12 Games Like Stardew Valley to Play on Steam

If you are hunting for games like Stardew Valley, you probably miss the same things most players do: the satisfying loop of clearing a field and watering crops, a town full of people who slowly warm up to you, and the feeling that every in-game day moves your little life forward. The good news is that plenty of Steam games chase that feeling, each from a slightly different angle.

The quick table below shows all twelve picks at a glance. The sections after it group them by the kind of fit, so you can jump to whichever sounds closest to what you want.

What makes Stardew Valley what it is

Stardew Valley is an open-ended country-life RPG from ConcernedApe, released on February 26, 2016. You inherit your grandfather’s overgrown farm, arrive with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, and decide how to build a life from there. Joja Corporation has pushed out the old ways of the town, and the community centre sits in shambles, so there is a gentle sense of purpose underneath the chores.

Steam shows an Overwhelmingly Positive summary from more than a million reviews, and it supports single-player, online co-op, LAN co-op and split-screen co-op. That last point matters, because many readers want games like Stardew Valley they can also share with a partner or a friend.

When you boil it down, the appeal comes from a few ingredients:

• A daily routine you control. You decide whether today is for crops, fishing, mining or just chatting up neighbours.
• Seasons that change what you do. Planting, harvesting and festivals give the year a rhythm.
• A town you get to know. Gifts, conversations and relationships build up over many in-game days.
• Low pressure. Nothing punishes you for taking it slowly.

Each pick below keeps at least two or three of those ingredients. None is a copy, and that is a good thing: the best follow-ups bring something new.

Which games like Stardew Valley come closest?

These five keep the farm, the animals, the town and the seasonal rhythm. If you want a straight continuation of the feeling, start here.

Coral Island

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Coral Island sends you from big-city life in Pokyo to a new start on a tropical island. You tend crops, look after animals, decorate and craft, and get to know a community that the store page puts at more than 70 people. There is also a magical Merfolk Kingdom to dive into, and you are asked to help revitalise the nearby coral reefs as well as the town.

It suits players who want the Stardew loop in a brighter setting with a very large cast. Steam lists single-player, online co-op and cross-platform multiplayer, and the Steam reviews are Very Positive from more than 27,000 reviews. It is a Windows game.

Sun Haven

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Sun Haven is a fantasy farming sim with an RPG twist. You can build your farm and your relationships, or head off on a quest involving magic, monsters and dragons. The store page mentions a skill tree, a farming sim with no stamina bar, and 23 characters you can romance, so it leans more towards story and progression than Stardew does.

It suits players who finished Stardew’s farming and want more fantasy and levelling up. The store description mentions 8 person multiplayer, and Steam lists online co-op. Reviews are Very Positive (25,665). Steam also lists in-app purchases, which is worth knowing before you buy.

Roots of Pacha

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Roots of Pacha takes the farming sim back to the stone age. You discover “ideas,” domesticate crops, befriend animals and help your clan’s village grow through the seasons. It keeps the calm pace and community focus, but the prehistoric setting gives the usual tasks a fresh feel, from crafting early tools to growing the settlement.

It suits anyone who likes Stardew’s structure but wants a different world. Steam lists single-player, online co-op and cross-platform multiplayer, with Very Positive reviews (4,577). It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Fae Farm

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Fae Farm is a farm sim RPG for one to four players set on the enchanted island of Azoria. You craft, cultivate and decorate your homestead, and you use spells to explore. The store page also mentions cooking, potion-making and areas that open up as the seasons change, so it has more of an adventure streak than Stardew.

It suits players who want to farm with friends or family. Steam lists single-player and multiplayer, and the reviews are Mostly Positive (3,605), a step below some of the other picks here, so it helps to read what players say about the parts you care about.

Wylde Flowers

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In Wylde Flowers you play Tara, who moves to a rural island to help her grandma with the family farm. By day you tend crops, care for animals, fish and craft. By night you learn witchcraft: flying a broomstick, brewing potions, even turning into a cat. The store page highlights a fully voiced cast, a local mystery, and friendship or romance.

It suits players who care more about characters and story than optimising a farm. Steam lists it as single-player with full controller support, and its reviews are Overwhelmingly Positive (2,785).

What if you want the original Harvest Moon style?

Stardew Valley was inspired by the Harvest Moon series, now known as Story of Seasons. If you want to play something from that family, one entry here is the clear choice.

STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town

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You take over your grandfather’s farm in Olive Town, a community he established with his friends. You plant crops, raise animals, build relationships, gather and process materials to fulfil requests, and upgrade tools to improve the town. It follows the traditional structure closely, so the pace is steady and the goals are clear.

It suits players who want to see where Stardew’s ideas came from. It is single-player only on Steam, and the reviews are Mostly Positive (1,650). Expect something more traditional rather than more innovative than Stardew.

Games like Stardew Valley built around crafting and building

Farming is only one of Stardew’s pleasures. If you enjoyed mining for ore, upgrading tools and meeting requests, these three lean into that side.

My Time at Portia

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You restore your Pa’s neglected workshop in the town of Portia, set in a post-apocalyptic world that looks charming rather than bleak. You fulfil commissions, grow crops, raise animals, gather and mine materials, and befriend the locals while helping them rebuild. There are secrets buried beneath the town to uncover too.

It suits players who enjoyed the “one more task” loop of Stardew but are happy to swap fields for a workbench. Single-player on Windows and macOS, with Very Positive reviews (44,352).

My Time at Sandrock

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Sandrock takes place in the same wholesome post-apocalyptic world, 330 years after the Day of Calamity. You arrive as the city-state’s newest Builder, gather resources, construct machines and turn a run-down workshop into a production facility to save the town from economic ruin.

