Stardew Valley is a farmer simulator. It was created under the strong influence of the Harvest Moon series of games. Developer Eric Barone initially attempted to develop a software clone of Harvest Moon as a programming exercise.
Barone spent about four years developing the game, communicating closely with interested players, and continued to improve and add to it even after its release.
In February 2024, Stardew Valley’s cumulative sales across all platforms reached 30 million copies. Many players want an experience similar to this game but different.
The Blix Team has prepared a list of 10 games that may appeal to you. And here’s what we’ve added to our top: Graveyard Keeper, Roots of Pacha, Sun Haven, Travellers Rest, Spiritfarer, Littlewood, Coral Island, Rune Factory 4, Moonstone Island, Dinkum.
Contents
Highlights
- List of 10 games similar to Stardew Valley
- Information about available platforms, release date, details about the game
What is Stardew Valley?
Stardew Valley is an open-world RPG that allows the player to engage in farming, cooking, battles, fishing, and many other activities. The story starts with the player inheriting a vast, overgrown piece of land from his grandfather.
With all these real-life activities, the game fully immerses the player in improving the plot. In the game, you can choose between two genders and use several character customization options, such as skin, clothing, animals, and accessories. There are several types of farms to choose from. Each type of farm has its benefits and endows the player with unique skills.
We also have another great article on similar games: Top 4 Open-World Games of All Time.
TOP – 10 Games Like Stardew Valley
Graveyard Keeper
Graveyard Keeper
Developer: Lazy Bear Games
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS
Release Date: August 15, 2018
Graveyard Keeper is an RPG based on cemetery management. Stardew Valley inspires this game and uses all the same mechanics in a different environment.
To get started, you must clear the cemetery of trees and weeds. As the owner of a ruined estate whose owners made money from burying bodies, you will develop your “business” and make money from it.
It is not necessary to be a conscientious gravedigger – you can sell the organs of the dead, dump the bodies in the river, and so on. Your goal is to return home and meet your loved ones, which will require special magical items found in some people. There are mechanics from the original, a love story, and black humor – enjoy.
You can get a more detailed opinion from the players here.
Roots of Pacha
Developer: Soda Den
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, iOS
Release Date: April 25, 2023
Roots of Pacha offers a new angle on the farm and dating simulator genre.
We play as representatives of a primitive tribe. Instead of buying seeds, we must search for them in the wild. Instead of pumping skills, we will explore new technologies, literally following the way of primitive people in creating tools, metallurgy, and other industries.
The characters’ legacy directly depends on how the user solves pressing problems. The game is very addictive, and farming fans should consider playing it.
Gameplay
Sun Haven
Sun Haven
Developer: Pixel Sprout Studios
Platform: PC
Release Date: June 25, 2021
If Stardew Valley still tried to be realistic, Sun Haven allowed us to enter a world of different races, magic, and dragons.
Here, you will find the usual farm activities, but outside of it, you will encounter magic and monsters, and the game itself turns into an MMORPG with dungeon exploration.
This game tries to surpass its inspiration in everything’there is a huge skill tree, many different crops and animals for breeding, as many as three farms, to which we will get access in the story, 16 candidates for marriage, and the opportunity to become a swordsman, ranged warrior, or mage and explore the caves.
Crafting, in turn, is quite varied. Many workbenches, a furnace, an anvil, a loom, and much more exist. Thanks to them, we equip the farm with valuable things and decor.
For these reasons, we consider the comparison with Stardew Valley nominal; Sun Haven is a standalone project that provides a unique experience.
Sun Haven Trailer
Travellers Rest
Travellers Rest
Developer: Isolated Games
Platform: PC
Release Date: July 28, 2020 (Early Access)
Travellers Rest is much less similar to Stardew in terms of story but has a similar graphical style. It will appeal to players with high grades in resource mining and farming in Stardew Valley.
Travellers Rest is a tavern manager simulator in which gamers are invited to get involved in making beer and turning a small business into a thriving business.
The player will brew crafted drinks, grow suitable crops, cook, explore the world, extracting the resources necessary for the development of the tavern.
The game has a skill tree, the ability to create unique varieties of drinks by combining them, and split-screen co-op, so your friend can drive away particularly zealous tavern visitors with a broom while you are cooking.
Travellers Rest Trailer
Spiritfarer
Spiritfarer
Developer: Thunder Lotus Games
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release Date: August 18, 2020
In Spiritfarer, you play as Stella, a Spiritfarer (she was a nurse in a past life) tasked with ferrying the dead to Everdoor. Build a boat to explore the world, then befriend and care for the spirits before releasing them into the afterlife.
