Games Like Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley's popularity is well-deserved. It excels at being a highly customizable life sim RPG, with lots of content and in-game projects to work on. Some fans of Stardew Valley may want to venture into similar games, however, and there are plenty of projects that fit the bill.

The genres to explore would be town-building or life-simulation RPGs. Some notable indie games scratch that itch, as well as more established franchises in the genre that are readily available. The indie scene is also packed to the brim with pixel graphics projects that, while not identical to Stardew Valley, can fill a similar void. Here are some great games like Stardew Valley.

Updated on June 15, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Stardew Valley's light continues to shine brightly, but if someone is craving something a bit different, they can check out some similar games.

Rune Factory 4 Special

Cute Action JRPG With Life Sim Elements

Rune Factory, in general, is a good franchise for people craving relaxing RPGs that incorporate things like farming and romance. While not identical to Stardew Valley in terms of mechanics, both properties provide somewhat similar experiences, blending life sim, combat, exploration, dungeon crawling, and farming. Now, their priorities are different, with Rune Factory treating farming as a piece of the puzzle rather than the main focus, and the system is mostly there to help players accumulate cash.

As long as that is fine, players will find a cute and accessible franchise that covers most of its basis well, even if it does not necessarily shine in one specific area. Out of all the available games, Rune Factory 4 Special is the one to get, with Rune Factory 3 Special coming in at a close second. Rune Factory 5 is pretty disappointing and is best avoided as someone's first entry in the series.

Kynseed

Cut From The Same Cloth

Those looking for something that feels similar to Stardew Valley in both design and structure should check out Kynseed. This charming Indie RPG and farming release sees players helping out around a farm and progressing through the years, all while dealing with mysterious story elements that pop up at various junctures.

Players will be able to see their farm through multiple generations, as their characters age during their storyline. With similar "relationship building" elements to Stardew Valley, Kynseed feels familiar with the genre while offering its own unique twists and turns along the way.

Rusty's Retirement

An Automated Farming Sim

OK, this recommendation comes with the caveat that Rusty's Retirement has a very different gameplay loop than Stardew Valley, and it also lacks life sim elements. Consequently, players who mainly enjoy mingling with ConcernedApe's NPCs and creating a second life for themselves within Stardew Valley will likely not get what they need from this 2024 indie title. However, as far as unique takes on farming sims are concerned, Rusty's Retirement provides a refreshing spin on an established formula.

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The eponymous Rusty is an adorable robot who plans to spend his retirement working on and expanding his farm. As he manages crops on his own, players will spend most of their early hours picking which seeds should be planted, all the while watching Rusty's nest egg grow. Eventually, the protagonist will be able to start adding new buildings, equipment, or hire robots to serve specific roles, turning his humble one-plot farm into an impressive machine that never sleeps.

The best thing about Rusty's Retirement? The game runs at the bottom of the user's screen, allowing them to manage everything while going about their day.

Slime Rancher 2

Relax While Farming Slimes

Stardew Valley is a supremely relaxing game at its core. Although combat-seeking players can venture into the Mines for a little action, many of the gameplay mechanics found throughout Stardew Valley can be pretty cathartic. Players will spend a lot of time tending to their crops and cultivating relationships with townspeople through conversation and events. Because of this, Stardew Valley can be a fantastic game for those who are looking to relax and unwind after a long day.

Slime Rancher 2 is a similar "farming" experience, and although it doesn't feature a lot of relationship-building, it is rather relaxing. Players will spend time finding and capturing various slimes to care for them in exchange for items they can sell for money. With a soft and enticing soundtrack, Slime Rancher 2 is a great way to chill out and recuperate.

Echoes Of The Plum Grove

Cute Farming Sim With Stakes

A Kickstarter project that did not disappoint, Echoes of the Plum Grove blends adorable visuals with familiar mechanics with a twist. Set in Honeywood, players have to start fresh in a small town, and they get to engage in fairly typical life/farming sim antics. However, Echoes of the Plum Grove's hook is that actions have consequences. Fail to stock up properly well for winter? Then be prepared to see more than a few villagers meet their maker.

