Are you a Stardew Valley fan looking for games like Stardew Valley? Look no further! Not to be basic, but Stardew Valley is one of my favorite cozy games of all time. I’ve 100%’ed the game to get the “special ending scene” and very nearly Platinumed it on PlayStation Vita (if it weren’t for that pesky “Beat Journey Of The Prairie King” trophy). Needless to say, I’ve sunk hundreds if not thousands of hours into this game.
But recently I’ve been feeling like I’ve played it to death. I’ve dated everyone I want to date, tested every farm type, seen every cutscene, and even owned the coveted Gold Clock. There’s nothing else I really want to do in the game (no, I will not play nor beat Journey Of The Prairie King!!!!), which leaves me feeling rather empty. There’s a Stardew Valley-shaped hole in my heart and I need to find something to fill the gap. There may never be a farming sim as good as Stardew Valley, but there are plenty of cozy games that scratch that same itch: farming, fishing, friends…maybe a sprinkle of combat.
But Wait: What is Stardew Valley?
“What is Stardew Valley?” Huh? How did you get to this article? Who sent you? …I kid, I kid. Just in case you’ve been living under the rock or this article goes unexpectedly viral, here’s the gist of Stardew Valley.
Stardew Valley is a charming farming simulation game developed by ConcernedApe. Set in the idyllic Pelican Town, players inherit a run-down farm and are tasked with restoring it to its former glory. The game combines farming, fishing, mining, and crafting mechanics, allowing players to plant and harvest crops, raise animals, and build relationships with the diverse cast of characters inhabiting the town. The game features a shifting calendar with seasonal changes affecting crop growth and festivals that offer unique activities.
What makes a game like Stardew Valley?
When comparing games to Stardew Valley, I look for certain elements or gameplay mechanics. Here are the main qualifiers, though I like to break my own rules every so often, too.
- Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
- Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
- Combat as a welcomed element
- Has a rich social/community environment
- Has memorable characters
- Has a quaint, charming setting
The Best Games Like Stardew Valley
That being said, it’s time to get to the heart of the matter! As someone who loves the farming sim genre in general, I’m always on the lookout for new games to play. Here are some farming games like Stardew Valley that I recommend:
1. My Time at Sandrock – Stardew Valley with a crafting/building focus
While not strictly a farming game, My Time at Sandrock has a similar vibe to Stardew Valley. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, you’ll be tasked with rebuilding your workshop and helping the town of Sandrock grow and thrive. You spend most of your days scavenging and foraging in a resource-scarce environment in order to complete crafting commissions posted by the townsfolk. With crafting, farming, festival mini-games, and relationship-building mechanics, it’s a great choice for anyone looking for a more varied experience.
How My Time at Sandrock is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
✅Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
2. Rune Factory – Stardew Valley that is more action-oriented
Combining farming sim mechanics with RPG elements, Rune Factory 4 is a unique take on the genre. With dungeon-crawling, monster-taming, and a wide variety of crops to grow, it’s a great choice for anyone looking for something a little different. It has a heavier focus on linear narrative, dungeon crawling, and combat, so fans of the mines/Skull Cavern in Stardew Valley will appreciate what it has to offer.
How Rune Factory is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
✅Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
3. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town – Stardew Valley with cutsie 3D graphics
A remake of the original Game Boy Advance game, Friends of Mineral Town is a charming farming sim with updated graphics and mechanics. With plenty of plants to care for, animals to raise, and townsfolk to befriend (and eventually marry), it’s a great choice for anyone looking for a more traditional farming experience. This one is heavily based on the OG Harvest Moon games (SNES, N64), so it has a special place in my heart.
How SOS: FOMT is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
❌Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
4. Coral Island – Stardew Valley with hand-drawn art & deep story
A broad map, tons to do, and some of the best character art around, Coral Island has been dubbed the “bisexual panic” farming sim on account of how attractive all the bachelors and bachelorettes are. This one has a very modern storyline about a corporation polluting the ocean and trying to bully the town into selling them space. Very Stardew Valley-esc (a la JojaMart), so you’ll have a sense of familiarity there. Coral Island has all of the farming sim elements you know and love but with juuust enough unique twists (underwater exploration, anyone?) to keep things fresh.
How Coral Island is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
✅Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
5. Sun Haven – Stardew Valley with an advanced skill tree
Sun Haven is a truly charming farming sim with tons of battle and skill tree mechanics that you don’t really see often in this genres. The character creation screen lets you pick a race that will unlock additional bonuses, which in another unique feature of this farming sim! You also will have multiple farms in different, distinct villages. I don’t want to spoil anything, but one of them has a cool urban, neon vibe that I haven’t seen in a farming sim location before. Oh, and much like Stardew Valley, Sun Haven has a seamless online co-op mode, too! I like to call it “Stardew Valley for weebs” (lovingly). It’s one of my favorite farming sims, personally.