Spiritfarer, for 30+ hours, remains one of the most cozy and soulful entertainers of recent years.
A prominent location opens before Stella, where you can move freely on your ship. On numerous islands, souls await transport, and resources are needed to build a mobile home. On the boat, you need tobuild vegetable gardens, fields, orchards to grow food, and blacksmiths, weaving machines, crushers, sheepfolds, and chicken coops to provide the passengers with everything they need.
Yes, it has the mechanics of Stardew Valley. Still, there’s less emphasis on the economy and more on the overall narrative: while not apparent at first glance, the game has a full-fledged story with an unexpected and heartbreaking ending.
Speaking of stories, you might be interested in: Best Story Games on Steam: Top Picks for Narrative Lovers.
We highly recommend you pick up this game. You won’t regret it. Players on Reddit were delighted with it.
Spiritfarer – Launch Trailer
Littlewood
Littlewood
Developer: Sean Young
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PC
Release Date: June 17, 2019
Littlewood is an adventure and casual RPG. If you cross Forager and Stardew Valley, you will get just that.
The exciting thing is that in Littlewood, you can transform the whole territory and change your house, NPCs’ dwellings, and the entire surrounding area to your liking.
You will also have access to different activities, such as cooking, crafting, farming, fishing, insect trapping, and more, so you will always be energized.
Littlewood – Launch Trailer
Coral Island
Coral Island
Developer: Stairway Games
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Release Date: November 14, 2023
A tropical mood at any time of the year will help you get this game.
You will create your character and get a farm. Then, they grow crops, extract resources and pump tools, dig in the mine, fight, fish, and get pets. Everything is like in everyday life but in a simulator.
But a feature must be used – the ability to explore the ocean, which is a full-fledged location with its secrets and characters.
The main goal is the restoration of the ecology of the coral city.
This game is described on Reddit as being very similar to Stardew Valley.
There’s always something interesting happening on the game’s Twitter feed:
Rune Factory 4
Rune Factory 4
Developer: Neverland
Platform: Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release Date: July 19, 2012
Rune Factory 4 is an RPG about farming. It has a complex crafting and farming system, immersive dungeons, and many battles.
The game’s founding father is Yoshifumi Hashimoto, producer of the Harvest Moon games. He created his project in honor of the series’ tenth anniversary.
Rune Factory is a world where fantasy inhabitants live as warriors and ordinary people. In the morning, you can pick turnips from a bed and flirt with a flower girl; in the evening, you can break a dragon’s skull. It’s an incredible contrast.
However, more customization is needed here. Combat is necessary to advance the storyline, which is the biggest of the three.
You might be interested in our other selection: Best Games to Play When Bored: Top Picks for Every Gamer.
The link will give you some advice on how to play the game.
Moonstone Island
Moonstone Island
Developer: Lazy Bear Games
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PC
Release Date: August 15, 2018.
Moonstone Island is a life simulation game set in a vast world with 100 islands to explore.
This game is nothing other than an ideological continuation of Stardew Valley, although it is very different from its inspiration.
Here, you will play as an alchemist-shaman who went to conquer the mysteries of the Moonstone Islands.
You will fight wild spirits to capture them, create your deck, craft tools, and transportation, explore mines, fight in an endless dungeon for prizes, and learn new skills.
Announcement Trailer
Dinkum
Dinkum
Developer: James Bendon
Platform: PC
Release Date: July 14, 2022
Dinkum is similar to Stardew Valley and reminiscent of the hit Animal Crossing. If you are really into these games, you should appreciate the game personally.
The game takes you to an island inspired by the Australian outback‘scorching deserts, eucalyptus forests, and crocodiles. It’s a bit reminiscent of Lord of the Flies.
Your task is to create and develop a settlement. To do this, you must explore the island, fish and hunt, farm and raise livestock, attract new residents, and build infrastructure.
There are much more opportunities to build a settlement than in Stardew Valley.
Official Announcement Trailer
Summary
One of the most popular simulators is considered to be The Sims from EA. In it, you can find an occupation in the vegetable garden, development of creative skills, construction, love lines, and others. Of course, it is very little like Stardew Valley, but some players on Reddit advised this game.
It’s also a very different experience. The game can always continue until you get bored.
It’s a sudden bonus if you’ve read to this point. We remind you that there are mods for Stardew. One of those biggest mods is Stardew Valley Expanded‘it expands the game almost twice as much.
You can also add other games to our list, we’ll leave you with a link to Reddit.
