Nine Games to Play If You Love Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a game that never really ends. With hundreds of hours of content and a bunch of ways to optimize your farm, it's a game that never really ends. But if you've tired yourself out with endless harvests, forays down the mines, and trips to Clint's shop where you arrive just a few minutes after he’s already closed up for the night, it might be time for a little break. Luckily, there are plenty of similar games to check out if you’re still hoping to scratch that Stardew itch while trying out something new. Here are nine games that you should play if you love Stardew Valley.
Fields of Mistria
Fields of Mistria is the most obvious choice here. After its 2024 early access release, it quickly became one of the most beloved farming sims in recent memory. While it’s pretty similar to Stardew, Fields of Mistria boasts a cutesy art style, a magic system, and some very fulfilling town restoration. Its world just feels so alive, which makes it a great pick if you’re tired of Stardew’s occasionally repetitive dialogue. Fields of Mistria is leaving early access in August, so now’s your chance to hop on the bandwagon for future bragging rights.
Personally, I think Fields of Mistria is a game that really captures the essence of Stardew Valley, but with a fresh and charming twist. The magic system and town restoration mechanics add a layer of depth and engagement that I find particularly fascinating. What makes this game stand out is how it manages to feel both familiar and innovative at the same time. If you’re looking for a farming sim that offers a bit more variety and charm than Stardew, Fields of Mistria is definitely worth checking out.
Ooblets
I loved Ooblets so much that I’m keeping it in here despite the fact that it was in our last iteration of this list (https://kotaku.com/stardew-valley-games-like-farming-sim-cozy-harvestella-1849487513) (sorry, editors). Ooblets combines the life sim and farming elements of Stardew with the creature collection and battling of Pokémon, but there’s a twist: the titular Ooblets fight through card-based dance battles. These battles are pretty easy, so this isn’t a great choice if you’re looking for a challenge (or if you’re not a fan of cringey millennial misspellings in the vein of “birb” and “doggo,” which this game has plenty of). But if you are looking for a cutesy game to breeze through and collect achievements in, Ooblets is a great pick.
In my opinion, Ooblets is a game that really captures the spirit of Stardew Valley, but with a fun and unique twist. The creature collection and card-based battles add a layer of excitement and engagement that I find particularly engaging. What makes this game stand out is how it manages to blend the familiar elements of Stardew with a fresh and innovative gameplay loop. If you’re looking for a game that offers a bit more variety and charm than Stardew, Ooblets is definitely worth checking out.
Rusty’s Retirement
Rusty’s Retirement is like Stardew but automated. You command a little army of cute robots that automate your farm, and it’s your job to stop in and purchase upgrades and new crops. This game is responsible for starting the whole “game that runs at the bottom of your screen while you try and fail to focus on other tasks” trend, and it kicked it off for a good reason—there’s some really good pacing here, and it’s delightfully satisfying to get things up and running smoothly. Just exercise caution if you’re attempting to play this while working.
From my perspective, Rusty’s Retirement is a game that really captures the essence of Stardew Valley, but with a fun and innovative twist. The automated farm mechanics and the focus on upgrades and new crops add a layer of depth and engagement that I find particularly fascinating. What makes this game stand out is how it manages to feel both familiar and innovative at the same time. If you’re looking for a farming sim that offers a bit more variety and charm than Stardew, Rusty’s Retirement is definitely worth checking out.
Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar
Stardew Valley likely wouldn’t exist without the Harvest Moon (now called Story of Seasons) series, but if you’re a farming sim fan because of Stardew, it’s likely that you won’t enjoy the tedious grind and simple graphics of the series’ earlier games. That’s why I’d recommend the latest remake in the series, Grand Bazaar, which is a fan favorite for a good reason. There’s plenty of neat farming and life sim stuff here, but the titular Grand Bazaar where you sell your wares is the best part.
What makes Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar stand out is how it manages to capture the essence of Stardew Valley while also offering a fresh and innovative twist. The Grand Bazaar mechanics and the focus on selling your wares add a layer of depth and engagement that I find particularly fascinating. If you’re looking for a farming sim that offers a bit more variety and charm than Stardew, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is definitely worth checking out.
Dave the Diver
Dave the Diver follows a more linear narrative than my previous picks, but during my playthrough, I still got into a very Stardew-esque flow thanks to its excellent loop that never grows tiring. This game is half RPG and half management sim—by day, you’ll dive for fish, while at night, you’ll turn your fish into food as you manage a sushi restaurant and bar. It’s delightful to fine-tune your restaurant’s menu as you complete weird requests for VIPs, and there are plenty of goofy minigames that pop up during the story to keep things fresh. There are even some really neat boss fights!
