Summary

  • Farming sims prioritize relaxation over complexity, offering players a calm escape to breathe easy.
  • Rusty's Retirement and Littlewood allow players to multitask, with minimal interaction needed for progress.
  • Stardew Valley and Wylde Flowers provide an open-world experience where players can explore freely without pressure.

Farming sims have quickly become a much-loved genre for gaming fans, particularly within the niche of cozy gaming. Allowing players the freedom of building their farms, many of these titles don't just draw in new audiences for their farming mechanics, but also for the relaxation that comes with putting together an organized little hub of fields, paths, sheds, and decorative plants as players desire. The life-sim elements also often make these titles even more soothing, temporarily distancing players from their real lives with a virtual escape.

Kynseed, Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons Covers
10 Most Comforting Farming Simulation Games

For anyone seeking a break from the action games of the world, these cozy and comforting farming simulators are perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

While sometimes the farming-sim genre can feel a little overwhelming, asking players to keep track of the most profitable plans, the ways to automate their systems, and some perhaps more intricate details, many games keep it simple. Through more laid-back gems, players can still embark on running their farms, but they can choose to play however they wish.

1 Rusty's Retirement

An Idle Farming Experience For Minimal Effort

Rusty's Retirement
Display card tags widget
Simulation
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
April 26, 2024
Developer(s)
Mister Morris Games
Platform(s)
PC
Genre(s)
Simulation

As an idle farming simulator, Rusty's Retirement is the perfect farming game to relax with, even if players have other tasks on the go too. Sitting at the bottom of player's screens and requiring minimal and infrequent interaction, this calming escape is ideal for multi-tasking with work too, only needing the player to check in every so often for necessary progression. Players will plant their crops, watching as Rusty will water, nurture, and harvest them over time, unlocking new crops as they progress.

Things can be further automated for players down the line with more efficient helper bots, all while expanding their farms and selling biofuel to other machine inhabitants. Great for those players who are eager to jump into a farming game but would prefer to avoid the complexities of taking care of the farm themselves. Rusty's Retirement is guaranteed to deliver a relaxing time for all.

2 Stardew Valley

Take It Slow In Pelican Town

Stardew Valley
Display card tags widget
RPG
Simulation
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
February 26, 2016
Developer(s)
ConcernedApe
Platform(s)
PC, Xbox One, Android, iOS, PS4, Switch
Genre(s)
RPG, Simulation
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty

While Stardew Valley can often feel overwhelming with its mass of content, as well as its many guides to automating farming and growing the most profitable goods and crops, its gameplay doesn't actually require anything more from the player than simply doing as they please. Whether players want to make the most efficient farms or they'd prefer to grow the crops they please with minimal thought required, Stardew Valley is a game that embraces all playstyles.

Stardew-Valley-14-Villagers-You-Should-Befriend-Early
Stardew Valley: Villagers You Should Befriend Early

Stardew Valley allows players to become friendly with the denizens of Pelican Town, and here are the best villagers to befriend early on.

1

Despite placing farming at its core, Stardew Valley is much more than that, giving players the freedom to explore and level up an array of other skills. If players are eager to do very little and relax, they can always spend some time fishing at any natural water source, or perhaps chat with the town's many locals and level up their friendships. Players are also able to decorate their farms as they please, fixing up the overgrown state it begins in and building sheds, animal coops, and more with plenty that's easy to unwind with.

3 Littlewood

Rebuild A Cozy Little Town

Littlewood
Display card tags widget
RPG
Adventure
Life Simulation
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
June 17, 2019
Platform(s)
PC, Switch
Developer
Sean Young
Genre(s)
RPG, Adventure, Life Simulation
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

Despite many farming games prioritizing efficiency and production, Littlewood is perhaps one of the few that while offering many different crops and produce to grow, makes it very easy for players to obtain and harvest them as they please. With cute trees and ground plots, players can choose exactly what they want to make, often using them for recipes and selling them for profit with little thought or effort. An unlimited inventory space also prioritizes playing slowly and freely, collecting resources, and enjoying the day-to-day without any added stress to figure it all out.

While some farming games can feel time-pressured, Littlewood only progresses with time when players perform an action, making it easy to explore and chat with the locals and make the choices they want to each day. Through decorating the gorgeous town with paths, decor, and houses, or exploring faraway lands, there's a lot to do and see without any urgency to do it quickly.

4 My Time At Sandrock

An Open-World To Explore

My Time At Sandrock
Display card tags widget
RPG
Simulation
Farming
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
November 2, 2023
Developer(s)
Pathea Games
Genre(s)
RPG, Simulation, Farming
OpenCritic Rating
Strong

There's something about the open-world nature of My Time At Sandrock that leaves it feeling incredibly slow-paced and relaxing, offering players freedom without any expectations. While a farming simulator at its core and one that can have certain practices that are more profitable on the whole, it never requires a player to put much thought into it if they do not desire to. Instead, progression can be made in other ways.

Every-Romanceable-Bachelor-In-My-Time-At-Sandrock,-Ranked
My Time At Sandrock: Every Romanceable Bachelor, Ranked

Gamers can find a wide selection of romance options in My Time at Sandrock, but which bachelor is the best?

1

Blending farming, crafting, and exploring, players can expect to feel just as encouraged to build and improve their workshops as they do to make money from their farming and harvesting. Gathering resources is also a necessary requirement, allowing players a sense of laid-back ease as they venture across the map. The various characters also feel like some of the most real and immersive of any life-sim, with their personalities, stories, and personal relationships that can be built.

5 Wylde Flowers

A Farming Sim With A Witchy Twist

Wylde Flowers
Display card tags widget
Life Simulation
Farming
Display card system widget
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info
Display card community and brand rating widget

Released
February 18, 2022
Platform(s)
Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS
Developer
Studio Drydock Pty Ltd
Genre(s)
Life Simulation, Farming

Blending an assortment of different genres and gameplay elements, Wylde Flowers is a great gem of a farming sim with much more to unpack. With a gorgeous greenhouse to be filled with crops and plentiful space outside, Wylde Flowers will get players to dig into their farming roots but with minimal pressure for that to be the focus. Instead, the story of protagonist Tara is often where players will be focused.

Discovering the townfolk's secrets of their hidden witches, and Tara's own magical powers stirring within, Wylde Flowers delivers a gorgeous narrative that players can follow with minimal effort to focus on efficiency or production. The game's colorful town and buildings are also wonderful for players to explore freely, meeting the charming locals and shopping at the differing locations too. With so much that can be done, and yet no pressure to follow any set route or expectations, Wylde Flowers is excellent for those looking for a farming sim to relax with.

Kynseed, Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons Covers
10 Most Comforting Farming Simulation Games

For anyone seeking a break from the action games of the world, these cozy and comforting farming simulators are perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.