Farming and farm simulation games have exploded in popularity over the last decade thanks to hit indie games like Stardew Valley. These virtual gardening and agriculture games let you live out your dreams of owning your own farm, whether that means growing crops, tending livestock, or just enjoying the pastoral fantasy.
The best farming games provide a peaceful yet engaging experience, letting you set your own goals and play at your own pace. They offer great replay value since no two farms are the same. Some games focus more on realism while others provide more casual, arcade-style game mechanics. Many also have multiplayer and co-op features that let you farm with friends for added fun.
If you‘re looking for a delightful way to unwind, going virtual green thumb with a top-notch farming game might be just what you need! Here are 10 of the best farming and farm simulation games you can play on PC right now.
1. Stardew Valley
No list of great farming games is complete without the indie megahit Stardew Valley. This pixel-graphic farming RPG lets you inherit your grandfather‘s old farm in the quaint Pelican Town. Getting the farm up and running again is up to you as your cultivate crops, raise animals, mine resources, fish, and get to know the charming townsfolk.
With so much freedom over how to build up your homestead and progress through the story, the options are nearly limitless in Stardew Valley. It‘s relaxing yet captivating, making it easy to lose entire nights and weekends to "just one more day" on your farm. With multiplayer co-op support too, you can share the fun farming life with friends.
Key Features:
- Pixel retro graphics with lovely animations
- Four farm map types to choose from
- Diverse crops, animals, recipes, and artisan goods
- Fishing, mining, foraging, and crafting secondary activities
- Dynamic NPC characters and dating/marriage
- Multiplayer co-op mode to play with friends
2. Farming Simulator 22
For the most realistic and authentic modern farming experience you can get without stepping outside, look no further than Farming Simulator 22. Giants Software‘s hyper-detailed farming simulation lets you operate over 500 authentic vehicles and machines from major agriculture brands, manage livestock, grow crops, and design your farm on vast American and European environments.
Farming Simulator 22 brings new graphics, an improved UI, seasonal cycles, production chains, and vehicle customization options to the series. It also boasts cross-platform multiplayer to play cooperatively with others. An incredible simulation for aspiring virtual farmers.
Key Features:
- Most in-depth farming simulation available
- Over 500 highly detailed vehicles and tools
- Cultivate, grow, and harvest 14 crop varieties
- Care for and breed cows, sheep, chickens, and pigs
- Multiplayer with crossplay across PC, console and Stadia
- Mod support adds 100,000+ community creations
3. Coral Island
One of the most hotly anticipated farming games coming in 2023 is Coral Island. Inspired by old-school favorites like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley, Coral Island stand outs for its cheerful 3D visuals and coastal small-town setting.
As you restore your grandfather‘s old farm that sits adjacent to a struggling coral reef, you‘ll grow crops, gather resources, befriend townsfolk and expand the farm into your own personal paradise. With life sim and social elements too, Coral Island looks to challenge Stardew Valley‘s dominance over the indie farming scene. It‘s definitely one to watch early access release later this year.
Key Features:
- Beautiful 3D visuals with day/night and weather
- Customizable player farmer characters
- Fantasy creatures like mermaids and spirits
- Farming, fishing, mining and foraging
- Multiplayer planned post early access
4. Farm Together
For a fun and friendly multiplayer farming experience, check out Farm Together. Up to four players can develop a shared farm together online, building structures, planting fields, gathering materials, and taking care of animals.
Simple controls and cute graphics make Farm Together accessible for gamers of all ages and backgrounds. Automatic harvesting and growth means your farm will progress even while you‘re offline too. If you‘ve ever wanted to create and manage a farm with friends or family, Farm Together makes that dream easy and enjoyable.
Key Features:
- Online co-op for 1-4 players
- 150+ crops and animals to raise
- Charming low-poly visuals
- Automatic cloud saves and growth
- Over 500 decorative and functional items
- Cross-platform multiplayer
5. Big Farm: Story
For a farming game that doesn‘t skimp on narrative depth, Big Farm: Story is a great choice. As the new owner of your family‘s old farm estate, you‘ll breathe new life into the property through farming, customization projects, and forging connections around town.
Lush 3D visuals and hundreds of quests make Big Farm: Story an engaging and beautifully designed farm game for PC. Help townsfolk, make new friends, gather resources and expand your farm as you unravel generational secrets buried in your family’s history.
