Are you on the hunt for the next cozy game that can keep you hooked the way Stardew Valley did? You’re not alone.
I’ll be honest: few games have ever consumed my free time like Stardew Valley. Farming, fishing, mining, dating, I’ve lost track of how many hours I’ve sunk into Pelican Town. And while it’s basically perfect at what it does, at some point you hit that wall: you’ve maxed your skills, romanced your favorite characters, rebuilt your farm into a masterpiece, and maybe even splurged on that absurdly expensive Gold Clock. Suddenly, you’re left staring at the title screen wondering… what now?
That’s where this list comes in. While nothing will ever fully replace Stardew Valley, there are plenty of games that capture that same magical blend of routine, relationships, and relaxation. Some lean more into farming, others push harder on crafting or combat, and a few take the cozy formula into entirely new directions.
Games Like Stardew Valley: Quick Picks
If you just want the list, here’s the no-scroll version:
- Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town – Stardew Valley with cutsie 3D graphics.
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Relaxed island life, decorating, and animal neighbors.
- My Time at Portia – Life-sim with crafting, quests, and dungeon exploring.
- My Time at Sandrock – Stardew Valley with a crafting/building focus.
- Rune Factory (series) – Stardew Valley that is more action-oriented, with monster taming.
- Coral Island – Hand-drawn art style with deeper storytelling.
- Sun Haven – Stardew Valley with an advanced skill tree and fantasy combat.
- Wylde Flowers – Cozy farming with witches and a magical twist.
- Roots of Pacha – Stardew Valley set in the stone age.
- Littlewood – Life after saving the world, focused on city-building.
- Fields of Mistria – Farming sim with a 90s anime aesthetic.
- Wanderstop – Narrative-driven cozy sim from Davey Wreden (The Stanley Parable).
- Summer in Mara – Farming and exploration with pirates.
- Fae Farm – Farming plus more dungeon crawling and co-op play.
- Disney Dreamlight Valley – Farming meets Disney, best as a live-service game.
- Farming Simulator (series) – More realistic farming experience.
- Garden Paws – Cute shopkeeping and farming with animal villagers.
- Moonlighter – Farming sim meets roguelike dungeon crawling.
- Doraemon Story of Seasons – Wholesome farming with Doraemon’s charm.
- Slime Rancher (1 & 2) – Farming slimes on an alien world.
- Spiritfarer – Management sim with farming-like tasks, focused on caring for spirits.
What is Stardew Valley?
If you’ve somehow missed the phenomenon, Stardew Valley is a farming and life simulation game created almost entirely by one developer, Eric Barone (aka ConcernedApe). It starts simple: you inherit a rundown farm on the edge of a sleepy little town. But it doesn’t take long before you realize just how much there is to do.
You can plant and harvest crops, raise animals, forage in the woods, and go mining for rare gems or, if you’re feeling adventurous, head deep into the caves to fight monsters. Outside the farm, Pelican Town is filled with characters to meet, befriend, and even marry. Seasons change, festivals pop up on the calendar, and the world slowly becomes your own.
What makes Stardew Valley special isn’t just the mechanics, it’s the atmosphere. Every day feels like a little story. Do you water your crops and head to the mines? Do you give a gift to your favorite villager and try to unlock a new cutscene? Or maybe you just fish by the river until the sun sets. It’s that freedom and coziness that keeps people playing for hundreds of hours.
What Makes a Game Like Stardew Valley?
Not every farming sim deserves to be called “the next Stardew.” Plenty have tried, but what makes Stardew Valley so special is how all the little systems click together in a way that just works. When I look for other games in the genre, here are the ingredients that matter most:
- Farming at the core – Crops, animals, and that satisfying sense of watching your land transform season by season.
- Side activities that actually matter – Fishing, foraging, crafting, mining, or even a bit of combat. The kind of stuff that breaks up the routine so every day feels a little different.
- A real sense of community – NPCs who stick in your head, relationships that feel worth pursuing, and festivals or events that make the world feel alive.
- Progression you can feel – Better tools, new skills, new areas to unlock. You should always feel like today’s effort is nudging you a step forward.
- A cozy, lived-in world – Whether it’s a sleepy town, a magical forest, or even an alien planet, the setting has to feel welcoming enough that you want to come back tomorrow.
