The best farming games to help you reap what you sow

The best farming games come in all shapes and sizes, making this one of the most diverse genres. Some titles deliver a traditional take on the ways of farming life, while others offer up spooky vibes or even go the fantasy route with the help of magic. From raising your own cows to growing, harvesting seasonal crops, and saving up to expand your agricultural haven, there's no shortage of farming games out there to try.  

However, with a ton of choices ranging from PC picks to Switch exclusives, finding your next plot of land can be tricky. Well, that's where we come in. Whether you want to corral slimes, get zombies to man a graveyard vineyard, or want to unlock magical powers to help your produce grow, we're here to help you find the farming sim that speaks to you. And if you enjoy getting creative and building up your own farm, you might also find something to try out among our the best crafting games or the best city building games lists. 

So get your watering can and sunhat at the ready as we take you through our selection of the 10 best farming games you can play right now. 

10. Graveyard Keeper 

Developer: Lazy Bear Games
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch, iOS, Android

If you’re more Wednesday Addams than the rest of this list, that’s ok; we understand. And so does Graveyard Keeper. It understands that instead of handing over wholesome bottles of milk or duck egg mayonnaise to your townspeople, you want to deliver ‘mystery meat’ to the local tavern that may or may not have been on your mortuary table.

There aren’t many medieval cemetery sims out there, but this is definitely our favorite as you accept corpses from a dutiful bell-ringing donkey, make friends with a bouncing skull, and fix up a cemetery. Unlocking new crafting methods is initially a little fiddly, but once you’ve got to grips with all the grim tasks necessary to fulfill your duties, the ‘sunshine’ and ‘happiness’ of all of the rest of the games on this list will become a distant memory. 

9. Fields of Mistria

Developer: NPC Studio 
Platform: PC 

Fields of Mistria may only be in Early Access, but when it launched in 2024, it had every farming game fan in a frenzy for good reason. Giving us a mix of Stardew Valley gameplay and Rune Factory aesthetics, there is something already incredibly comforting about Fields of Mistria's pastel-colored art style and mechanics. Like most other games in the genre, you’ll inherit a run-down farm and have to build it up and help out the town.

There are seasonal crops, a skill tree that unlocks farming powers, animals to raise and breed, and even a mysterious dragon statue to interact with. While there are no revolutionary mechanics here, Fields of Mistria gives cozy gaming fans all the hallmarks of a farming game that they love. The marriage candidates are also some of the most attractive NPCs that we’ve seen in a farming game yet, you know just in case you want to take a break from watering crops and jump into romance instead.

8. My Time at Portia

Developer: Pathea
Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch

My Time at Portia brings the wholesome farming and crafting action in beautiful 3D. As you might expect, moving into a rickety old shack is a little sad at first, but head into the town of Portia, and suddenly you’ll have all kinds of new friends and probably a strange obsession with playing a game called Cross Five with a chap named Isaac.

While crafting is the main focus in My Time at Portia, there is still plenty of farming, and the aim of the game is resource gathering at the end of the day! Desperate rock smashing and tree chopping quickly transform into elegant workshop creations and a cozy sense of farming pride. My Time at Sandrock has now been released as the sequel to My Time at Portia. However, while it's definitely worth playing, we still think Portia is the better fit for our best farming games list.

Read our My Time at Portia review for more information!

7. Slime Rancher

Developer: Monomi Park
Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Switch

Sometimes, cows and sheep just don’t cut it. You need springy, smiling blobs that can be sucked and fired from a custom piece of technology known as a Vacpack. Welcome to life on the Far, Far Range, where you’re going to become obsessed with feeding different colors of squishy creatures their favorite foods and selling their feces on the ever-changing *ahem* Plort Market.

There’s something unquantifiably glorious about Slime Rancher. Whether you’re adventuring out into the world to find new types of slimes to ensnare, or just making sure that no rogue creatures have escaped their enclosures and are eating poo, this is the kind of dangerously happy world that it’s easy to lose hours in. Just prepare for the guilt if you’ve not fed anyone in a while, and your Tabby Slimes' little hungry faces make you die a little inside. 

Love exploring? Check out our list of the best adventure games.

6. Kynseed

Developer: PixelCount Studios
Platform(s): PC

Kynseed is a sandbox life sim that's only grown more and more refined since leaving Early Access in 2022. Made by a team of ex-Lionhead developers, Kynseed's tongue-in-cheek humor sometimes feels similar to that of the Fable series. The two entities couldn't be more dissimilar in terms of gameplay. Kynseed certainly stands apart from the other titles on this list, particularly because everyone in the game will live and die while you play.

