Life Sims, Cozy RPGs, and Adventure Games, Oh My! These Are the Titles You Can Lose Yourself in Before Starting Your Next SDV Farm
Life Sims, Cozy RPGs, and Adventure Games, Oh My! These Are the Titles You Can Lose Yourself in Before Starting Your Next SDV Farm
With a unique art style, addictive gameplay, and poignant stories, itâs no wonder so many people are obsessed with ConcernedApeâs Stardew Valley. Since the game was released in 2016, the life/farming sim has racked up over 400,000 Overwhelmingly Positive reviews on Steam alone. Â
After nearly a decade, youâd think fans would have run out of things to discover â but with tons of content in the original game and an active fan community turning out new Stardew Valley mods all the time, thereâs always more to do in the Valley.
But while we wait for the ConcernedApeâs next release, the Haunted Chocolatier, what other games are Stardew Valley fans playing? There are tons of addictive cozy games out there, but which ones scratch the same itch as befriending the Wizard, fishing with Willey, or racing off to woo Harvey before he locks the clinic door at 3pm?
Thatâs why we put together this list! By Stardew fans, for Stardew fans. Here are the titles in our Steam Library that give us major Stardew vibes for any of these reasons:
And anything else that just gives off the right vibe. We hope you like them!
Overwhelmingly Positive | Single Player | $13.99
There are plenty of games out there that try to rip off Stardew Valley (badly) â but Fields of Mistria isnât one of them. Despite having the same basic ingredients, the game has a very different feel to it â similar to how you can combine flour, butter, and sugar and get a cake, but you could combine them differently to get cookies.
Field of Mistria will have a familiar format for any Stardew Valley fans â after an earthquake hits Mistria, siblings/town leaders Adeline and Eiland decide to call in some reinforcements to get the town back on its feet. Youâll be plopped down on a farm south of town, and from there itâs up to you to grow flowers, befriend townsfolk, fall in love, and farm, fish, swim, and mine your way through the game.
My favorite parts? Having a whole new town of villagers to befriend or romance, plus the GBA-inspired graphics.
You also may be excited to hear⊠no impossible fishing mini game đŁ
đź Buy Fields of Mistria on Steam
Overwhelmingly Positive | Single Player / Co-Op | $29.99
If you ever thought that the deceased deserved a slightly cozier escort to the great beyond than mythologyâs Cheron, then we have good news! Spiritfarer follows the story of Stella, a ferry master who takes up the mantle, setting off to befriend spirits and grant their last wishes before getting them safely to the gateway to the afterlife.
Stardew Valley has its share of heartfelt relationship storylines, and Spiritfarer is similarly cozy but even more poignant. As you build your boat and explore an archipelago of islands, youâll explore themes of grief and acceptance⊠and the importance of cherishing relationships with others.
Overwhelmingly Positive | Single Player | $9.99
We love a good one(ish) man show. If youâre still blown away that ConcernedApe developed Stardew Valley solo, prepare to be impressed by indie developer tobyfox. Outside of some artwork and character design by a few guest designers, tobyfox developed the entirety of this adventure RPG alone, including script, gameplay, and music.
Youâll play as a human who falls underground into the world of monsters, where youâll have to fight your way out or remain trapped forever. You can rain destruction down upon your foes if you want, but perhaps the coziest part of this game is the killing is totally unnecessary. You can best your enemies by dance battle, secret telling, or even⊠giving pets (there are several dogs in this game).
Mostly Positive | Single Player | $39.99
Depending how plugged in you are to Harvest Moon news, you may/may not know that when the fan-favorite game series changed publishers, it got a new name, too: and thatâs Story of Seasons.
(It gets a little confusing because âHarvest Moonâ games are still being published by other developers who got to keep the naming rights, but Story of Seasons is the actual continuation of the series thatâs being made by the original team responsible for the fan-favorite Harvest Moon games that took the world by storm starting in 1996 on the Game Boy)
There are a few different Story of Season games on Steam including A Wonderful Life, Pioneers of Olive Town, and Friends of Mineral Town.
đź Buy Story of Seasons on Steam
Mostly Positive | Single Player | $49.99
Alternatively, you can try out what the new developers have been working on under the old Harvest Moon name. The latest installment is The Winds of Anthos â which gets reviews that are more mixed that the titles Story of Seasons is putting out, but ultimately, itâs up to personal preference.