In my opinion, Dave the Diver is a game that really captures the spirit of Stardew Valley, but with a fun and unique twist. The RPG and management sim elements, combined with the linear narrative and excellent loop, create a gameplay experience that I find particularly engaging. What makes this game stand out is how it manages to blend the familiar elements of Stardew with a fresh and innovative gameplay loop. If you’re looking for a game that offers a bit more variety and charm than Stardew, Dave the Diver is definitely worth checking out.
Chef RPG
Speaking of running a restaurant, Chef RPG is another great pick that’s a lot more faithful to Stardew. This one is a little rough around the edges (it’s an early access game, after all). But if you’ve ever dreamed of doing basically everything that Stardew has to offer—foraging, fishing, mining, fighting, and befriending townspeople—while also running a restaurant, Chef RPG is a solid choice. It also has a long main quest line, which is helpful if you’re the type of person who has no idea what to do in more open-ended sims that ditch their quests the moment the tutorial ends.
From my perspective, Chef RPG is a game that really captures the essence of Stardew Valley, but with a fun and innovative twist. The focus on running a restaurant and the long main quest line add a layer of depth and engagement that I find particularly fascinating. What makes this game stand out is how it manages to blend the familiar elements of Stardew with a fresh and innovative gameplay loop. If you’re looking for a game that offers a bit more variety and charm than Stardew, Chef RPG is definitely worth checking out.
Kabuto Park
Okay, this one’s kind of a stretch—there’s no farming or management here, and it’s about two hours long instead of an endless grind. But a big part of Stardew Valley is just hanging out and spending time outside, and Kabuto Park replicates that atmosphere perfectly by letting you catch beetles, upgrade your gear, and work your way through a gauntlet of casual beetle battles. If you’re looking for a quick outdoorsy game you can get through in an evening, this one’s your best friend.
In my opinion, Kabuto Park is a game that really captures the spirit of Stardew Valley, but with a fun and unique twist. The focus on catching beetles and upgrading your gear, combined with the casual beetle battles, create a gameplay experience that I find particularly engaging. What makes this game stand out is how it manages to replicate the atmosphere of Stardew Valley while also offering a fresh and innovative gameplay loop. If you’re looking for a game that offers a bit more variety and charm than Stardew, Kabuto Park is definitely worth checking out.
Coral Island
There are a lot of recent 3D entries in the farming sim genre that basically copy Stardew Valley without adding much other than a third dimension. Surprise: a lot of them just…are not that good (Starsand Island, I’m looking at you). Despite still clinging to Stardew’s tried and true formula, Coral Island is actually pretty good. Aside from the usual suspects, Coral Island offers up a really beautiful island to explore, a narrative about fending off an oil company that wants to exploit the island’s resources, and, best of all, hot mermaids who live in an underwater region that you can actually explore.
What makes Coral Island stand out is how it manages to capture the essence of Stardew Valley while also offering a fresh and innovative twist. The beautiful island to explore, the narrative about fending off an oil company, and the hot mermaids who live in an underwater region add a layer of depth and engagement that I find particularly fascinating. If you’re looking for a farming sim that offers a bit more variety and charm than Stardew, Coral Island is definitely worth checking out.
Persona 4 Golden
Hold on, shhhhhh, hear me out. I get that this is vastly different from Stardew in pretty much every way. But if you’re a fan of the life sim part of Stardew, chances are that you’ll also love Persona 4 Golden. It’s half turn-based RPG and half social sim, and the bonds you build with your friends actually influence your combat abilities. Persona 5 Royal is the most recent entry in the series, but 4 takes place in a rural town and boasts a very charming cast (plus, you can grow some “Great Vegetables” (https://youtu.be/-6laJs49-y0?si=jmyCLBSw7BxBi0V7) with your pal Dojima), so it’s a bit closer to the general atmosphere of Stardew. There’s a remake coming out next year, though, so if you’re looking for a newer experience with more quality-of-life features, maybe hold out until February.
In my opinion, Persona 4 Golden is a game that really captures the spirit of Stardew Valley, but with a fun and unique twist. The turn-based RPG and social sim elements, combined with the charming cast and the ability to grow “Great Vegetables,” create a gameplay experience that I find particularly engaging. What makes this game stand out is how it manages to blend the familiar elements of Stardew with a fresh and innovative gameplay loop. If you’re looking for a game that offers a bit more variety and charm than Stardew, Persona 4 Golden is definitely worth checking out.
