After the success of Stardew Valley, farming simulation games have boomed, with developers creating their own variations on the formula. Now, the genre contains everything from sci-fi and medieval settings to different types of farming, as well as darker versions these games. But with so many to choose from, it can be hard to choose a new one -- especially if you like to look outside the box.
Farming sims don't always need to be strictly about farming either. There are plenty of other ways to craft management games that retains the feeling of games like Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon. Here are five games in the genre you may not have heard about, but you just might fall in love with.
Available on Nintendo Switch and PC
With a combination of 8-bit and 16-bit style graphics, Littlewood tasks players with rebuilding the world after they -- the hero -- have saved it. It's time to get this medieval fantasy world back to normalcy. Littlewood has the typical farming and gathering system in an adorable package, but it also lets players go a step further by allowing them to build a town and terraform the world.
There are tons of customization options too for your character, furniture, décor and even the look of the town. The townsfolk, of course, all want to be your friend, since you play as the hero who saved the world -- and they'll, of course, have more tasks for you. Littlewood adds something extra to the regular farming sim, while offering an interesting take on what happens after beating an RPG like Final Fantasy.
Available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC
This game combines the style of full-fledged farming simulators with RPG elements. Farmer's Dynasty is more toned down, so you won't need to figure out the complexities of every detail of farming, but its also not quite as simple as holding a bad of seeds over your head to plant them.
Farmer's Dynasty does a good job of putting some difficulty into the traditional "you've inherited a farm, now make something of it" style of gameplay that most farming sims follow. There are still townsfolk, quests, gathering and even friendships and marriage like in games like Harvest Moon. However, the game is a wonderful marriage between the two styles, with plenty of customization and a good challenge for those who already have some experience with the genre.
Available on PC (Early Access)
Kynseed is still a work in progress, but it's a beautiful indie game with lots of promise and an aging system. Characters, including your own, grow old and die, but their legacy continues as each generation starts a family. The player takes over the next of kin to continue the story while caring for the farm in a world that is always changing. It's a big undertaking for a farming sim, one with developers from the Fable series working on it.
Players won't just be running a farm, but also a business -- any business -- gathering, finding secrets, going on adventures and making friends. There's a lot to do in this game, which is still being worked on and updates. It's also fairly inexpensive compared to other games in Early Access, so it's not a huge risk to try the game, which will likely increase in price upon full release.
Available on PC (Early Access)
Another game in early access, Travellers Rest is perfect for anyone who wants to take a break from farm life in favor of running a tavern instead. In it, players strive to restore an old tavern and create a thriving business that all manner of adventurers and patrons will want to visit. There are farming elements (after all, a good tavern serves good food), but your most important product will be craft beer from your very own barrels.
Travellers Rest has elements of games like Diner Dash where players must serve customers and clean up after them, but they will also need to craft, gather and grow their own ingredients. The only thing this game is missing is a storyline, as you'll mainly stick to the tavern, but Travellers Rest is also still in Early Access, so more features are in the works.
Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC
Staxel is Minecraft meets Stardew Valley meets Animal Crossing. Just like those games, it offers multiplayer, making it one of the few titles in the genre with that option. Just from looking at the style and how building and exploration work, it's clear that Minecraft is the game's biggest influence. The main gameplay surrounds, of course, building your farm, but you can also customize the town, go on adventures, befriend townsfolk and do it all alongside friends and other players.
All of this sounds a lot like Minecraft, but Staxel has more RPG elements, much like other farming sims. These include story, festivals and quests, which make it more cohesive than a free-for-all. Staxel allows the player the most freedom of the games on this list, and it can be enjoyed with friends.
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