Farming simulations may, at a glance, seem like a niche market that is appealing to a select few. In fact, these games have a wide audience of players across all platforms.
The appeal of farm games for some people is that they can create a somewhat realistic world where players can learn about the tools and techniques of real farming.
Other players may be drawn to farming sims, a genre-mixing mashup of real farm scenarios with fantasy and warfare elements. Here’s 20 to 1 of the best farming games of all time split into new entries, old-time favorites, and future releases.
Best Recent Release Farm Games
Designers are constantly upping their game in terms of possible plays in the world of farming. These recent releases have established themselves as winners in no time.
1. Kynseed
Inspired by the success of all-time favorite role-playing farming sim Stardew Valley, Kynseed sends players on a similar quest. It’s set in the land of Quill, which developers describe as a fusion between British folklore and the sandbox world of farming sims.
Players embark on a journey of adventure and ambition. While much of Kynseed is family-friendly, it also incorporates the deeper and darker themes of life through a recreation of aging and death. Still, in early release, a full release is planned for early 2022.
2. Monster Harvest
This game allows players to role-play monster collecting and growing battle crops in the action-filled world of Planimal Point. Players can mutate their crops with the use of magical slimes and then take them into battle. Graphics change across three distinct seasons, Dry, Wet, and Dark.
3. Coral Island
Coral Island has all the traditional elements of an RPG farming sim; players grow crops, nurture animals, and make friends in its island setting. What sets it apart from others is its attention to detail and environmental focus.
There’s a diverse range of cast members drawn from a variety of ethnicities and life experiences. Characters are etched out in pleasing detail, and children in the cast age, a feature not seen in many sims.
Coral Island encourages players to revitalize not only the town but also the surrounding coral reefs. Bugs are another unique addition to the animal cast depicted.
4. Kitaria Fables
This one’s got the fantasy world of farming and magic all wrapped up in cuteness. In fact, its adorable characters are one of the recurring reasons given by players for its appeal.
In the fantasy realm of Kitaria Fables, players battle rising darkness that’s threatening the world, armed with spells, a sword, and a bow—wondering where the farming element hits?
Players also tend to their farms, growing for both self-sufficiency and profit. Although it’s set in a fantasy world, it does, as all fables do, have valuable lessons to teach.
5. Lonefarm
Set on an island in the South Pacific, Lonefarm sees players driving their vans about the island while tending to their crops. Realistic day/night cycles allow players to learn about the progress of crop growing in a semi-realistic setting.
Best All-Time Farm Games
6. Pure Farming 2018
As the name suggests, this sim focuses on recreating an authentic farming experience. Players can select from three different play modes: Free Farming, My First Farm, and Farming Challenges.
They can also choose from an extensive range of licensed farm vehicles. This game is popular with people who are relatively new to farming, the farm-curious, and those who like their sims to be both informative and realistic. The visual design is not as striking as some of the other games, but the focus on learning the basics is well played out.
7. Stardew Valley
The success of this sim is reflected in its availability across a wide range of platforms. Players are set the task of fixing up their grandfather’s old farm, and boy is there a lot to do! Players can sell their farm wares and mine, and name their animals, to mention just a few of the many, and largely realistic, activities to engage in.
One appeal of this sim is that it’s relatively simple and violent-free, making it a suitable choice for kids ages ten and up. It’s well-sound-tracked, and the graphics are appealing and diverse across the seasons.
8. Farmville 2: Country Escape
Farmville 2: Country Escape was popular for over a decade until it was shut down at the end of 2020 as Adobe ended the Flash support required to run it. Thankfully for those who enjoyed the original, it was replaced by Farmville 3: Animals, an RPG in which players raise a farm of baby animals.
9. Farm Simulator 19
Very popular as a choice of sim that allows for learning about real-life farming situations, machinery, and techniques. Farm Simulator 19 encompasses many aspects of real-life agricultural experiences. Players can operate tractors, harvest wood, and raise livestock, amongst other activities.
10. Slime Rancher
While not a realistic depiction of farm life on earth, this game’s been a hit in outer space since it launched some years ago. Slime Rancher sees players marooned on a faraway planet where they encounter an alien frontier filled with strange creatures.
The goal is to farm a desolate patch of land and transform it into a thriving ranch. Livestock consists of cute bouncy lifeforms that are fed slimes to produce plorts to sell for profit.
11. Harvest Moon 64
Harvest Moon 64 has indeed been around for many moons and has proved popular as an RPG game that follows the familiar theme of the player having inherited a farm to care for.
Aside from the regular task of crop growing, players can go on tangential quests, such as training and racing a horse, falling in love and getting married, and participating in town festivals.
12. Tiny Pixel Farm
Tiny Pixel Farm, another farm sim that capitalizes on player attraction towards cute animated animals, is fairly straightforward, with its single-screen facilitating easy navigation.
13. Farmer’s Dynasty
Once again, your late grandad has left you his farm, and your task is to run it. This game is popular for its educational value and as a true-to-life farming sim. Visually, the graphics are not regarded to be as good as many of the other sims in this list.
14. Minecraft
Sometimes cited as one of the greatest video games of all time, Minecraft has a legacy that has produced several spinoffs, including a farming sim accessed through its Minecraft marketplace.
15. Staxel
Staxel borrows from the best of both worlds, creating a quirky cast of characters and scenes while requiring players to engage in regular farming work. There’s a strong sense of community spirit to Staxel, and players can build their own farmhouse and help their friends and neighbors too.
Whilst an enduring and popular choice, Staxel doesn’t break any molds in terms of its uniqueness.
16. Farm Together
Although this game focuses on many of the regular farming activities, it does so in a relatively hands-off approach, leading many users to describe it as relaxing. It’s also probably one of the better games to play with a younger audience.
Best Future Release Farm Games
This is a bit of a New Year’s wish list as these games aren’t released yet. Let’s get excited about what’s to come. All these games should be out sometime early next year.
17. Ova Magica
This 3D farming sim delves into a magical realm where players hatch blobs from eggs. Users then train these blobs as farm helpers to perform tasks such as crop watering. Players can also train blobs to engage in blob-fighting matches.
18. One Lonely Outpost
This one’s set to be a fusion of future and past in a 2D farming and colony sim. Players can choose between an all-natural approach to farming or can experiment with gene-splicing and Robo-cows.
The play pits future farming methods against the past and present and allows users to explore villager relationships along with ancient ruins. There’s going to be a co-op mode that can feature up to four players.
19. Everafter Falls
Everafter Falls is another 2D farming sim that’s set to have a co-op mode. Whereas One Lonely Outpost toys with future elements, this one appears to draw more from a medieval world. There are dungeons and storylines featuring quests and skills progressions. Players can use a pet animal to perform and acquire skills, including digging, watering plants, and fighting.
20. A New Leaf: Memories
Another game that’s set to follow a storyline quest is A New Leaf: Memories. This sim centers its storylines around the history of the island on which it’s set. Players can engage in a wide range of activities in 3D, including animal breeding, cooking, mining, and fishing.
Whether farm games are your gateway and inspiration into real farming or a pleasure-filled escape from it, this playlist is sure to include some hits. for you to wile the hours away.
Jack is the owner, chief editor, and senior writer of this website.
Machinery, engines, and farming have always been a passion of his since he was a young boy. Growing up on a small farm in rural America, he learned the value of hard work and dedication from an early age.
After completing his degree in Engineering, he decided to follow his dream and became a farmer in 2009.
Since then, he has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field. He has grown a variety of crops, tended to farm animals, and worked with all sorts of farming machinery. Continue reading…