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The 10 Best Games Like Farming Simulator

Published

10 months ago

June 29, 2023

What are the best games like Farming Simulator?

Farming Simulator has been a surprising hit since its first release in 2010, and it’s only continued to become more popular.

With over 25 million copies sold, this game series has proven to be remarkably addicting, and we certainly can’t get enough!

However, if you’re in the mood for something a bit different, we’ve been able to round up some great alternative farming games that every fan should check out.

The 10 Best Games Like Farming Simulator

To create this list, we played a number of farming games and selected the best ones based on their gameplay and similarity to Farming Simulator.

Our choices are based on each game’s popularity, gameplay, and overall sales, as well as reviews from both critics and players!

So, take a break from tending your virtual crops and enjoy our list of the 10 best games like Farming Simulator:

10. Dinkum

Kicking off our list, we have Dinkum, an early access game that plops players onto an island inspired by the Australian Outback.

On this island, there are numerous biomes to explore, from scorching deserts to tranquil billabongs and eucalyptus forests.

Similar to the best games like Stardew Valley, Dinkum allows players to gather resources by mining, hunting, fishing, and foraging.

However, the overarching goal is to build up your own town to attract businesses and new residents who can help it expand.

It is entirely up to you how you design your town, and you can even get your friends to come and help you out in-game!

Of course, you can also start your own farm to grow crops, raise animals, or both, depending on what you need.

That said, the temperature shifts depending on where you’re located on the island, so you’ll have to consider that when planting crops!

You’ll also have to be aware of when the seasons are changing, so you’ll know when the best time to plant is.

There are even frequent updates, like the spring update, which add even more new things to explore in the game!

It may not be the most realistic farming game, but Dinkum has tons of features that fans of Farming Simulator are sure to enjoy!

9. Ranch Simulator

Ranch Simulator is another game currently in early access, and it tasks players with rebuilding their family’s rundown homestead.

This game is kind of like a gritter Stardew Valley, with more realism and less handholding, forcing players to really rough it.

Set in a forested valley, players will have to work hard to restore the ranch to its former glory and make it prosperous once more.

To rebuild the ranch, you will have to invest in tools, vehicles, and materials that can be used to renovate the dilapidated home.

You will also have to construct all of the barns, pens, and runs you’ll need for your animals to keep them safe.

Speaking of animals, these are what you’ll be relying on in order to get money to continue fixing things up.

Once you’ve got the beginnings of your ranch, you will need to feed, water, and care for your animals while trying to successfully breed them.

Of course, sometimes predators will show up thinking your ranch is a buffet, so keep an eye out for hungry wolves!

Like Farming Simulator, this game asks a lot from players, and there are no shortcuts to building your off-grid paradise!

8. Farm Together

Unlike Farm Simulator, Farm Together isn’t extremely realistic, but it is incredibly fun, and there is a ton of stuff to do.

In this game, you can build and customize your own farm, starting with a small plot and building it up to a sprawling plantation.

There are tons of crops and trees to grow, as well as animals to raise and take care of for fun, food, or money.

Everything about your farm can be customized, including the roads, buildings, plots, and decorations, so you can really make it unique.

You can also set it to be entirely private or open it up so that your friends can come by to visit and help you out.

There is also an option to make your farm open to the public if you want to allow any other players to come by and say hi!

Similar to the best games like Harvest Moon, Farm Together is an adorable game that can easily keep you occupied for hours.

7. Farmtale

Currently in early access, Farmtale is an idle clicker game that has a big focus on customization, building, and resource management.

In this game, players start off on an abandoned island with only enough money to purchase a single chicken.

To build and expand your farm, you will have to collect the chicken’s eggs to sell, harvest materials, or catch fish to supplement your income.

Once you start making money, you can take your farm in any direction you’d like, from raising animals to growing crops.

If your farm gets too large for you to manage by yourself, you can even start hiring different kinds of workers to help you out!

There are even achievements you can earn as you progress further into the game, giving you a good incentive to keep expanding!

Farmtale is filled with stuff to do, and its adorable graphics make it extremely enjoyable and relaxing to play.

6. Lumberjack Simulator

Man, if you love Farming Simulator, then you’ll absolutely go nuts for this sim, which gives you the opportunity to live out your lumberjack dreams.

As the name suggests, Lumberjack Simulator is all about cutting down trees using real-world tools and vehicles.

Set on a map that rivals the best open-world PS4 games, this game allows you to start your own logging business.

You’ll have to work your way from the ground up, investing in better machines, trucks, and more land as your business grows.

There are a variety of challenges to complete and jobs to take on, though just like Farm Simulator, you’ll need to think strategically to earn money.

