Highlights
- Stardew Valley offers a diverse range of farm layouts, each with its own perks and problems for players to consider.
- Choosing the right farm layout can set players up for success, depending on their goals and desired level of challenge.
- The latest addition, the Meadowlands Farm, focuses on raising animals, offering a unique gameplay experience for ranchers.
Stardew Valley is a wholesome, light-hearted farming RPG where players can bring all their agricultural dreams to life. When starting their new life in Pelican Town, players are given a few options regarding the type of farm they want to live on. There are eight different farm layouts players can choose from, and each of these farm maps has its own perks and problems.
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Whether playing Stardew Valley for the first time or restarting a playthrough for the hundredth time, selecting the right layout can set a farm up for success. While it comes down to personal preferences, players should also assess the pros and cons of each map. This list ranks all farm maps in Stardew Valley from easiest to hardest and will help players choose the best one that aligns with their goals and desired challenge rating.
Updated on March 31, 2024, by Usama Ali: With the Stardew Valley 1.6 update, players now have access to a range of new things. Previously, only seven farm maps were available for gamers to explore, but now, an additional one known as the Meadowlands Farm exists, and it offers a plethora of new features for players to enjoy. While it may have been a struggle for Stardew Valley players to decide on the perfect farm map before, the latest addition to the game is sure to make the process even more challenging. That said, some farm maps in Stardew Valley are arguably better than others. Here is how all eight compare to one another.
8 The Standard Farm
For A Simple And Basic Life
- Tillable tiles: 3427
- Focuses on Farming
The Standard Farm is the simplest farm layout in Stardew Valley. This map is best for first-time players as it would help them learn the ropes of the game. With plenty of farmable land and a few ponds, the Standard Farm map does not restrict farmers from where they can place things.
It is the best layout for creating elaborate crop farms or housing several barns and coops without any limitations. Besides that, the Standard Farm seems pretty basic and does not have any special quirks that make it stand out from the other maps in Stardew Valley.
7 The Forest Farm
Surrounded By Trees And Foliage
- Tillable tiles: 1413
- Focuses on Foraging
Stardew Valley’s Forest Farm layout is perfect for those who have a knack for foraging in the wild. This map exchanges some of the farmable lands for areas that allow seasonal forage items and mixed seeds to spawn naturally. The western clearings also spawn eight Hardwood Stumps daily, which will help players upgrade their fences and various equipment quickly.
The Forest Farm map also comes with more ponds and grass patches that decrease the overall farming area. As such, it’s not a viable option for players who are more interested in raising crops and making Artisan Goods.
6 The Four Corners Farm
Contains A Little Bit Of Everything
- Tillable tiles: 2952
- Focuses on multiplayer sessions.
The Four Corners Farm is the most interesting farm map in Stardew Valley. It was added in Stardew Valley’s 1.4 update in hopes of encouraging multiplayer game sessions. As the name suggests, the map is split into four distinct quadrants. Each of these open areas features the cool perks of other layouts, namely the Standard, Forest, Hill-Top, and Riverland farms.
It is perfect for players who want to enjoy different activities in one place. However, due to the additional cliffs, ponds, and dividers in the Four Corners Farm, players will often feel like they have much less farming space overall.
5 The Meadowlands Farm
Perfect For Livestock Farmers
- Tillable tiles: Approximately 2050
- Focuses on Raising Animals and Farming
The Meadowlands Farm was added in Stardew Valley’s Update 1.6 in hopes of encouraging farmers to raise animals. It already comes with a Coop and two baby chickens, saving you the trouble of building one from scratch. As such, this farm map is perfect for anyone who wants to become a rancher and raise chickens, cows, and pigs in the optimal environment.
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The Meadowlands Farm even comes with several ponds and a river for those who enjoy fishing. Since it is designed as an animal-focused farm, there are two types of grass for animals to graze on: Blue Grass and regular green grass. However, this also means that there are fewer tillable tiles, meaning that farmers will have a hard time growing crops on this farm.
4 The Hill-Top Farm
Comes With A Mini Quarry
- Tillable tiles: 1648
- Focuses on Mining
As the name implies, the Hill-Top Farm map has several hilly areas that are raised above the rest of the land. Besides the small cliffs, there is also a river that flows through the entire map, which decreases the overall farming space and limits players.
The only perk of this farm is that the southwest hilltop will spawn different types of stones, ore nodes, and geode nodes, depending on the player’s Mining skill level. Although it seems convenient to have a mini farm quarry, it isn’t that profitable in the long run as the items take a couple of days to regenerate. Players can earn more money by selling wine and cheese as compared to mining.
3 The Wilderness Farm
Scary Creatures Come Out At Night
- Tillable tiles: 2131
- Focuses on Combat
Stardew Valley’s Wilderness Farm is not for the faint-hearted because as soon as darkness falls, all kinds of creepy monsters start to spawn on the map. This gives players the perfect opportunity to level up their Combat skills. However, having to deal with monsters amps up the difficulty and players must act fast to finish their daily chores before they are attacked.
Additionally, the Wilderness Farm map has large lakes that impact its farmable area, giving players limited space to work.
2 The Riverland Farm
Made Up Of A Series Of Islands
- Tillable tiles: 1578
- Focuses on Fishing
The Riverland Farm is a beautiful map, often overlooked by players when they’re choosing their farm layout. It flows with plenty of rivers and raises the player’s chances of catching decent river fish. Those who enjoy fishing would not regret choosing this map.
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However, the waters in the Riverland Farm do not leave much space for farming and constructing buildings. This is quite challenging, and players will have to get creative to crop plants and raise animals on this farm map.
1 The Beach Farm
Only For The Pros
- Tillable tiles: 2700
- Focuses on Foraging and Fishing
Stardew Valley’s update 1.5 brought players the aesthetically pleasing Beach Farm layout. It isn’t a map for first-timers, however, as it comes with extra difficulties and challenges that only seasoned players can handle. This vast map is primarily made up of sand instead of dirt and is mostly surrounded by the ocean. While players can till the sand to grow crops, they will have to manually water plants as sprinklers do not work in sandy areas.
However, the Beach Farm does come with unique perks like good forageables, including Hardwood Stumps, and the opportunity for useful Supply Crates to wash up on the shore.