How Sun Haven is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
✅Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
6. Wylde Flowers – Stardew Valley with witches & magic
Become a witch, tend your garden, make potions, and befriend the townsfolk. Also, cry. Yup. End of Spring 1-ish. Get ready for it. Wylde Flowers is an often overlooked farming and life sim that I know Stardew Valley fans will enjoy. It champions diversity and has a ton of heart, two things I love in any farming life game. You’ll be surprised by a few of the mechanics—like that you control the seasons…with magic—but it’s really worth a playthrough to see them all for yourself. There are many story twists and turns in Wylde Flowers that are better left experienced first-hand.
How Wylde Flowers is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
❌Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
7. Roots of Pacha – Stardew Valley in the stone age
Roots of Pacha is my contender for “the next Stardew Valley.” Why? It’s innovative with current and future-planning mechanics, it puts a twist on well-worn farming tropes, and it has modern sensibilities imposed over idyllic settings. Roots of Pacha is a prehistoric farming sim that really switches things up when it comes to the in-game economy, as your contributions to the clan’s well-being earn you “points” that can be traded for goods and services. That’s the only currency! It’s less about making money and more about supporting the community. You will also “discover” new technology, like tools or machines, by completing certain tasks for NPCs. It’s a totally unique approach to farming sims.
How Roots of Pacha is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
❌Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
8. Littlewood – Stardew Valley with city-building mechanics
Littlewood is the cozy retirement village story after the big adventure. Littlewood has some farming (crops, fruit trees), but it leans more heavily on collecting: fishing, foraging, bug catching, forestry, and mining. The pixel graphic vibes are immaculate, the characters are bold and memorable, and the city-building mechanics are perfect for any players who wish they could rearrange Pelican Town. Littlewood is a building/crafting-heavy life sim, with elements of population wish fulfillment. “Please add a bookshelf to my house. Please place my house on the highest elevation. Don’t place my house near the forge. Et cetera.” It’s a really fast and fresh take on this game type.
How Littlewood is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
❌Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
9. Fields of Mistria – Stardew Valley set in a 90s anime world
Fields of Mistria is a pixel art farming sim with a nostalgic 80-90s anime character aesthetic. Fields of Mistria takes the basic building blocks of your favorite legacy farming sims and puts just enough of a twist on them to keep things fresh. You will spend your time building out your rundown property, collecting resources from the woods and mines, helping construct or fix-up different venues around town, uncovering the secrets of the mines (and a strange voice calling to you from within them), fostering your budding magic, and helping a dragon statue reclaim it’s lost memories.
How Fields of Mistria is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
✅Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
10. Wanderstop – Stardew Valley but you grow tea
You might notice that my tagline for Wanderstop didn’t follow the “Stardew Valley +” formula of all my other entries. That’s because the best thing I can do to explain this game is mention that it’s by the writer of The Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide—two beautiful, silly, narratively powerful, one-of-a-kind experiences in their own rights. Anyway, here’s Davey Wreden’s take on the farming/life sim genre. You won’t regret giving it a try.
How Wanderstop is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
❌Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
11. Summer in Mara – Stardew Valley with pirates & sailing
Summer in Mara is closer to Harvest Moon X Windwaker, to be honest. But it’s such an underrated cozy game, I try to recommend it whenever I can. Summer in Mara is a charming, well-written farming sim and exploration game with one of my favorite art styles on this list. You play as Koa, who shows up on a quite little island alone and tries to make the place feel like home. You are equipped with your trusty boat, though it needs repairs, and a farmstead that has everything you need to survive and thrive. Eventually, you’ll be able to sail the map and visit many islands, meet and greet pirates, and engage in dozens of compelling side stories. I highly recommend this one, even though it strays somewhat from the basic farming sim formula.
How Summer in Mara is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
❌Combat as a welcomed element
❌Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
12. Harvestella – Stardew Valley with more RPG elements
Harvestella is a farming sim-meets-action-RPG from SquareEnix (PC and Switch) for cozy gamers who want a little more drama with their crops. The cast of characters is a genuine standout, with each companion carrying a rich personal story and side quests that are quietly devastating in the best possible way. If you consider Stardew Valley’s lightest combat a feature and not a bug, Harvestella’s breezy beginner-friendly battle system will feel right at home. And the music is so good that putting on a podcast would feel like a crime. From gentle farmside melodies to full orchestral boss battles with choir vocals, the OST alone is worth the price of admission.