The games on this list don’t just copy Stardew’s farming loop, they capture that feeling of coziness and discovery, then add their own twist. Some lean more into story, others push combat or crafting, but they all share that same DNA: a loop of work, growth, and connection that keeps you saying “just one more day.”
My Time at Sandrock
Portia’s desert cousin: community rebuilding, crafting machines, mining, and town quests scratch that day-by-day improvement itch.
A spiritual successor to My Time at Portia, Sandrock takes the same workshop-focused gameplay and drops it into a desert town that’s begging to be rebuilt. Farming takes a bit of a backseat here, you’ll spend most of your time crafting, upgrading machines, and fulfilling requests for the community. It’s got a slightly grittier, frontier vibe, but the heart of the game is still cozy: waking up each morning with a new project to tackle.
Where to Play My Time at Sandrock
The desert frontier is a little newer, so its platform spread is still growing:
- PC – Available now on Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.
- Nintendo Switch – On the Nintendo eShop.
- PlayStation – Released on PS5 via the PlayStation Store.
- Xbox – Playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S through the Xbox Store.
Rune Factory (series)
Stardew’s farming and social sim, but with real-time dungeon crawling, monster taming, and boss fights.
Imagine if Stardew Valley and a JRPG had a baby. That’s Rune Factory. You get all the farming sim staples, crops, animals, festivals, but layered on top is a surprisingly deep action RPG system. You’ll head into dungeons, tame monsters, and even fight bosses, all while balancing your farm life back home. It’s Stardew with more adrenaline, perfect if you want a little more action in your cozy loop.
Where to Play Rune Factory (series)
Rune Factory has been around for a while, and depending on the entry, you’ll find it on different platforms. The most recent game, Rune Factory 5, is easy to grab:
- Nintendo Switch – Available on the Nintendo eShop.
- PC – Released on Steam.
Earlier entries in the series (like Rune Factory 4 Special) are also on Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, so you’ve got plenty of options if you want to dive deep into the franchise.
Coral Island
Modern Stardew-like: seasons, romance, festivals, farming, and an emphasis on environmental restoration.
Coral Island feels like the modern, hand-painted reimagining of what a farming sim can be. The art style is gorgeous, the cast is diverse, and the story digs deeper into environmental themes. It plays closest to Stardew Valley in terms of mechanics, but it’s got a polish and personality that make it feel fresh. If you want the “closest thing to Stardew, but new,” this is high on the list.
Where to Play Coral Island
This one launched as a modern Stardew-like and is already getting tons of buzz:
- PC – Play it on Steam or Xbox Game Pass for PC.
- Xbox – Available on Xbox Series X/S.
A Switch version is in development, but right now Coral Island is mainly a PC and Xbox experience.
Sun Haven
Stardew loop plus an RPG skill tree, classes, and magic, farming by day, spell-slinging by night.
What happens if you take the Stardew formula and inject it with a full-blown RPG skill tree and magic system? You get Sun Haven. You’ll still be farming and chatting up villagers, but you’re also casting spells, building combat skills, and choosing playstyles that make your farm life feel more like an adventure. It’s Stardew for players who love a sense of progression and fantasy flavor.
Where to Play Sun Haven
Farming plus fantasy magic? That’s Sun Haven. You can play it here:
- PC – Available on Steam.
- Nintendo Switch – Launched on the Nintendo eShop.
No console releases yet beyond Switch, so PC and handheld are your go-to.
Wylde Flowers
Familiar farm-care cadence with story-forward relationships and a witchy twist (potions, rituals, secrets).
This one’s a bit different: farming meets witchcraft. In Wylde Flowers, you step into the shoes of Tara, who discovers her magical side while settling into a new town. The farming loop is familiar, but the witchy narrative layers on something special, rituals, potions, and a story that’s more tightly scripted than most games in this genre. It’s cozy, it’s charming, and it has real personality.
Where to Play Wylde Flowers
Wylde Flowers leans heavily into its narrative and witchy themes, and it’s accessible on multiple platforms:
- Nintendo Switch – Available on the Nintendo eShop.
- PC – Grab it on Steam.
- Apple Arcade – Playable on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV via an Apple Arcade subscription.
