Farming sims are some of my go-to games. While in recent years I’ve started to branch out and try new things, for a large part of my gaming years, this was my primary genre.
As a kid, I wore out the discs for various Harvest Moon games and as an adult, I’ve gotten to explore just how many Indie studios dive into the genre.
Lately, farming sims have been placed in the bigger (and more vague) genre of Cozy Games. With the holiday season behind us and most of winter in front of us, I thought it would be fun to provide a list of games that one could happily spend hours playing through the long winter nights.
1. Coral Island
My top game of 2023, this game has become one of my all time favorite games. Since the release of the full game in mid-November 2023, I’ve logged over 50 hours and have shoved aside most of my to-do list in terms of gaming to spend time in Starlet Town.
Available on Nintendo Switch and on Steam, Stairway Games more than delivered on their promises from their successful Kickstarter.
There’s so much to do in this game from traditional aspects of a farming sim to intriguing ecological additions. Mining has a deeper story than other farming sims and cleaning the ocean and diving its depths is something that I feel I’ve only scratched the surface of.
2. Roots of Pacha
This was a contender for my top game of 2023. This was also another find I had from Kickstarter.
Roots of Pacha is a farming sim that takes place with an ancient civilization. In addition to your farm, you have extensive areas to explore. You also get to help your tribe research new technologies to make their lives (and your farming) easier.
One thing I love about this game is that while it too has a lot of the elements of a traditional farming sim, it went the extra mile to make sure that it put its own unique spin on things.
Like Coral Island, there is no shortage of things to do. This also has a solid co-op mode that I’ve enjoyed with friends.
3. Ooblets
The best way I can describe this game is Farming Sim meets Pokémon.
I discovered this game back in early access and I find it to be both adorable and endearing. You head off to an island for adventure and for a new opportunity. You come to Badgetown and are greeted by the Mayor.
On top of a farm, you get to interact with Ooblets who are common in your new home. You can collect various species and participate in dance battles.
Ooblets made this list because it’s so quirky and unique that even the idea of it often puts a smile on my face.
4. Story of Seasons
As I mentioned earlier, I got my start with Harvest Moon games. Over the years I noticed the games seemed to lose their magic but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned about how the creative team split after a certain point.
In recent years, the team at Story of Seasons has been remaking the classic games that helped me fall in love with the genre. Just last year they released, A Wonderful Life which was a remake of my first ever farming sim.
Instead of putting a single game on this list, I’m leaving it open to the series as a whole I look forward to what’s next for this franchise and highly recommend it to fans of the genre.
5. Harvestella
This is a game that I’ve not spent nearly enough time on. Even putting aside the engaging story and the massive sprawling dungeons, this game has so much to explore.
One thing I look forward to digging deeper into is the mysterious season of death Quietus. It occurs between the seasons and I haven’t begun to figure out what it is.
Out of all of the games on this list, this game has the most action. The dungeons are long and traversing them can take several game days. But at the end you often get more than items as a reward – you unlock new areas to explore and deepen the story that surrounds the world you find yourself in.
There can be an argument made that the genre of Farming Sims is becoming over saturated. A lot of companies are releasing a lot of content and a chunk of my Steam Wishlist is dedicated to farming sims I want to try.
Perhaps I’ll work at this list in 2024!
Featured Image: Stairway Games
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