Stardew Valley is one of the most successful indie games released in recent years. The addictive gameplay, excellent soundtrack, and uncomplicated but appealing graphics led millions to fall in love with this charming farming simulator. But if you’ve already spent countless hours in Stardew Valley and are looking for a few similar games to try out, here are a few to start with.
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town (2003)
If you love Stardew Valleyyou’ll feel right at home playing Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon series was the primary inspiration for Concerned Apethe developer for Stardew Valley. The creator of Harvest Moon, Yasuhiro Wadaeven praised Stardew for the level of freedom it offered players. Of the many games in the Harvest Moon series, Friends of Mineral Town stands out as one of the best. In the game, players take control of a young man who inherits a farm in Mineral Town after an old friend passes away. Now, the young farmer must restore the decrepit farm, make friends with the locals, and maybe even fall in love. Friends of Mineral Town offers a charming retro art style and addictively fun gameplay that any Stardew fan should enjoy. However, if you can not get a hold of the old GBA cartridge, check out the remake titled Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town.
Rune Factory 4 (2012)
The Rune Factory series is a fantasy RPG spinoff of Harvest Moon. Most of the mechanics from the Harvest Moon series are present including farming, socialization, and romance. However, Rune Factory adds dungeon exploration to the mix. Rune Factory 4 is one of the best games in the series, and an enhanced version was recently released for the Nintendo Switch. So, if you’re interested in trying a fantasy anime-style game that’s similar to Stardew ValleyYou should definitely give Rune Factory 4 a chance.
The Sims 4 (2014)
If socialization and customization are your favorite parts of Stardew Valley, then The Sims 4 will be your newest obsession. One of the best-selling game franchises in the world, The Sims allows players to create their own characters called Sims and control their lives. You can design your Sim’s home, get them a job, and have them start a family. The possibilities in The Sims 4 are only limited by your own creativity and imagination. With so many customization options and DLC packages available, you can easily sink hundreds of hours into The Sims 4 just like Stardew Valley.
Slime Rancher (2016)
You can start a small-time slime farm in Stardew Valleybut Slime Rancher takes things to an extreme level. The game is played in first-person and places you in a large open world filled with slimes to farm. Your character is armed with a VacPack that allows you to interact with the slimes and various items found around the map. In Slime Rancher, you’re part farmer, part explorer, and part zookeeper, and it’s all fun. Trying to collect and manage slimes is a very engrossing challenge and getting to crossbreed your slimes into new species is a ton of fun. If you appreciate the animal raising and exploration aspects of Stardew Valley, Slime Rancher should suit your fancy.
Graveyard Keeper (2018)
Think of Graveyard Keeper as the gothic version of Stardew Valley where you manage a cemetery plot instead of a farm. The plot of Graveyard Keeper draws a lot from the isekai genre of anime and manga. At the start of the game, your character is hit by a car and finds himself in a medieval fantasy world, separated from his lover. While you search for a way back to your world, you must tend to a run-down graveyard and level up your character’s skills. You’ll also be farming, dungeon crawling, crafting, and fishing while interacting with some spooky NPCs.
My Time at Portia (2019)
Post-apocalyptic games are typically gritty and depressing, but My Time at Portia is refreshingly light. The game takes place sometime after civilization collapsed and humanity moved underground to survive. But now, humans have returned to the surface and are in the process of rebuilding society with your help. That may sound dark written out, but the cheery environments, cartoonish graphics, and laid-back feel of the game keep things fun and light-hearted. My Time at Portia combines appealing aspects of both RPG and Simulation games in a way similar to Stardew Valley. It’s not quite as polished as Stardew Overall, but it’s still a solid competitor.
Farming Simulator 19 (2018)
After becoming a farming master in Stardew Valley, there’s no doubt you’re ready for a new crop growing challenge, and what better way to test your skills than trying out a more true-to-life farm simulator. The Farming Simulator franchise is about as realistic as farming video games come. Farming Simulator may not be as stylish as the other entries on this list, but do not be surprised if you end up addicted to the farming grind anyway. You can try out any of the games in the series and be set for a good time, but Farming Simulator 19 is a good pick for both newbies and seasoned farmers alike.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020)
You will not be doing much traditional farming in Animal Crossing: New Horizonsbut it’s still one of the most Stardew Valley-like games out there. Animal Crossing: New Horizons places you and your new anthropomorphic animal friends on a remote island paradise. From there, you can play the game however you want, much like in Stardew. You can catch fish and bugs, discover dinosaur fossils, befriend your neighbors, upgrade your home, and beautify your island however you desire. And if you’re really itching for some farming-type content, try collecting all the fruit trees, or growing some hybrid flowers!
Hokko Life (2021)
Hokko Life is an early-access indie game released in 2021, and so far, it shows great promise. Similar to Animal Crossing, you control a human character in a town full of anthropomorphic animals. The gameplay is standard for a casual life simulator, but it’s done well enough to keep you interested. There’s also a commendable amount of customization options available for an early access game. Overall, Hokko Life isn’t as fleshed out as other entries on this list, but with more development time, it’s easy to imagine it becoming a Stardew-like staple.
Garden Story (2021)
Garden Story is no simple farming simulator. It’s an action RPG that puts you in control of a grape named Concord who is fighting “the rot”, a goo that’s overtaking his island home. There’s a lot of Stardew Valley-type content found in Garden Story like farming and fishing, but the game places a much higher emphasis on combat than Stardew does. Expect plenty of dungeon crawling and some entertaining battles along Concord’s journey. Garden Story is relaxed, simplistically stylish, and full of content to enjoy at your own pace.
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