Both are delightful farming life sims with their own pros and cons. If youâre still undecided, check out this comparison to see which one is more of what youâre looking for.
đź Buy Harvest Moon on Steam
Very Positive | Single Player | $19.99
The fact that this game is the self-proclaimed âmost inaccurate medieval cemetery management sim of all timeâ should tell you everything you need to know about the kind of humor to expect here. Youâll face ethical dilemmas, enjoy addictive crafting, and (hopefully) make it home.
Lazy Bear Games â the Russian indie game studio that brought Graveyard Keeper to life â listed Stardew Valley as an inspiration for the game, and fans can definitely see the resemblance⊠although they note the two farm sim games have very different areas of focus.
According to u/Rebochan:
âGK probably wouldnât exist without SV because that game built the audience and demographic it needs to survive. But itâs also very different, the same way that SV wouldnât exist without Harvest Moon but is still very different⊠your ultimate goal is not to enjoy a life simulator but to escape it entirely!â
Translation: if you feel like the farming and mining gets a little too grind-y in Stardew Valley, you might even prefer Graveyard Keeper. Since farming for farmingâs sake isnât the sake of the game, there are ways to automate repetitive tasks. If youâre an introvert who doesnât like getting to know the townies, donât worry â the social component isnât huge. Instead, youâll be spending more time on crafting, alchemy, and story quests.
But all-in-all, if youâre looking for a game with Stardew-like gameplay and graphics with a morbid sense of humor, this is it.
đź Buy Graveyard Keeper on Steam
Very Positive | Single Player / Co-Op | $24.99
Do you live for the Wizard/Witch divorce drama? Or perhaps you wished there was a more magical way to corral slimes and defeat shadow brutes? Well Sunhaven takes that iconic Stardew magic up a level with dragons and spellcasting citizens of the Valley could only imagine.
There are plenty of familiar elements â seasonal crops, bulletin board quests, romanceable townsfolk â all with a fantasy theme. Some fans feel the content of the game is more âsuperficialâ than the experience Stardew Valley provides (giving more breadth, but less depth to each character and storyline).
Redditor u/ImprovementLiving120 might sum it up best:
âIt's definitely fun but it seems more "mindless" to me than Stardew, if that makes sense? Not mindlessly made, but it's simply a more shallow user experience, and it's so busy with so many items to buy and so little explanations and at the same time so little to strive for, somehow?â
but for others, the charming graphics and magical world make it just as addictive as SDV, if not even more so.
Very Positive | Single Player / Co-Op | $17.99
Take one look at Travellers Rest, and the Stardew Valley inspiration is immediately clear. But this indie adventure game is all about becoming the best innkeeper in the realm â and big things are on the horizon! Developers IsolatedGames have reported that tons of additional features are in the works, ranging from more world to explore to overarching story quests to more recipes and interactions with NPCs.
When it came out in 2024, Travellers Rest even took home an award from Wholesome Direct and was named a finalist for best casual game at gamescom latam.
đź Buy Travellers Rest on Steam
Very Positive | Single Player | $14.99
If your idea of âspooky seasonâ is more marshmallows and cartoon pumpkins than slasher movies and scares, Cozy Grove is the perfect SDV-like game for you. It takes place on the campground at a haunted, ever-changing island where youâll explore and uncover new secrets each day.
And if the clock mechanic in Stardew drives you crazy, youâre not alone. Weâve all been burned by falling asleep in the mines before đ„Č But Cozy Grove is synced to real time, offering up 30-60 minutes worth of new quest content every day. After that you can still explore and decorate, but the pressureâs off!
Very Positive | Single Player / Co-Op | $24.99
Farming sim, but make it stone age. Roots of Pacha is a relaxing take on the genre thatâs full of discovery. Youâll play flora and fauna based mini games, form bonds in your community, develop tools, and discover âideasâ (like domesticating crops or befriending animals!) that will help your village thrive.
đź Buy Roots of Pacha on Steam
Very Positive | Single Player | $29.99
Coral Island is very much inspired by the classics of the farm simulation genre, Stardew Valley included, but the island setting gives it a fresh take! Youâll meet diverse NPCs, find love, explore the mines, set up your farm, and even restore the coral reef.