You'll control the titular Kynseed and grow your family legacy over generations by passing skills and powers down to your children and grandchildren. You can run businesses, go adventuring, develop relationships, and obviously farm, too. Through farming, you'll create various ingredients that you will come to rely upon, including beer and cures for illnesses. It's a massive farming and management sim with plenty of light combat elements. What's not to love?

Read our list of the best simulator games for more recommendations.

5. Wylde Flowers

Developer: Studio Drydock
Platform(s): PC, Switch, iOS

Wylde Flowers from developer Studio Drydock sees you take on the role of Tara, who's just moved to an island to take care of her grandmother. You'll soon get swept up in a magical story as you learn to become a witch, befriend the locals, and uncover mysteries. While witches and farming games are going through a big trend right now, this was one of the first titles to combine the two and is still also one of the best.

As you try your hand at the ways of being a witch, you'll look after your own farm, raise (and pet) cows, chickens, and more, and grow your own magical ingredients. You can even get married if you so choose. There's a lot of depth to the adventure, and if you're looking for a slice of farming life with a hint of magic, then look no further.  

4. Voltaire the Vegan Vampire

Developer: Digitality Games
Platform(s): PC, Switch

Touted as a "farming action roguelite," Voltaire the Vegan Vampire is an indie farming game with sharp fangs and heart. Dracula's most compassionate son, Voltaire, has fled his father's castle for fear of being just too different in his dietary choices. Stepping into little Volty's shoes, you'll be planting and nurturing a host of kooky plants that either sustain his unlife or defend him from the onslaught of enemies sent by dear old dad to tear down the farm and return Volataire to his authority.

Part farming sim and part Plants Versus Zombies-style combat, Voltaire the Vegan Vampire is a truly unique entrant among the best farming games because it's about so much more than simply growing crops. It's a challenging and strategic adventure involving numerous maps, hundreds of unique plants to collect and nurture, and a beautiful message underpinning it all: being yourself, no matter how different you feel, is a beautiful thing.

3. Coral Island

Developer: Stairway Games
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

If you're looking for a game like Stardew Valley, you really need to check out Coral Island because it's essentially the best clone yet. Seasonal events, mining, an entire town of people to befriend and romance, animal rearing, shrines to donate resources to, and, of course, farming too. There's so much that's directly inspired by Stardew Valley but with its own little tweaks and Indonesian influences.

There are hints of Animal Crossing, too, with a museum to build out, and Coral Island also does things its own way with elements like deep-sea diving and a mystery involving mermaids to unravel. All of that is coupled with a narrative that explores themes of pollution and spirituality. It's currently out of Early Access but is still being updated regularly with new content.

Next, read our list of the best games like Animal Crossing to play today.

2. Farming Simulator 23

Developer: Giants Software
Platform(s): Switch, Android, iOS

We say that all of the games on this list are about farming, but let’s face it, that’s not really the case. They’re about pressing A to crop, B to milk, or smudging your finger across a screen to make all your animals magically happy. Sure, it’s in the title, but Farming Simulator 23, much like its predecessors, is actually about farming.

It’s about fixing the right bits to the back of your tractor, lowering them perfectly to the ground, and feeling a slow, trickling sense of true achievement as you painstakingly manage to cultivate one tiny strip of acres of land. If the various attachments on your vacuum cleaner of choice get you excited, then you’re going to love this. As the latest entry in the series, Farming Simulator 23 brings in new maps, crops, machinery, and so much more to Switch and mobile players. This isn't just one of the best farming games – this is the ultimate simulator if you've ever fancied yourself a spot of country livin'.

1. Stardew Valley

Developer: ConcernedApe
Platform(s): PS4, PS5 Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch, iOS, Android

It might feel like a cop-out, but in the world of the best farming games, there really can be only one crown jewel. Here, in the sweet embrace of Stardew Valley, available on a now dangerous number of platforms, you will lose hundreds of hours painstakingly fixing up your grandfather’s old farm, naming your animals, selling your wares, mining, collecting, flirting…you get the idea. It’s all here in colorful, top-down form.

With a host of delightful updates since it first launched, there have been plenty of new additions to keep the pixelated farming sim feeling fresh and keep you coming back for more. Developer ConcernedApe (aka Eric Barone) is also hard at work on pixel RPG Haunted Chocolatier, but he's not hanging up his trowel and wellies just yet; Stardew Valley is his baby, but it's also everyone's favorite digital farming experience. If you've yet to check it out, here's your sign to do so.

If you're looking for more farming goodness, check out these games like Stardew Valley. Or look ahead with our list of all the new games heading our way.