Created by ConcernedApe, Stardew Valley has become one of the most popular farming and life sims ever due to its focus on providing a relaxing, zen-like experience and deep lore. In the game, players create a character who moves to Pelican Town, where they take over their late grandfather's crumbling farm. As players make the farm profitable, they get to know the people of Pelican Town more and even help build it back up.
As a result of Stardew Valley's success, the farming/life sim genre has never been more popular. For those looking to find a new game to play, here's a list of five great games like Stardew Valley.
Harvest Moon is, essentially, the series that popularized the farming/life sim, and Stardew Valley shares a lot of characteristics with that franchise. The series sees players becoming a farmer in a small town, where they develop their relationships with the various townsfolk. That being said, recent games with the Harvest Moon name are pretty notoriously bad and not worth time or money. That's because, due to some behind-the-scenes issues, they're not actually Harvest Moon games. Instead, the mainline series people love so much is now known as Story of Seasons.
In terms of picking up the series now, there are two solid options: 2021's Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town and 2019's Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. The latter is actually a remake of a 2003 Game Boy Advance title and one of the finest entries in the franchise. If one is hoping to fall in love with the franchise, there's probably no better option than Friends of Mineral Town. Currently, the game is available on Nintendo Switch, PC and Xbox One. A PlayStation 4 port will arrive later this year.
2020's Animal Crossing: New Horizons sees players creating their own character and moving to a remote island. They're then tasked with building up the island and attracting a number of colorful inhabitants to it. Over the course of their days -- which occur in real-time -- players chop wood, fish, craft and do a number of other things in hopes of earning more money to pay off a basically endless amount of debt.
New Horizons will definitely appeal to a certain type of Stardew Valley player. The Nintendo title puts significantly less emphasis on building up a farm and generating profit, but a lot of the more zen elements that make Stardew Valley so appealing are present. There are a lot of good, fun characters, and there's a ton to do. That being said, those hoping for some of the deeper lore and character interactions of Stardew Valley might be a bit disappointed. Still, the slower pace is absolutely a welcome relief. New Horizons is available on Nintendo Switch. An expansion pack titled Happy Home Paradise will release in early November.
Originally released in 2007, Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale actually predates Stardew Valley, but the game is nonetheless a lot of fun. In it, players enter a fantasy world where they run a small item shop in hopes of getting out of debt. As for just how they get the items, players get to traverse randomly generated dungeons and slay monsters. They then bargain with customers in hopes of getting the best possible price.
The action gameplay in Recettear definitely feels reminiscent of Stardew Valley. Towards the end, Recettear can definitely get a bit grindy, and it's a bit less zen than Stardew Valley. However, the game has become something of a cult classic over the years because of its quirky style. Although it's only available on PC, Recettear frequently goes on sale due to its age.
Originally released in 2018, Moonlighter puts players in the shoes of Will, a shopkeeper in Rynoka. The town itself borders on some dungeons and was once prosperous, though it has since fallen into disrepair. In addition to exploring the dungeons in hopes of unlocking their secrets, Will must sell goods and use the money he makes to build Rynoka back up.
Moonlighter has a lot of what makes Stardew Valley great. The game has a rich story and contains just the right balance of management and gameplay. That being said, Moonlighter can be much more difficult than Stardew Valley, and it's partially a roguelike. Still, fans of Stardew Valley should absolutely check out Moonlighter if they haven't already. Currently, it's available on all last-gen consoles.
Also inspired by the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons series, 2016's World's Dawn sees players moving to Sugar Blossom Village. There, players do all the things they'd expect of such a game: They farm, ranch and interact with the rest of the town.
Overall, World's Dawn is a bit less refined than Stardew Valley and lacks some of the same features, but a lot of the core appeal is there. Like Stardew Valley, World's Dawn is a great calming, community-focused experience that's addictive once it gets going. It's not necessarily the most innovative game to ever come out, but it's definitely worth a shot. Currently, the game is available on PC.
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