How Harvestella is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
✅Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
13. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma – Stardew Valley with a spanning world map
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is a farming sim and action RPG set in a Feudal Japan inspired world where the gods have gone missing and it is up to you, an Earth Dancer, to bring the land back to life. If you burned out on Rune Factory 5, consider this the redemption arc the franchise desperately needed. You can date multiple villagers without any drama, and branching timelines mean you can explore every romance without restarting your save. With four seasonal villages to build, a partner dragon to ride, and rewards around every corner, Guardians of Azuma makes 45 hours feel like a long weekend well spent.
How Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
✅Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
14. Shinehill – Stardew Valley from the POV of an alien
Shinehill is a cozy farming and life sim with a twist: you are not a new neighbor, you are a spy, and the warm, trusting locals have absolutely no idea. Farm, fish, cook, and explore dungeons on Shinehill Island while quietly gathering intel on the people who think you are their friend. The social sim elements are where the game really shines, with charming townspeople who each carry their own stories and relationships you can build all the way to romance. If you like your farming sims with a little intrigue and a lot of heart, Shinehill is an easy recommendation.
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
✅Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
15. Fae Farm – Stardew Valley with more dungeon crawling
Full disclosure: I didn’t really like Fae Farm. But it has a dedicated fanbase who make some pretty compelling points about why it’s great. More importantly, I want you to be able to make your own decision about the game, so I’m going to keep it on this list anyway. It undoubtedly has Stardew Valley elements, like farming, combat, NPC quests, animal rearing, mining, fishing, and more. It definitely deserves a spot on this list so far as people will for sure be recommending it as a Stardew Valley alternative for years to come.
How Fae Farm is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
✅Combat as a welcomed element
❌Has a rich social/community environment
❌Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
16. Disney Dreamlight Valley – Stardew Valley-lite in Disney World
Disney Dreamlight Valley is a great choice for Stardew Valley fans who didn’t dig the combat aspects of the game. Dreamlight Valley focuses on wholesome adventures with characters you’ll recognize from myriad popular properties, including Disney and Pixar. You can explore, collect, craft, grow, and decorate, as well as take advantage of ongoing DLC that the developer releases regularly. Some content is behind additional paywalls but a lot of it is distributed for free. DDLV was supposed to go free-to-play until the developer rolled that back (booo), so beware of aggressive microtransactions if you decide to give it a run.
How Disney Dreamlight Valley is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
❌Combat as a welcomed element
✅Has a rich social/community environment
✅Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
17. Farming Simulator – Stardew Valley with more realism
I honestly don’t really like the Farming Simulator games but I feel like I’ll get an angry PM if I don’t at least give it a mention! It’s a pretty obvious win if you are looking for a gamified farming experience. Farming Simulator is a simulation game that allows players to experience the life of a modern-day farmer, managing tasks such as planting and harvesting crops, raising livestock, and operating various farming vehicles and equipment. The game provides a realistic and immersive agricultural experience, enabling players to cultivate their virtual farms and participate in the challenges of rural life.
How Farming Simulator is like Stardew Valley (or not):
✅ Has farming sim elements (crops, livestock)
✅ Has some of: fishing, foraging, crafting, mining
❌Combat as a welcomed element
❌Has a rich social/community environment
❌Has memorable characters
✅Has a quaint, charming setting
FAQ: Is Harvest Moon Like Stardew Valley?
Not anymore. Harvest Moon SNES basically invented the genre “farming sim,” decades before the concept of “cozy games” even existed. Unfortunately, the original developers left to do their own thing with the Story of Seasons franchise. Ever since then, the Harvest Moon games have felt vapid and lacklustre. You can see what I mean here:
FAQ: Is Moonstone Island a Stardew-like?
If you mean, “Is Moonstone Island a pixel-graphics game?” then yes, it is a Stardew-like. Moonstone Island is a creature collecting game and card-battler. Every new save file has a procedurally generated map of floating islands in the sky. There are Ghibli-esque elements, and a lovely inclusive cast. Seriously, go play Moonstone Island. But NOT because it’s a Stardew-like. It has very, verrrry optional farming elements. The similarities are most aesthetic.
- Read more about how much I like Moonstone Island
FAQ: I want a farming game with [XYZ]
That’s not a question. But I hear you. Here are additional lists to help you narrow down your search:
- Best Steam Farming Games + Masterlist and Demos
- Stardew Valley Meets Minecraft in Survival Farming Game Delverium [Demo preview]
- Cozy Farming Sims on PlayStation, PS4 & PS5 Edition
- Best Cozy Games that Aren’t Farming
So there you have it: my top recommendations for games like Stardew Valley. New farming sims are being released all the time so I plan to revisit this list and expand upon it when I find something worthy. I tried to be really specific about games that resemble Stardew Valley in a big way, which is why you won’t see titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons on here (I have a different list for that!) even though other lists compare them favorably.
Leave a comment below if you have a game like Stardew Valley that you want me to consider for this list! I’ll check it out and maybe even add it on a future update.
Stay cozy, friends!
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