- PlayStation – Released on PS4 and PS5 through the PlayStation Store.
- Xbox – Available for Xbox One and Series X/S.
Roots of Pacha
Same cozy progression in a Stone Age setting: invent tools, domesticate crops, build community from scratch.
Forget the modern farm, Roots of Pacha takes you back to the Stone Age. You and your tribe discover farming, domesticate animals, and invent the very tools that make progress possible. It’s a fresh spin on the formula, swapping tractors and sprinklers for mammoths and fire pits. If you’re craving something that feels familiar but looks completely different, this one’s worth a shot.
Where to Play Roots of Pacha
Stone Age farming? Yep, you can do that too:
- PC – Available on Steam.
- Nintendo Switch – On the Nintendo eShop.
- PlayStation – Released on PS4 and PS5.
- Xbox – Also available on Xbox One and Series X/S.
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town
Classic farming, festivals, and villager relationships in a cozy small town loop. Feels like Stardew’s blueprint with modern polish.
If you’ve ever wondered what directly inspired Stardew Valley, this is it. Story of Seasons is the modern name for the Harvest Moon series, and Friends of Mineral Town is one of the best remakes they’ve done. The vibe is pure cozy: farming, festivals, and friendships, all wrapped in bright, cutsie 3D graphics. It feels more streamlined than Stardew, but if you want the original DNA, this is where you’ll find it.
Where to Play Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town
The classic farming sim reborn. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is available on just about everything modern:
- PC – Available on Steam.
- Nintendo Switch – Grab it on the Nintendo eShop.
- PlayStation – Play it on PS4 through the PlayStation Store.
- Xbox – Also released for Xbox One via the Xbox Store.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Same chill “daily routine” vibe of decorating, collecting, and befriending neighbors, minus combat and mines.
This isn’t a farming sim in the strictest sense, but it scratches the same itch. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is all about building a life at your own pace, decorating, designing, and hanging out with a cast of endlessly quirky animal neighbors. There’s no combat and no stress, just a slow drip of goals that make it dangerously easy to log in “just for a minute” and stay for hours.
Where to Play Animal Crossing: New Horizons
If you want to build an island paradise, there’s only one place to do it:
- Nintendo Switch – Animal Crossing: New Horizons is exclusive to the Nintendo eShop and physical cartridges.
No PC, PlayStation, or Xbox support here—it’s Nintendo-only.
My Time at Portia
Farming-adjacent life sim with mining, relationships, and a satisfying craft/commission loop that echoes Stardew progression.
Think Stardew Valley but with a much heavier focus on crafting. In My Time at Portia, you’re running a workshop instead of a traditional farm, taking commissions from townsfolk and piecing together everything from bridges to furniture. There’s still farming, mining, and social elements, but the loop here leans harder into RPG-style quests and light dungeon crawling. It feels like Stardew turned one notch more adventurous.
Where to Play My Time at Portia
Workshop life awaits, and you’ve got plenty of ways to jump in:
- PC – Available on Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.
- Nintendo Switch – Play it on the Nintendo eShop.
- PlayStation – Available for PS4 via the PlayStation Store.
- Xbox – Playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S through the Xbox Store.
Littlewood
After the adventure, the cozy starts: rebuild a town, befriend locals, and relax into that daily “one more task” rhythm.
Most farming sims start with you building a life. Littlewood begins after you’ve already saved the world. With the evil defeated, it’s up to you to rebuild a town, nurture relationships, and craft a cozy life at your own pace. It’s more about city-building than farming, but the vibe is pure chill. Think of it as Stardew Valley’s peaceful epilogue.
Where to Play Littlewood
This one’s a quieter, more laid-back take on the cozy sim, and it’s easy to jump into:
- PC – Available on Steam.
- Nintendo Switch – Play it on the Nintendo eShop.
No Xbox or PlayStation ports here, just PC and Switch.
Fields of Mistria
A 90s-anime-styled farming sim with seasons, romance, and village life that channels Stardew’s heart.
If you’ve ever wanted Stardew Valley with a classic 90s anime aesthetic, Fields of Mistria is it. The pixel art is colorful, the characters are expressive, and the farming loop will feel instantly familiar. It’s currently one of the most anticipated “next big farming sims,” and for good reason, it wears its influences proudly while layering on its own charm.