đź Buy Coral Island on Steam
Mostly Positive | Single Player | $14.99
Imagine Stardew Valley minus the time-constraints that make it challenging in the early game. Sound peaceful, cozy, relaxing? Thatâs exactly why Littlewood is on this list.
Explore, build, and chit-chat with villages. Complete quests for your new friends, or simply wander the Littlewood realm. The stakes are low, and the pace is slow⊠and sometimes, thatâs just what youâre looking for.
Very Positive | Single Player | $29.99
If youâve downloaded more than one anime portrait mod for Stardew Valley, this one's for you. Rune Factory 4 is a fantasy farm sim game that takes place in a region called Selphia, which is ruled by the Native Dragon Ventuswill⊠and you.
The dungeons are somewhat more involved than Stardew Valleyâs mines, but youâll also find plenty of familiar elements like growing crops, raising monsters, and searching for love amongs the townsfolk.
đź Buy Rune Factory 4 on Steam
Mostly Positive | Single Player | $24.99
Build your legacy of the course of a lifetime with the unique indie adventure Kynseed. Youâll embark on a fairytale adventure that spans generations, so prepare for a little bit of everything: farming, fighting an evil army, running a store, exploring an enchanted realm⊠and then passing it all on to your kids.
According to the critics at PC Gamer:
âA hearty stew made from the elements of Fable, Stardew Valley, and Crusader Kings.â
Keep in mind, your decisions matter! So youâll certainly make friends in Kynseed, but you may also find yourself making enemies as well.
đź Buy Kynseed on Steam
Overwhelmingly Positive | Single Player | $19.99
Selected for obvious reasons :)
Slime Rancher is a little different than Stardew Valley gameplay wise â itâs a cute sandbox exploration game, actually. But if you ever wished there was more you could do with your slimes than stick them in a hutch, youâll have lots of fun following slime rancher Bellatrix LeBeaux as she wrangles slimes a thousand light years away from Earth.
đź Buy Slime Rancher on Steam
Very Positive | Single Player | $29.99
Who says the apocalypse has to be the end? Armed with your paâs handbook and workbench, youâll set out to restore the family farm to its former glory â and maybe one day, youâll even be crowned the number one workshop in Portia for your efforts.
When it was released in 2017, My Time At Portia brought home a couple of awards: the Indie Prize for Best Kids & Family game, as well as the Best Games Grand Prize from IndiePlay.
đź Buy My Time at Portia on Steam
Very Positive | Single Player | $19.99
Forager is a joyful little idle game inspired by the likes of 2D classics Stardew Valley, Terraria, and Zelda. You wonât start with much⊠nothing, in fact. But you can become a gatherer, a farmer, a builder, an adventurer, or a capitalist as you see fit to tailor your gameplay experience and wring as much fun as possible out of the dungeons and challenges.
đź Buy Forager on Steam
Overwhelmingly Positive | Single Player | $24.99
Wylde Flowers is the charming story of Tara, a devoted granddaughter who moves to rural Fairhaven to help take care of the family farm. The memorable cast of characters is fully voice acted, which is a cool addition!
By day, youâll complete all the usual farm sim tasks â growing crops, meeting your neighbors.
But by night, youâll nurture your inner witch: brew potions, fly your broomstick, and even transform into a cat!
đź Buy Wylde Flowers on Steam
Coming soon | Single Player / Co-Op
Witchbrook was announced a while ago, but the latest update from developers Chucklefish and Robotality have given us new hope that weâll see Witchbrook in 2025 â albeit closer to the end of the year. And why, oh why is it so highly anticipated?
Just imagine if Hogwarts were located in Stardew Valley, and youâll get a sense for the witchy academia weâre anticipating with Witchbrook. Youâll settle into the seaside city of Mossport to attend Witchbrook College where the ârichly detailed RPGâ will guide you through learning spells, casting enchantments, and befriending spirits.
Not to mention making friends, finding love, and helping your classmates chase their dreams in the leadup to graduation!
đź Check out Witchbrook on Steam
While there is only one Stardew Valley, there are lots of other games out there that combine our favorite elements of SDV in different ways.
