20 Best Games Like Stardew Valley You Should Play

Developed by Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, Stardew Valley is a popular simulation role-playing video game. The role-playing game is all about growing crops, raising livestock, crafting goods, and more importantly creating a massive farm that can be envy to everyone. Being open-ended, it offers a ton of opportunities to players to showcase their farming skills. However, if you’ve had enough of this game and want to enjoy more titles that offer similar gameplay style then we’ve got you fully covered with an extensive lineup of the 20 best games like Stardew Valley in 2020

Best Games Like Stardew Valley in 2020

Having given a close look at a variety of Stardew Valley alternatives, we have picked out the games that not only make a solid match with Stardew Valley but also bring something new to the table. While some games put more emphasis on action-adventure, others aim at making role-playing gameplay a bit more engaging.

And yes, there are also quite a few games that are designed to put your brain for some testing by offering a series of challenges. Thus, you will never find the gameplay one-way traffic or too simple to hold your interest for long. Now that you know what these top Stardew Valley substitutes have in store for you, let’s get started with the roundup!

• Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town
• Rune Factory 4
• My Time at Portia
• Fantasy Life
• Moonlighter
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons
• Recettear
• Yonder: The Cloudcatcher Chronicles
• Farm for your Life
• Voodoo Garden
• Wild Season
• World’s Dawn
• Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor
• Staxel
• Don’t Starve Together
• Graveyard Keeper
• DORAEMON: STORY OF SEASONS
• Slime Rancher
• Farm Together
• The Island Castaway: Lost World
• Frequently Asked Questions

1. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town

If you’re looking for a great Stardew Valley alternative but have already played a Harvest Moon game, then you should definitely check out Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. The game is essentially a successor to the Harvest Moon series and is like a more refined version of the older titles.

In this game, you start off as a young and inexperienced farmer who has to successfully cultivate their plot of land. You used to live in a city and has come back to town to tend to your grandfather’s farm. Compared to Stardew Valley, Story of Seasons: Story of Seasons: friends of mineral town plays at a better pace, making the game a whole lot more fun.

• Publisher: Marvelous (XSEED)
• Platform: Nintendo Switch
• Genre: Farming/life-sim
• Buy: ($49.99)

2. Rune Factory 4

Rune Factory 4 is another game that offers a great mix of farming simulation along with some great RPG elements that make it a completely unique game. The game makes huge improvements over its predecessors by offering a better in-game marriage system and gives the player a whole town to manage instead of just a small farm area.

You get to be in charge of the town where your job is to help enhance the overall infrastructure of the town and also attract tourists to your town. Apart from that, this game also offers Zelda-like elements where you discover evil forces in nearby dungeons and help your townsfolk in defeating these evil forces. Rune Factory 4 is a really exciting game with an extra twist.

• Publisher: Xseed
• Platform: Nintendo 3DS
• Genre: Farming with dungeon adventuring.
• Buy: ($23.99)

Note: Rune Factory 5 is slated to release sometime in 2020. If you want to by the latest version, you will have to wait for the release.

3. My Time at Portia

Much like Stardew Valley, My Time at Portia offers players a delightful and immersive world called Portia in which you are tasked with restoring your Pa’s neglected workshop, and in order to do that, you have to fulfill commissions, grow crops, and raise animals.

The game might seem like a bit of a grind at first, but I can assure you that once you get into it, you won’t feel like letting go. The land of Portia also has a rich community and you can befriend all of its residents to help you in your quest. Depending on your play style, you also get the option to level up your character and skill them in crafting, combat, or social skills.

• Publisher: Team17 Digital Ltd
• Platform: Windows
• Genre: Adventure
• Buy: ($29.99)

4. Fantasy Life

Fantasy life, as the name suggests is all about living and leading a prosperous fantasy life in the virtual world. The game offers a beautiful and vast open-world with cute graphics and a lot of different classes for added gameplay value. Each class sports different traits and activities that add to the overall replay value of the game.

You get to choose which life you will play and get to enjoy all the skills and benefits that come with your chosen life. Playing each life adds to the overall replayability of the game and provides you with hours of fun and excitement with each different class.