The big difference from Portia is that Steam lists online co-op here. Reviews are Very Positive (29,190). It is a good pick if you want a crafting-first game you can share with someone.

Littlewood

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Littlewood starts after the usual fantasy story has finished. You defeated the Dark Wizard, the world of Solemn is at peace, and your job is to rebuild a town. You chop wood, mine ore, catch bugs and fish, then bring materials home to craft, sell and unlock new buildings as townsfolk move in.

It suits players who like the town-restoration thread of Stardew’s community centre. Single-player, with Very Positive reviews (6,838), and it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Cozy games with a twist on the formula

These do not look like Stardew on the surface, but they borrow the loop of gather, build, befriend and grow.

Graveyard Keeper

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Graveyard Keeper has you build and manage a medieval graveyard, then expand into other ventures. The store page describes it as the most inaccurate medieval cemetery sim, and the humour is dark: ethical dilemmas, shortcuts to cut costs and questionable decisions, plus a love story underneath. You gather materials and craft constantly, which will feel familiar.

It suits players who like Stardew’s resource loop and want a funnier, edgier tone. Single-player, Very Positive reviews (56,796), on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

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This is a relaxing life-simulation adventure with quests, exploration, fishing, mining and crafting, featuring Disney and Pixar characters. After the Forgetting, the valley’s inhabitants retreated behind locked doors, and you bring them back and rebuild. The store page mentions more than 50 heroes and villains.

It suits players who want an easy, friendly entry point, or who want to share a cozy game with someone who loves those characters. Steam lists single-player and multiplayer, in-app purchases, and Very Positive reviews (25,098).

Cult of the Lamb

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The oddest pick here, and a deliberate one. You play a possessed lamb who builds a loyal following of woodland Followers: you collect resources, build structures, perform dark rituals and give sermons, and you venture out into regions to spread the Word. It is darker and more action-driven than Stardew, but the satisfaction of tending a growing community will ring a bell.

It suits players who want to keep the base-building loop with a bit more edge. Steam lists single-player and co-op, including split screen, with Overwhelmingly Positive reviews (130,911).

Which games like Stardew Valley can you play with a friend?

Stardew Valley is nicer with company, and several picks above support it. Going by Steam’s listed features:

• Online co-op: Coral Island, Sun Haven, Roots of Pacha and My Time at Sandrock.
• Up to four players: Fae Farm, which the store page describes as a farm sim for one to four players.
• Split screen: Cult of the Lamb lists shared/split screen co-op.
• Multiplayer: Disney Dreamlight Valley lists it as a feature.

If co-op is the main reason you are looking, our list of games like It Takes Two covers more shared adventures, and the games-like topic page collects similar lists for other favourites.

How to choose between these Stardew Valley alternatives

A few quick questions help narrow it down:

1. Do you want farming or something adjacent? For crops and animals, start with Coral Island, Sun Haven or Roots of Pacha. For workshops and machines, pick Portia or Sandrock.
2. Do you want a story? Wylde Flowers and Sun Haven put more weight on characters and plot.
3. Will you play alone or with someone? Check the co-op list above before you commit.
4. Do you want an easy start or a different mood? Dreamlight Valley is gentle. Graveyard Keeper and Cult of the Lamb are darker in tone.

Mistakes to avoid

• Expecting a clone. Every game here has its own pace and quirks. Judge each on what it does well rather than on how closely it matches Stardew.
• Ignoring the review summary. Fae Farm and Olive Town have Mostly Positive summaries, so read recent reviews if your tastes are picky.
• Overlooking in-app purchases. Steam lists them for Sun Haven and Dreamlight Valley, so check the store page if that matters to you.
• Starting with the darkest pick. If you want to unwind, begin with a calmer game before you try Cult of the Lamb.

Where to go next

If you want the closest match, pick Coral Island or Sun Haven. If you want a change of scenery, try Roots of Pacha or Wylde Flowers. If what you loved most was the crafting, My Time at Portia is the safest bet. For more lists like this, browse the best games on Steam, or see what is on the way in upcoming games. You can also head back to the Gamescape home page to find your next game from a different favourite.

Questions and answers

What is the closest game to Stardew Valley?

Among the games here, Coral Island, Sun Haven and Roots of Pacha are the closest. Each mixes farming, animals, seasons, friendships with townsfolk and optional co-op. Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is the nearest to the traditional Harvest Moon style that inspired Stardew Valley, though its Steam reviews are more mixed.

Are there games like Stardew Valley you can play with friends?

Yes. Steam lists online co-op for Coral Island, Sun Haven, Roots of Pacha and My Time at Sandrock. Fae Farm is a farm sim for 1 to 4 players, and Sun Haven's store page mentions 8 person multiplayer. Stardew Valley itself also supports online, LAN and split-screen co-op.

Is there LGBTQ romance in Stardew Valley?

Yes. In Stardew Valley you can marry one of the town's 12 bachelors or bachelorettes regardless of your character's gender. If relationships are a big draw for you, Sun Haven's store page mentions romancing any of its 23 characters, and Wylde Flowers lists friendship or even romance with its cast.

Which games like Stardew Valley are not about farming?

Graveyard Keeper has you run a medieval cemetery, My Time at Portia and Sandrock focus on running a workshop, and Littlewood is about rebuilding a town after the hero's quest is over. Cult of the Lamb swaps crops for followers and rituals in a darker, action-heavy take on base building.

What should I play if I want a Stardew Valley feel without the same pace?

My Time at Portia and My Time at Sandrock are good choices. They keep the friendly townsfolk, gathering and crafting, but put workshop commissions at the centre instead of crop rotations. Wylde Flowers is another option, adding witchcraft and a voiced cast to the farming routine.