Stardew Valley was built as an homage to one of the greatest farming sim series of all time, Harvest Moon. When indie developers see an opening for a game series that is no longer as common, they pounce at the opportunity to make a spiritual successor. That’s how Metroidvanias became so huge.
Games to Play If You Like Stardew Valley
For fans of Stardew Valley who love farming, crafting, and fun NPCs, there are plenty of life simulation RPGs out there to find and enjoy.
Stardew Valley is more than just a farming sim though, as players can also engage in cave exploring and combat. There’s a lot to do in, but after the seventh time around, players may be looking for that next fix. If they are looking for something more three-dimensional, then these games should also unlock those juicy endorphins.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Check Up On Your Homestead
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Released
- March 20, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Everyone / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
Animal Crossing: New Horizons, or any Animal Crossing game, is perfect for chill experiences on Nintendo hardware. Now is a good time to jump back in or start, because the Switch 2 boosts things like loading speed. Players can build their homestead to their liking and cultivate it for farming or decorative purposes. There’s no action or marriage options, but there is plenty of crafting and Villagers to socialize with.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
A Fulfilling RPG For All
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
- Released
- May 21, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time may look like a stylistic action RPG, but it’s as much a life-sim game as anything else. There are classes in the games called Lives, and there are more gathering and creation Lives than combat-based ones. Players can learn to cook, paint, farm, fish, and so on, plus there are opportunities to decorate homes. It’s one of the most cheerful games Level-5 has ever created, and it’ll appeal to anyone looking for a good time, be it in an RPG or life sim.
Rune Factory: Guardians Of Azuma
Samurai Gardening
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
- Released
- June 5, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Rune Factory, as a series, has always been the more action-focused farming sim experience. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is the latest version, which puts a samurai spin on the theming and gameplay.
Best Farming Games Of All Time
Farming sims might be a niche genre, but there have been some amazing titles over the years. These are the absolute best of the bunch.
Players can slash dangerous monsters and plant crops to make their valley safe, profitable, and scenic again. It’s for the Stardew Valley fans who want to let loose while still clinging to the idea of chilling by a garden.
Story Of Seasons: Grand Bazaar
For Shopkeeper Fans
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar
- Released
- August 27, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Everyone
- Genre(s)
- Farming, Life Simulation, Casual
The Story of Seasons games are true spiritual successors to Harvest Moon. Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is the latest addition and is a full life sim, negating any sort of complex action. Instead, players can plant seeds, care for livestock, and then take their goods to market. Other life sims have selling mechanics, but Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar kicks it up a notch as the titular bazaar mechanics are quite engaging, similar to the roguelike Moonlighter. As a newer title, it may one day become the next Stardew Valley.
My Time At Sandrock
A Dusty Life
My Time At Sandrock
- Released
- November 2, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Comic Mischief +
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Simulation, Farming
My Time at Sandrock takes place in a dusty region unlike its predecessor, My Time at Portia. However, players can cultivate the land and make it more appealing by planting crops and building a little homestead. They can even befriend NPCs and start dating, for Stardew Valley fans who are into that mechanic. There’s still plenty of fighting as well against monsters and bandits, and everything has a unique, Dreamworks-like design that helps it stand out from other life sim games. It’s like a Wild West version of a life sim, and there aren’t many of those.
Sakuna: Of Rice And Ruin
Become The God Of Rice
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
- Released
- November 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin stars a young, spoiled god, Sakuna, who is sent away to live amongst the common folk to repent. Gameplay is split between cultivating a rice farm, which is in 3D, and exploring nearby dungeons, which are in 2D.
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It’s a nice mix of both perspectives, giving Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin a slick style above many farming games. Plus, it’s fun seeing Sakuna become less obnoxious over time as she learns to be a better god and person to her Japanese farming family. Their food time together is especially precious.
Harvestella
A Secret Gem From Square Enix
Harvestella
- Released
- November 4, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen due to Fantasy Violence, Language, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Simulation
Square Enix develops and publishes a lot of games, and sometimes those games, even the best ones, can slip through the cracks like Harvestella. Giant crystals control the seasons, but they are interrupted by some malignant force, prompting players to investigate. The story is crucial to the game, as are the farming and action-based combat. It looks and feels like a Final Fantasy spinoff, which is a great thing for Square Enix fans, and the farming mechanics are not an afterthought, even if they are a little simple.
Farmagia
Raise Crops That Turn Into Pokemon
Farmagia
- Released
- November 1, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Fans of Fairy Tail will dig Farmagia because Hiro Mashima, the creator of the manga Fairy Tail, also helped design characters for Farmagia. It’s one of the wilder farming sims out there, as players will not grow crops like normal. Instead, they will grow Pokemon-like creatures that sprout from seeds that players can then take into battle. It’s sort of like a farming sim meshed with an RTS. Farmagia is more action than a relaxing sim, but it’s still worth recommending for the out-of-this-world concept and the cute designs of the monsters.
Great JRPGs That Are Also Exhausting To Finish
These JRPGs are great games, but you may feel exhausted after investing enough time into them to roll credits.