• Publisher: Nintendo
• Platform: Nintendo 3DS
• Genre: Adventure
• Buy: ($54.97)

5. Moonlighter

Moonlighter is another great Stardew Valley alternative that you can pick up if you’re fond of action RPG. In the game, you play as Will, an adventurous shopkeeper who has to tend to his shopkeeping duties during the day and give in to his fantasies of becoming a hero by night.

As a result, you have to juggle both the objectives quite efficiently and play the game in a way that all of your actions are mutually beneficial for both the situations. For example, you can sell goods that you collect in the dungeon at your shop for a quick profit, investing the gold in better weapons that will help you clear dungeons more efficiently. Moonlighter is a fun game that you should definitely check out.

• Publisher: Merge Games
• Platform: PlayStation 4
• Genre: Action RPG
• Buy: ($25.29)

6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

There’s no fun in just playing a farm simulation when you can actually play entire life simulation in Animal Crossing: New Horizon. The much awaited game from Nintendo released during the pandemic and has been a resounding success since its launch. The game sold 1 million copies in the first 11 days of launch, and has now sold more than 26 million copies.

The game lets you build an entire town and has a robust economy. You can add new infrastructure to your town, build bridges, public town centers, and many more landmarks. Also, you get to set and change the laws and standards of your town and every one of the villagers will follow your set of rules. This game is all about managing your town and your people with some really cute graphics and characters that make the game interesting and interactive.

• Publisher: Nintendo
• Platform: Nintendo Switch
• Genre: Life simulation
• Buy: ($59.99)

7. Recettear

If you are a simulation fan but want to try out something new and different than farming, then we’ve got the perfect game for you. Recettar: An Item Shop’s Tale is a game very similar to farm simulators in terms of gameplay, however, in this game you are in charge of an item shop and your job is to manage the shop. You start off as a young girl who takes ownership of an item shop after her father’s untimely death.

Bear in mind, you need to source your items from some dangerous places. Sometimes it means exploring dungeons, fighting monsters, and collecting precious items to sell in your shop. You need to revive the shop to its former glory in order to pay off all the debts. The game is a perfect mix of simulation and dungeon crawling.

• Publisher: Carpe Fulgur LLC
• Platform: Windows
• Genre: Role-playing game
• Buy: ($19.99)

8. Yonder: The Cloudcatcher Chronicles

If Stardew Valley and Breath of the Wild had a love child, Yonder: The Cloudcatcher Chronicles would be the outcome. The game is a perfect mix of a relaxing open-world adventure game with a farming simulator and its definitely a whole lot of fun. The game features a vibrant open world with a ton of things to discover, elaborate character customization, crafting, building, and, of course, farming.

You have the chance to follow the questline and go wherever it takes you or you can spend time doing whatever you want in the open world without a worry. The best part about the open world in Yonder: The Cloudcatcher Chronicles is that it’s dynamic and it keeps changing in accordance with the seasons.

• Publisher: Merge Games
• Platform: Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4
• Genre: Adventure
• Buy: ($39.99)

9. Farm for your Life

Normally, in a farming game, you grow a farm, protect it from bad weather, expand it, and sell your crops. This is mostly fun, but it can sometimes become a bit repetitive and boring. Well, in Farm for your Life, you never get bored because it offers a lot of different genres mixed in a single game.

You get to grow a farm and expand it as a farming simulator, you also get to protect your farm from undead and zombies by using defenses which also makes it a tower-defense game, and in addition to all that, you also run a restaurant. So, Farm for your Life is a wacky mixture of different genres into one exciting game that offers a little something for everyone out there.

• Publisher: Hammer Labs
• Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux and PlayStation 4
• Genre: Casual, Indie, Simulation, Strategy
• Buy: ($9.99)

10. Voodoo Garden

Voodoo Garden is another great Stardew Valley alternative in which players need to grow herbs, trees, plants, and more at a very relaxing place. The game is for those of you who’re just looking for a casual time-killing game, but if you do get into it the game has a ton of interesting things to offer. You can adopt pets, take care of them, and watch them grow bigger.

To help you with all your chores, the game also features little helper spirits. The gameplay is quite simple to get a hang of, so pretty much anybody can play the game without a second thought.

