1. Harvest Town
Available on: Android, iOS Price: Free, with in-app purchases Stardew Valley enthusiasts who are looking for some variety can try Harvest Town. It’s a free-to-play mobile game, unlike the former, that stars a young person who moves from the city to the countryside. He takes up the restoration of his family’s old farm with the help of locals who are happy to welcome them back into the community. While at its core Harvest Town revolves around planting and looking after animals, the game is also peppered with unique quests and exploration sessions. There’s a social component as well, where you can establish close relationships with other characters in the game and eventually even start a family. Harvest Town is a great starting point if you’re looking to dive into the world of farming games but are not willing to spend money. Sure, there are plenty of in-app purchases tucked in there, but you can easily play without making a solid financial investment.
2. My Time at Portia
Available on: Windows, PlayStation, XBox, Nintendo Switch Price: $29.99 With its dreamy pastel color palette and wholesome art style, My Time at Portia is one of the best farming games to have emerged in recent years. In a pastoral post-apocalyptic world, you return to your hometown to take over your grandpa’s business and help it thrive again. Much of this revolves around farming, resource collection, and setting up your homestead to become almost self-sufficient. You craft better equipment and complete side-quests for the townsfolk to improve your standing with them and even date the locals. Breaking up the lolling pace of the game are dungeons that you can descend into to fight monsters and gain extra rewards – an unusual and welcome twist for a farming game!
3. Stardew Valley
Available on: Steam (Windows, Mac, Linux), Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Android, iOS Price: $14.99 for desktop, $4.99 for mobile A sleeper hit that has since spread its wings on pretty much every conceivable gaming platform, Stardew Valley was released in order to fill a specific niche. It takes heavy inspiration from the legendary Harvest Moon games, which focused on farming and interacting with townsfolk. Stardew Valley maintains this balance while also providing its own spin on the farming genre. You’re tasked with bringing a derelict farm back up to its former glory with seasonal crops, livestock, and by keeping birds from your plots. The nearby village is filled with memorable characters, some of which you can even date! Best of all, Stardew Valley can be played online on PC and console (PS4/Switch/Xbox One), although this mode is not available on mobile or PS Vita. This lets you add up to three others to take tools in hand to plant crops and make money. Stardew Valley is a massive game, so be prepared to spend a lot of time playing it, but that shouldn’t be a problem if you happen to love farming games.
4. FarmVille 3
Available on: Android, iOS Price: Free, with in-app purchases If you were a fan of the Facebook phenomenon Farmville, you’ll be pleased to know that the game has since made it to mobile. The latest installment – FarmVille 3 – just made its debut earlier this year. The game follows Marie, the farm girl who was introduced back in FarmVille 2, as she manages an expanding farm together with a group of specialized farmhands. The new game introduces new husbandry mechanics, which allows players to breed animals on the farm and unlock new breeds. Other than that, the game is everything you might expect from a farm simulator, so you’ll be able to grow crops, produce all kinds of products, exchange goods with others and bring a wide range of animals – including exotic types – to your farm. Like its predecessors, FarmVille 3 maintains its social background by allowing you to play by yourself or with friends. You can even trade amongst the people you know (friends) in order to optimize your farm or visit other people’s farms and make new friends in the game.
5. Farm Together
Available on: Steam (Windows, Mac, Linux), PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Price: $19.99 Farm Together is an adorable 3D farming game where you step into the shoes of a land owner who wants to establish a farm. The game is an oddity in the sense that it doesn’t really present players with a challenge or a defined goal. Instead, you’re simply invited to build a farm at your own pace. Neglecting your animals or failing to harvest your crops won’t negatively impact your farm as you would expect. Sure, the farm won’t bloom, but it won’t perish either. When you finally start pouring effort into its development, you will find it easy to expand it. The game is available on most platforms, so if you’re looking for something really relaxing to play, Farm Together may be just what you’re looking for.
6. Farming Simulator 22
Available on: Windows, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox Price: $49.99 Maybe you’re not so keen on cartoonish, whimsical farming experiences. Perhaps you want something a little more realistic. If this is you, then you can’t get more realistic than Farming Simulator 22. Farming Simulator does what its name claims it does. It takes the actual farming process and turns it into a game for farming enthusiasts to play. You can drive tractors and wood chippers and take care of animals as you try to make a profit from your booming farm. Farming Simulator is also multiplayer-friendly. You can fit 16 farmers into one server and work together to speed up the farming process. As such, this is definitely the game of choice if you’re looking for a more realistic farming experience you can share with friends. Older games in the Farming Simulator series are also worthwhile, such as Farming Simulator 2019.
7. Ranch Simulator
Available on: Windows Price: $24.99 For those who prefer the more realistic type of farm simulator, Ranch Simulator can also be a good alternative. This game changes the farm setting for a ranch located up in the mountains, offering gorgeous views. Your main task is to restore your family’s rundown homestead and turn it into a prosperous ranch. The focus in this game is on building and managing animals, but you can also take up exploring and hunting for wild animals. The open-world environment can provide a much needed distraction from your daily chores at the ranch. There’s a multiplayer mode in this game as well, and once your friends join the party, you’ll be able to work on quests together and help each other out. If you’re looking for a farming game to play, there’s a good selection in store for you. Whether you want a social phone game or a semi-realistic simulator, there’s something for you.
1. Are any of these games free to play?
Most of the games in the list carry a price, so you’ll need to make a small investment if you wish to play them. Only the mobile games can be downloaded and played for free, although in-app purchases are included with each.
2. I’ve purchased one of the games above on Steam, but it’s not launching. What can I do?
Games not launching in Steam is a rather common issue. Fortunately, there are ways to fix the problem and we show you here how to do it yourself. Image credit: Dairy cow on a rich green meadow in summer by 123RF
