressive Amount of Unique Events to Keep Game Fresh
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town wider rebranding of the original Harvest Moon franchise. Like 90% of farming simulators, the game kicks off with the player inheriting a farm from their grandfather.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town hones in on the core features of the farming genre, with rebuilding a farm from scratch being at the heart of the story. The game still offers plenty of life simulation, however, and even boasts an impressive range of over 200 unique events centered around interacting with the townsfolk.
11 Slime Rancher
Players Will Manage a Unique Farm Consisting of Slimes Instead of Crops
Slime Rancher is an open-world life simulator from Monomi Park. The game puts players in the shoes of Beatrix LeBeau, who has left Earth for a place known as the Far Far Range to pursue a life of, as the title suggests, slime ranching.
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Slime ranching consists of searching the land for alien creatures known as Slimes and then breeding and feeding them so that they'll produce "plorts" which can be sold for currency used to buy new buildings for the ranch. The game was well-received by critics, scoring a solid 81 on Metacritic.
10 Garden Paws
Consists of Cutesy Animal Characters
Garden Paws is another game on this list that begins with the player inheriting a plot of land from their grandparents. However, unlike many other games in the farming genre, all the characters are non-human animals.
Garden Paws stands out with its solid multiplayer integration, customizability of characters, and unique selection of dungeons to clear. More standard farming activities are available too, with harvesting crops, fishing, and embarking on villagers' quests all playing key roles.
9 Farmer's Dynasty
Places an Emphasis on Cultivating a Community
Farmer's Dynasty starts with, believe it or not, the player inheriting a farm from their grandfather. The game then opens up to offer players a well-designed open world where they are free to work as they wish.
As the implementation of an open world suggests, farming isn't the only thing players will be doing in the game. Farmer's Dynasty has an emphasis on community, as players can interact with their fellow farmers to build rapport, earn social points, and grow relationships.
8 Pure Farming 2018
Offers a More Authentic Farming Experience
Pure Farming 2018 is a little different from other entries in this list. It sets itself apart with its attempt to offer an authentic farming experience, particularly with its impressive range of licensed vehicles, offering three different game modes to suit the player's needs.
Free Farming does what it says on the tin, giving players the ability to set their own parameters and play how they want. My First Farm offers an extended, in-depth tutorial that is ideal for new players, and Farming Challenges puts the player's skills to the test by throwing them into tough scenarios.