Yes, Echoes of the Plum Grove is willing to kill off NPCs, and players will be spending some time per day running around the village to see if anyone has died. Beyond this element, the game also goes through generations of villagers, which is another fairly unique idea for the farming sim genre.

Dinkum

Shape The Town

The Animal Crossing series has been captivating players for years thanks to its awesome town-building mechanics that allow players to design their own village to recruit an array of villagers each with their own personalities and designs. Stardew Valley features relationship-building mechanics but players don't really have much say in how the town surrounding their farm looks. Those looking to have influence over both their farm and the town in which it resides, should check on Dinkum.

This Indie release is in Early Access at the time of writing but already features some impressive gameplay elements and an adorable art style. Players will spend time cultivating crops and growing foods before branching out and placing new buildings in the hopes of attracting villagers to join their town.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Less Farming, More Socializing

Players looking for something that focuses more on interpersonal relationships than actual farming should check out Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This Nintendo Switch exclusive has players taking over as lead management on an exotic island getaway. Although it's possible to grow a garden of sorts, Animal Crossing fans will spend more time recruiting villagers to stay at their location, building relationships with them by engaging them in conversation, giving them gifts, and seeing them during specific events.

The community is just as important as the environment in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but those who want to create their own space have the option to organize and decorate their island paradise as they see fit. It's a very casual release, and quite a bit subdued compared to Stardew Valley, as it doesn't require players to engage in combat or tend to specific crops.

Palia

The Quiet Free-To-Play Life

Debuting on PC and Switch in 2023, Palia has been attracting attention for a while, and its visibility received a boost in March 2024 due to its Steam debut. The latter was not an extremely smooth launch, with the game garnering enough criticism to potentially discourage newcomers from giving this free-to-play project a try. While not perfect (and still in development), Palia radiates charm and wholesomeness. Singularity 6 sought to create an escape from reality stripped of tension or pressure, resulting in an experience defined by freedom and personal goals.

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For the most part, the game avoids streamlining specific targets for players to work toward, instead encouraging them to carve their own path. This decision will not be to everyone's tastes since some people might find Palia too directionless, which can be frustrating. However, if someone just wants to quietly build up resources or quietly fish as they work towards creating their dream home, they can do it here. Palia is also gorgeous.

Moonstone Island

Farm, Tame, Card

Moonstone Island combines a few different ideas to create a farming sim that sets itself apart from other entries in the genre, all the while still predominantly catering to the same audience. An alchemist finds themselves on an island with a farm to manage, a process that (mostly) plays out as expected for this type of project. Players will need to keep a close eye on their crops to not only earn money but also collect resources required for the game's other big mechanic: monster taming. Yes, Moonstone Island is built upon fighting and collecting creatures, with players visiting different islands to explore, grind, and complete dungeons.

The novelty does not end there either. The battle system revolves around cards, with each monster tamed by the player having a deck. Combat is largely turn-based, but the deck-building mechanic sets it apart from most other monster-collecting titles. The cards are even linked with farming, and this whole system is arguably the best part of the game. Also, Moonstone Island supports romance with NPCs, which should hit the mark with Stardew Valley fans.

Moonlighter

Run A Shop, Hunt Monsters

If someone loves the management aspects of Stardew Valley but wants a bit more combat to sink their teeth into, they should enjoy the top-down indie adventure, Moonlighter. Combat is one of the main focuses in this shop-building release, which has players diving into dungeons each night in order to collect materials and weapons from powerful monsters, which they can then sell at their inherited shop during the day.

Although players won't spend much time building personal relationships with townsfolk, they'll find a lot to enjoy about Moonlighter's simple yet addictive gameplay loop. It can be a bit challenging at times, and players even have the option to upgrade and decorate their shop.