Where to Play Fields of Mistria
Fields of Mistria is still in active development, but here’s where you’ll find it:
- PC – Wishlist or purchase on Steam.
Console versions haven’t been confirmed yet, so for now this one’s PC-only.
Wanderstop
Slower, reflective routine of tending a shop in the woods; less farming, more narrative, but same cozy, character-driven loop.
From the creator of The Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide, Wanderstop isn’t your typical farming sim. On the surface, it’s about tending to a tea shop in the woods, but if you know Davey Wreden’s style, you can expect something much deeper, stranger, and more narrative-driven. This is less about grinding crops and more about exploring the quiet spaces of a story.
Where to Play Wanderstop
The upcoming narrative sim from Davey Wreden isn’t out yet, but it’s officially announced:
- PC – Coming to Steam.
- PlayStation – Confirmed for PS5.
No Switch or Xbox news yet, so expect Wanderstop to hit PC and PlayStation first.
Summer in Mara
Farming, crafting, and questing across islands; the daily routine + friendly NPCs + exploration echoes Stardew’s comfort.
Summer in Mara brings farming and exploration to a tropical archipelago. Instead of one town, you’ll sail across islands, meeting new characters and discovering new resources. There’s less combat and more focus on story and adventure, but the cozy farming spirit is still there, just with more pirates, boats, and ocean sunsets.
Where to Play Summer in Mara
Sailing between islands and tending your farm can be done on multiple platforms:
- PC – Available on Steam.
- Nintendo Switch – On the Nintendo eShop.
- PlayStation – Playable on PS4 through the PlayStation Store.
- Xbox – Available on Xbox One via the Xbox Store.
Fae Farm
Cozy farming and relationships paired with light dungeon runs and progression, Stardew with a magical, co-op twist.
If Stardew Valley had more dungeon crawling and four-player co-op, you’d get Fae Farm. Farming and relationships are here, but you’ll also spend time exploring magical dungeons, battling enemies, and unlocking upgrades. It’s a little more “fantasy RPG” than your standard farm sim, making it great for players who want action and cozy vibes in the same package.
Where to Play Fae Farm
This magical farming sim is more recent and launched across several major platforms:
- PC – Available on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
- Nintendo Switch – On the Nintendo eShop.
Currently, no Xbox or PlayStation version, so your options are PC or Switch.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Daily quests, farming, cooking, and friendships with familiar faces; a live-service spin on the cozy village loop.
It’s Disney meets Stardew. In Disney Dreamlight Valley, you’ll farm, cook, craft, and decorate alongside iconic characters like Mickey, Elsa, and Wall-E. Unlike Stardew, it’s a live-service game, so new content and quests keep dropping over time. That makes it feel less like a one-and-done experience and more like a constantly evolving cozy space.
Where to Play Disney Dreamlight Valley
Want Stardew Valley but with Disney characters? Here’s where to dive in:
- PC – Available on Steam, Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store.
- Nintendo Switch – On the Nintendo eShop.
- PlayStation – Available for PS4 and PS5.
- Xbox – Playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, also part of Game Pass.
Farming Simulator (series)
The “work the land” core, just played straight: planting, harvesting, and managing a farm at realistic scale.
If you’ve ever thought Stardew Valley was too whimsical and wanted something a bit more… grounded, Farming Simulator is the way to go. It swaps pixel art charm for heavy machinery, realistic crop cycles, and detailed farm management. It’s not “cozy” in the same way, but it nails the satisfaction of growing, harvesting, and running a farm, just with tractors instead of sprinklers.
Where to Play Farming Simulator (series)
For ultra-realistic farming, you’ve got a lot of entries to choose from—Farming Simulator 22 being the latest. It’s available almost everywhere:
- PC – Steam, Epic, and Giants’ own store.
- PlayStation – On both PS4 and PS5.
- Xbox – Available for Xbox One and Series X/S.
- Mac – Yes, even Mac players can join in through the official Giants Store.
Nintendo Switch versions exist too, but usually with “pocket editions” like Farming Simulator: Nintendo Switch Edition.
Garden Paws
Farming plus shopkeeping, decorating, and a friendly animal village, pure cozy routine and small-town charm.