Key Features:
- Hundreds of story-driven farming quests
- Lavish 3D farm graphics and animations
- Grow and manufacture over 500 crop varieties
- Complete over 140 farm upgrades and expansions
- Uncover a mystery-drama plot across generations
6. Pocket Harvest
Fans of mobile farming apps and life sims will adore Pocket Harvest. This indie farming RPG casts you as a disillusioned office worker who ditches the rat race for small-town life running your own organic farm. With help from wise locals, you‘ll grow giant crops, craft goods, attract tourists, and optimize profits through micro-management decisions.
Vibrant pixel art and chill music make Pocket Harvest an aesthetic joy to play through multiple farm generations. Kairosoft‘s unique crop gene-splicing mechanic also lets you create over 500 varieties of fruits and veggies. Juggling tasks while earning enough to expand feels great when everything clicks.
Key Features:
- Cute and colorful pixel graphics
- Micro-manage crops, livestock, production
- Grow crops through 7 generations
- Create custom fruit and vegetable varieties
- Design amusement attractions to draw tourists
- Simple controls optimized for mouse/touch
7. Farmer‘s Dynasty
For a first-person farming experience focused more on simulation than management, check out Farmer‘s Dynasty. Using either keyboard/mouse or controller, you will perform tasks in a hands-on way like feeding animals, operating machinery, chopping wood and more across changing seasons.
Farmer‘s Dynasty sets itself apart with full 1:1 scale recreations of licensed machines and vehicles from agriculture industry leaders. Realistically simulated repair, fuel usage, maintenance and part replacements also give it additional depth for would-be farmers seeking ultimate authenticity.
Key Features:
- Immersive first-person simulation controls
- Meticulously detailed vehicles and tools
- Realistic fuel, repair and part systems
- Full day/night and seasonal cycles
- Forage, fish, harvest lumber
- Court and marry a local townswoman
8. Atomicrops
For a farming flavored twist on roguelike dungeon crawlers and tower defense games, don‘t overlook Atomicrops. This indie mashup has you defending your farm patch from monsters using firearms and farm tools by day while growing lucrative mutant crops by night.
With daily random events, unlockable characters and abilities, and local co-op play, Atomicrops turns relaxing farm life upside down in frantic yet super enjoyable ways. It‘s a distinctly fresh take on farming games no one saw coming.
Key Features:
- Dynamic roguelike elements
- Tower defense-style combat waves
- Four playable characters with distinct stats
- Daily random events and mutant crop breeds
- Crazy weapon and tool upgrades
- Local co-op multiplayer
9. Landwirtschafts-Simulator 2022
Germany‘s leading farming franchise returns with new content and features for 2022. Landwirtschafts-Simulator 2022 (Agricultural Simulator 2022) is a complex, authentic farm sim for serious virtual farmers wanting maximum realism across all platforms.
With over 400 vehicles and tools to operate from leading brands, detailed renderings of animal behaviors, a new North American environment, and improved mod support. Giants Software flex their simulation prowess for veteran farming fans.
Key Features:
- Officially licensed vehicles and tools
- New US themed environment and crops
- Overhauled graphics, lighting and textures
- Advanced authentic simulation mechanics
- Expanded mod support via official ELS
- Playable on PC, Mac, Playstation, Xbox
10. Light of Hope
Rounding out the list is Light of Hope, the latest PC entry in the iconic farming RPG franchise Story of Seasons (called Harvest Moon in older games). Light of Hope returns to series roots with familiar farming and relationship mechanics while adding crafting elements.
As you restore a lighthouse, farm the frontier land, raise animals, and bond with settlers, nostalgic charm permeates throughout Light of Hope. It may not be the most complex or prettiest farm sim out there, but it has that signature relaxing satisfaction the Bokujo/Story of Seasons line is renowned for.
Key Features:
- Signature farming and life sim elements
- Farming, animal care, fishing, etc.
- Craft various amenities and goods
- Woo and marry one of six bachelors/bachelorettes
- Retro SNES-era vibes and visuals
- Playable on Switch, Mobile, and PC
This selection shows the incredible variety that farming video games offer in 2023. Whether you seek a relaxing escapist experience or authentic agriculture simulation, there‘s a great farming game out there for you!
Farming games continue advancing in exciting ways across PC platforms. Realism and immersion improve as things like VR support become more common too. And the lines between farming, RPGs, and life simulation further blend together for captivating hybrid experiences.
So grab some headphones, fire up Steam or Epic Games store, and enjoy the pastoral gaming wonders that await with this year‘s impressive crop of titles! Let us know your favorite farming games in the comments too. We‘d love to hear what virtual farms you love to lose yourself in!