• Publisher: Liu Lidan
• Platform: Windows
• Genre: Casual, Indie, Simulation
• Buy: ($1.49)

11. Wild Season

Wild Season is the perfect alternative to both Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley because it offers the same style of gameplay with pretty much the same objective. You start off as a young farmer who buys a fresh new land in the rural town. Your job is to get rid of all the obstacles on your land including boulders and logs.

Once that’s done, you need to use different tools to sow the land and start your farming adventure. This game focuses heavily on the story and it’s an interesting one. You will find yourself immersed in the story of the game and probably ignore a couple of bugs that you may find during the gameplay. Wild Seasons is definitely a great alternative to Stardew Valley.

• Publisher: Quickfire Games
• Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, and PlayStation 4
• Genre: Indie, RPG, Simulation
• Buy: ($16.99)

12. World’s Dawn

Similar to Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley, World’s Dawn offers you a chance to spend your life in a seaside village where you get to grow crops, raise livestock, go fishing, mining, and even go hunting. World’s Dawn provides all the gameplay elements you would wish from a life simulation game and adds some extra features to it.

You get to choose what you want to do in this game. You can either tend to your crops or go hunting for some love. With over 32 different townsfolk, the game adds another layer of social interaction within the game that makes it exciting and interactive.

• Publisher: Wayward Prophet
• Platform: Windows
• Genre: Indie, RPG
• Buy: ($9.99)

13. Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor

While Stardew Valley is a fun and uplifting game, Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor is the exact opposite. The game can be classified as an anti-adventure title and requires players to pick up trash in an alien bazaar.

You play as a Janitor who has a municipally subsidized job of incinerating trash and a dream of leaving the planet of Xabran’s Rock behind. Instead of farming, you have other daily tasks to attend to which might help you make your dreams come true.

• Publisher: tinyBuild
• Platform: Windows and macOS
• Genre: Adventure
• Buy: ($4.99)

14. Staxel

If you’re a Minecraft fan and are looking for something that says “Minecraft and farming game”, then Staxel is a game that you shouldn’t miss. Staxel is a blocky RPG with a world like Minecraft with farming and social aspects like Stardew Valley.

The gameplay is much faster when compared to Stardew Valley, so if you’re someone who doesn’t like waiting for things to happen in-game, I’m sure you’ll really enjoy the fast-paced gameplay of Staxel.

Bear in mind, Staxel requires a bit more learning curve, so it might take some time before you may fully take control of the game. With an interesting concept of farming mixed with social life, the game has got all the traits to get you hooked for a long role-playing fantasy.

Publisher: Humble Games

Platform: Windows

Genre: Indie, RPG

Buy: ($19.99)

15. Don’t Starve Together

Don’t Starve Together, the sequel to the popular survival game Don’t Starve, is another great Stardew Valley alternative that doesn’t have the same chirpy vibe. The game is a stark contrast to Stardew Valley, right from the dull and drab world to the condition of its residents.

Much like its predecessor, the game is an adventure survival title in which you have to do whatever it takes to survive as long as possible. Explore the environment, gather resources, craft items, and develop structures, to survive in the wretched lands.

Publisher: Klei Entertainment

Platform: Windows, macOS, and PlayStation 4

Genre: Adventure

Buy: ($5.99)

16. Graveyard Keeper

For the folks who have a penchant for farming and also like to take control of cemeteries in reel life, Graveyard Keeper appears to be a great choice. As you may have already guessed, in this game you have to don the role of someone who has the responsibility of taking after a medieval cemetery.

In short, it’s all about increasing profits as high as possible through farming and taking control of the medieval cemetery. It’s how you balance between the two will show how far you would go in the game.

Along the way, the game offers plenty of opportunities to gather materials and craft new items that look in line with what Stardew Valley has to offer. One of my favorite features of this game is the ability to explore mysterious dungeons where it’s really fun to discover alchemy ingredients.

• Publisher: tinyBuild
• Platform: Windows, macOS, and PlayStation 4
• Genre: Adventure
• Buy: ($9.99)

17. DORAEMON: STORY OF SEASONS

If you are done with the typical farming game, you should give a shot to DORAEMON: STORY OF SEASONS. This Stardew Valley alternative presents farming with a fresh take. With the fascinating natura setting coupled with the mystical big tree, the game is a treat to play.

DORAEMON: STORY OF SEASONS’ gameplay is quite similar to Stardew Valley’s. It’s all about building a great farm, raising horses and cattle. Along the way, players also get a chance to create bonds with the town residents and enjoy pleasant interactions.

Just like Stardew Valley, it also offers players a lot of opportunities to explore. So, you can go on exciting adventures and even catch bugs. With plenty of awards and achievements to keep you motivated, you will never get enough of farming.

• Publisher: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
• Platform: Windows
• Genre: Casual, Simulation
• Buy: ($49.99)

18. Slime Rancher

Slime Rancher is the sort of game that doesn’t take long to win you over. So, just in case you find Stardew Valley lacking in the fun department, I would recommend you to take on this game. It offers intriguing first-person sandbox experience.

The game is about a sporty and young rancher who embarks on an amazing journey to fulfill her dream. To make the dream come true, she has to grow a lot of crops and harvest resources. Along the way, she also has to encounter several challenges that keep on coming to destroy her dream.

It’s how young rancher tackles the hurdles and make the most of the risky opportunities that make this action-adventure a joy to play. Did I say, it’s this element that separates Slime Rancher from Stardew Valley?

• Publisher: Monomi Park
• Platform: Windows, macOS, and PlayStation 4
• Genre: Action-Adventure
• Buy: ($19.99)

19. Farm Together

Claiming to deliver ultimate farming experience, Farm Together is the sort of game that looks a complete alternative to Stardew Valley. The game is about choosing a small plot and then give your best by growing crops, planting trees, and taking care of animals to develop a massive farm.

With the hard-earned money, you can build modern facilities for your farm so that it’s fully equipped. On the customization front, Farm Together is on par with Stardew Valley. So, you can bring all your decorations skills to the fore by personalizing roads, fences, and buildings. Not to mention, it also offers a chance to customize your avatar and even adorn your tractor to stand out.

• Publisher: Milkstone Studios
• Platform: Windows, macOS, and PlayStation 4
• Genre: Casual, Indie
• Buy: ($19.99)

20. The Island Castaway: Lost World

What makes “The Island Castaway: Lost World” an exciting option is a good mix of three genres like action-adventure, RPG, and strategy. And it’s this interesting blend that makes it an able substitute for Stardew Valley for the folks who want the gameplay to be full of adventure without being too simplistic.

The Island Castaway: Lost World’s gameplay is a little more dramatic than that of Stardew Valley. In this game, you are stranded on a remote island after an unexpected shipwreck. Now, your goal is not only to survive but also to become the leader of the castaways to ensure the well-being of everyone. And this is where your long journey begins.

So, get started with building a fish farm, cultivate poultry, and also source the building materials required for shelters. Find it simple? Watch out for the monsters who will derail your entire plan within a few seconds! Taking everything into account, The Island Castaway: Lost World is a complete package and I’m sure you would love it play it as a replacement for Stardew Valley.

• Publisher: G5 Entertainment AB
• Platform: Android, iOS, and Windows
• Genre: Action-adventure, RPG, and Strategy
• Buy: (Free, offers in-app purchases)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Stardew valley similar to?

Stardew Valley is similar to many popular simulation role-playing games like Story of Seasons and My Time at Portia.

What kind of game is Stardew Valley?

Stardew Valley is a simulation role-playing video game that has been developed by Eric “ConcernedApe”.

What’s so fun about Stardew Valley?

Being open-ended, Stardew Valley offers plenty of freedom to players to take on several activities including raising livestock, growing crops, and crafting goods. And that’s what makes it so fun-loving!

How big of a game is Stardew Valley?

Stardew Valley is one of the most loved simulations role-playing video games that’s available across platforms. Moreover, the game has got overwhelmingly positive (97%) reviews on Steam.

Ready to Play Games Similar to Stardew Valley?

Stardew Valley is a great game, but if you want something extra added to your farming life then definitely try out the above-mentioned games. If you’re bored of just farm simulations then try out some of the mixed-genre games with extra features and quirks that will definitely keep you entertained for a long time.

All these games provide hours of exciting gameplay and an interactive storyline, so take your pick. If you prefer any other games similar to Stardew Valley then feel free to mention them in the comments section below.