If Stardew Valley were combined with the cutest pet simulator imaginable, you’d get Garden Paws. You’re running a farm and shop on a colorful island populated by talking animals, and the focus is as much on decorating and expanding as it is on planting crops. It’s lighthearted, relaxing, and perfect if you want your farming sim with maximum cuteness.
Where to Play Garden Paws
Cozy shopkeeping and farming with talking animals? Say less.
- PC – Available on Steam.
- Nintendo Switch – Grab it on the Nintendo eShop.
(The dev’s site has more details if you want to peek behind the curtain.) Garden Paws
Moonlighter
The Stardew mines turned into a full loop: dungeon dive at night, manage your shop by day, upgrade gear and town.
Moonlighter puts a clever spin on the cozy sim formula: by day, you’re running a shop; by night, you’re crawling through dungeons to restock it. It’s less about farming and more about balancing risk and reward, how deep do you push into the dungeon before heading back with loot? If Stardew Valley’s mines were your favorite part, this is the game to try.
Where to Play Moonlighter
By day you sell loot; by night you risk your life getting it.
- PC – On Steam.
- Nintendo Switch – On the [Nintendo eShop].
- PlayStation – PS4 via PlayStation Store. (Official listings confirm multi-platform launch.)
- Xbox – Xbox One via the Xbox Store. (Also widely covered in platform rundowns.)
- iOS – There’s a mobile port if you want it on the go.
Doraemon Story of Seasons
Story of Seasons farming and friendships with Doraemon’s wholesome, storybook presentation.
This is Story of Seasons but with a huge dose of Doraemon’s whimsy. The farming loop is familiar, but the presentation is warm and family-friendly, with a watercolor art style that feels like stepping into an illustrated storybook. If you’re looking for something wholesome to play with younger gamers, or you just want that extra charm, it’s a great pick.
Where to Play Doraemon Story of Seasons
If you want a farming sim wrapped in Doraemon’s heartwarming charm, you won’t have trouble finding it. Doraemon Story of Seasons is available on several major platforms:
- PC – You can pick it up on Steam.
- Nintendo Switch – Grab it from the Nintendo eShop.
- PlayStation – Available for PS4 via the PlayStation Store.
There’s also a follow-up, Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom, which expands on the original and is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5.
Slime Rancher (1 & 2)
Same satisfying loop of tending, collecting, and upgrading, just swap crops for adorable slimes.
Forget crops, here, you’re farming slimes on an alien planet. Slime Rancher turns the farming sim formula into a colorful, first-person experience where you collect, breed, and experiment with bouncy little creatures. It’s more chaotic than cozy, but there’s something oddly relaxing about watching your slime pens overflow with weird, squishy lifeforms.
Where to Play Slime Rancher
Good news: you can wrangle slimes pretty much anywhere. The original Slime Rancher is widely available, so you’ve got options no matter what you play on:
- PC – Grab it on Steam or the Epic Games Store.
- Nintendo Switch – Available as the adorably titled Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition on the Nintendo eShop.
- Xbox – Play it on Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S via the Xbox Store.
- PlayStation – Available on both PS4 and PS5 through the PlayStation Store.
If you’re looking for the sequel, Slime Rancher 2 is out now too, but it’s on fewer platforms for the moment: PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.
Spiritfarer
Task-based cozy management (farming, cooking, crafting) anchored by heartfelt relationships and gentle, day-to-day routines.
Spiritfarer isn’t really about farming, it’s about letting go. You play as Stella, guiding spirits on their final journey by caring for them aboard your boat. Yes, there’s farming, fishing, and crafting, but the real heart of the game is in the relationships you build with your passengers.
It’s emotional, heartfelt, and unlike anything else on this list. If Stardew Valley makes you feel cozy, Spiritfarer will make you feel something deeper.
Where can I play Spiritfarer?
Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition is available on most major gaming platforms. You can play it on PC (Windows, Mac, or Linux), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. It’s also available on mobile devices – you can get it on iOS and Android through Netflix if you have a subscription, or download it directly on Android. The game was originally on Google Stadia as well, though that service has since shut down.
You can purchase it through the usual digital storefronts for each platform – like Steam for PC, the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop, or your mobile app store.