ConcernedApe’s Stardew Valley is a charming and immersive farming sim which takes us back to the time of Harvest Moon, and you may be pleased to know that the developer is already working on his new project, Haunted Chocolatier. However, one incremental flaw is that its vibrant community, farm sim, exploration and progression make it hard for me to find games like Stardew Valley to play in 2024.
Thus, not one to give up, I searched the Internet far and wide, searching for games like Stardew Valley and realised that games that offer similar gameplay elements such as farming, crafting, exploration, and relationship-building are abundant. For example, these provide a variety of experiences that capture the essence of what makes Stardew Valley so beloved, and I will be relaying my research to you below.
List of Games Like Stardew Valley
1) Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch)
We cannot start a listicle of games like Stardew Valley without mentioning Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Released in March 2020, the life simulation game developed and published by Nintendo instantly became a global sensation, captivating players with its open-ended gameplay, charming visuals, and the ability to create and customise a personal paradise on a deserted island.
While both games shared farming, crafting, and community-building mechanics, I felt captivated by Animal Crossing’s bright, cartoonish graphics that emphasise a whimsical and relaxing atmosphere. I’m not to say that Stardew Valley’s pixel art style is not good, but it is refreshing to experience a game that operates in real-time, reflecting the current season, time of day, and real-world events.
After a few hours in the game, I could safely say I enjoyed Animal Crossing’s creativity, social interaction, and real-time gameplay. Folks searching for a pace changer from games like Stardew Valley should definitely check it out on the Switch store.
Related: 10 Cosy Games Like Animal Crossing That You Might Enjoy
2) Coral Island (PlayStation, PC, Xbox)
Coral Island is my second recommendation for games like Stardew Valley, as it shares the latter’s iconic farming, crafting, relationship-building, and exploration mechanics. However, unlike Stardew Valley, Coral Island offers a Unique underwater exploration mechanism where players can clean up coral reefs, discover marine life, and gather underwater resources.
Furthermore, Coral Island heavily emphasises eco-friendly and raising awareness about environmental issues, as the story revolves around players working to restore the island’s natural beauty, helping local communities, and uncovering the island’s secrets by combating pollution and protecting marine life.
The game is ideal for players looking for a visually rich and thematically current game, such as myself, and I am confident you will enjoy the journey as much as I did.
3) Forager (PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, iOS, Android)
Forager comes in third on my list of games like Stardew Valley, as it engages gameplay centred around exploration, crafting, and building despite catering to different aspects of the sandbox and farming simulation genres. Firstly, Forager is a more fast-paced, open-ended game than Stardew Valley, as players must explore a procedurally generated world, gathering resources and uncovering new lands.
Crafting and building are a massive part of the game, with various structures unlocking new technologies, tools, and skills. The game’s progression also depends on the Tech Tree, as you will unlock new skills, tools, and structures as you gather resources and level up.
Lastly, since Forager is a procedurally generated world, I felt it has more replayability as it has multiple playthroughs to explore and strategies, making each playthrough different.
4) Graveyard Keeper (PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, iOS, Android)
During my research, I found games like Stardew Valley but also not quite like Stardew Valley, if that makes any sense. For example, Graveyard Keeper offers the same farming and management, but that’s where the similarities end. Firstly, Graveyard Keeper offers players a dark and humorous twist on managing a graveyard with dark comedy and supernatural elements.
Distinctly different from the light-hearted and wholesome Stardew Valley, Graveyard Keeper gives a more morbid and satirical tone, dealing with themes like death, corpses, and the afterlife. In addition, Players must maintain and improve their graveyard by burying bodies and decorating graves, a massive contrast to raising animals.
If you enjoy dark humour, complex crafting, and a unique twist on the management genre, Graveyard Keeper is a nice switch from Stardew Valley’s wholesomeness.
5) Moonlighter (PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, iOS, Android)
Onto the halfway mark of our list of games like Stardew Valley, we recommend Moonlighter, a farming simulator with more emphasis on adventuring. As an action RPG, Dungeon Crawler and Shop Management game, Moonlighter balances between fantasy, dungeon crawling and shopkeeping.
For example, the game follows the story of the protagonist, Will, who aspires to be a hero while managing the family shop. During the day, players will run a shop, selling the loot they’ve collected from fighting monster dungeons they explore during the night. Moreover, pricing items, managing inventory, and understanding market demands play a higher role in the game, and you must balance selling and crafting equipment.
It is a different taste from the others we recommended, but an action-packed dungeon exploration coupled with strategic shop management and combat is a nice change of pace.
6) My Time at Portia (PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, iOS, Android)
Continuing the fantasy theme, My Time at Portia takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, with a mix of fantasy and steampunk elements. In this game, Players inherit a workshop from their father and aim to become the best builder in Portia. The story involves rebuilding the town and uncovering the mysteries of the post-apocalyptic world.
Unlike Stardew Valley, farming is not the priority as it focuses heavily on crafting with a robust workshop system and gathering resources to fulfil commissions and build complex structures. In addition, the game is entirely a single-player experience, as it makes sense since it is more story-driven.
Related: Top 10 Simulation Games to Play in 2023
7) Sunhaven (PC)
Our seventh pick for games like Stardew Valley is Sunhaven, a popular farming simulation game combining farming with fantasy role-playing game (RPG) elements, such as magic, quests, and combat. For instance, the game’s setting includes magical elements, mythical creatures, and diverse biomes.
In addition, the game incorporates magic spells and fantasy combat, allowing for a more diverse approach to gameplay. The game also follows typical RPGs by emphasising quests and storyline progression, offering a structured narrative alongside the sandbox elements.
8) Harvest Moon (PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox)
Despite how hard we tried, it is impossible to disclude Harvest Moon, the original inspiration for Stardew Valley, in a listicle about games like Stardew Valley. Released in 1996, Harvest Moon shares many similarities with Stardew Valley, but listed below are some notable differences:
- Gameplay: Harvest Moon focuses more on structured goals and traditional farming mechanics, while Stardew Valley emphasises player freedom, exploration, and crafting.
- Community Interaction: Both games highlight the importance of community and relationships, but Stardew Valley’s deeper character interactions and events give players more narrative depth.
- Art Style: Both games feature pixel art, but Stardew Valley’s hand-drawn style offers a more modern and detailed aesthetic.
9) Rune Factory Series (PC, Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation)
The penultimate entry in our games like Stardew Valley is the whole Rune Factory Series. Serving as a spin-off of the Harvest Moon series that incorporates fantasy elements like monster taming and farming simulation with fantasy RPG elements such as combat, magic, and dungeon exploration, players can also interact with a variety of characters, each with their own stories, quests, and relationships to build.
Like the other RPG farming sim games above, the Rune Factory Series places a stronger emphasis on combat mechanics and dungeon crawling, offering a more action-oriented experience alongside farming. However, one drawback is the games are a single-player focus, with no multiplayer available.
10) Littlewood (PC, Nintendo Switch)
Closing out our games like Stardew Valley list, we have Littlewood, the beloved indie game developed by Sean Young. In Littlewood, Players will rebuild a village from scratch after defeating a Dark Wizard. Besides the start, the games share many similarities in farming, crafting, community interaction and offering seasonal events. However, there are still minor differences, which we will highlight below:
- Setting: Stardew Valley is more rural and nostalgic, while Littlewood’s world-building centres on rebuilding a village and uncovering mysteries.
- Game Mechanics: Littlewood introduces unique puzzle mechanics and a different approach to time management compared to Stardew Valley’s more structured daily routines.
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