While you can cut down almost anything you want, if you’re not planning ahead, you could run out of money for your whole operation!

If you enjoyed the logging mechanics in Farming Simulator, you will definitely enjoy playing this game. We certainly do!

5. Coral Island

Similar to the best games like Sims, Coral Island provides a relaxing gameplay experience that revolves around island living.

In this game, players are given the opportunity to create an idyllic farm on the titular island to grow crops, tend livestock, and bring prosperity to the neighboring town.

Players can not only forge relationships with the 70+ NPCs that call the island home, but they can also work to help revitalize the surrounding coral reefs.

The overall goal is to make the entire island a better place and restore it to a thriving paradise for all of its inhabitants.

Along with being one of the best farming games, Coral Island also allows players to do a number of other activities, such as fishing, diving, and mining.

You can even start a relationship with any of the 25 eligible singles in the town and start a new chapter of your lives together.

Coral Island really is a fantastic game, and it’s one that you can just chill out and play whenever you need a break from reality.

4. My Time at Portia

My Time at Portia is one of the best real-life simulation games, and it revolves around your player character fixing up their father’s neglected workshop.

After customizing your character, you can take commissions, grow crops, raise animals, and start building relationships with the townsfolk.

While the main objective is to help the town rebuild, there are also some secrets to stumble upon hidden beneath the charming facade.

When you’re not tending to the town, you can work on building and customizing your own home by upgrading it and filling it with decorations.

Players also have the opportunity to delve into ancient ruins to hunt for lost treasures and mine for resources.

However, you’ll have to be careful, since monsters and bosses lurk in these areas, and they’ll do anything to stop you.

My Time at Portia even has a skill leveling system that you can use to improve your crafting, social, or combat skills!

There is a little something for everyone in this game, and we highly recommend fans of Farming Simulator check it out!

3. Staxel

Along with being one of the best games like Minecraft, Staxel is a great game for anyone who enjoys Farming Simulator.

Set in a blocky world, this game is all about farming and laid-back village life where you and your friends can just hang out.

In this game, your main goal is to restore your farm to its former glory as the newest resident in the village.

You’ll have to clean up the land, work the fields, and buy seeds in order to get it working again, but of course, there are other activities as well.

When not tending to your farm, you can get to know the village’s residents or invite your friends over to play together.

Staxel was specifically created with multiplayer in mind, which means you and your friends can all work together to build up each other’s homesteads.

Moreover, because this game is a huge sandbox, you can feel free to alter the world how you see fit!

There are even tons of mods in the Steam Workshop for you to use, ranging from new features to new items and villagers.

We’ve really enjoyed playing through Staxel, and if you love Farming Simulator, we bet you will too!

2. Story of Seasons

Formerly called Harvest Moon, this 3DS game revolves around the player character moving to a new town in order to start a life as a farmer.

In the new town, there are four other farmers who can teach players the basics of working the land and running a successful farm.

The main objective is to unlock all seven vendors by fulfilling specific requirements to make the town an international trading hub.

Different seeds, buildings, items, and animals will become available with each new vendor, allowing your farm to grow even further.

Along with farming, this game also gives players the ability to romance and marry some of the villagers.

How you go about tending to your farm and fixing it up is entirely up to you, as Story of Seasons gives players a ton of freedom.

This game actually heavily inspired Stardew Valley, which we’ll talk about below, so if you’ve enjoyed that game, you definitely will love this one!

1. Stardew Valley

Taking our number one spot is Stardew Valley, a game that is still insanely popular after 7 years, and we highly doubt it will lose its appeal anytime soon.

In this game, players inherit their grandfather’s old farm outside of the titular town and set about fixing it up.

One of the best relaxing games to play, Stardew Valley is all about doing things at your own pace and making your own story.

While you are encouraged to build a thriving farm for growing crops, you can also raise animals or just head off to explore instead.

There is also fishing, cooking, mining, foraging, and festivals to experience, along with vast underground caves filled with monsters.

In these caves, you’ll have the ability to engage in combat and find new environments filled with valuable gems and resources.

Like Story of Seasons, you can also form relationships with the townspeople and even romance a select few of them.

Stardew Valley is just a phenomenal game to unwind with, and if you’ve avoided playing it so far, we highly recommend checking it out!

Summary

We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the 10 best games like Farming Simulator, and found a few new ones to test your skills with.

Although living a virtual life as a farmer doesn’t sound like it should be fun, it is surprisingly entertaining to the point where you won’t want to stop playing.

Like Farming Simulator, all the games on this list are incredibly addictive, and we strongly suggest checking out any that you haven’t played yet!

Here’s a quick recap of the 10 best games like Farming Simulator: