Games Like Stardew Valley: 8 Cozy Farming and Life Sims

The best games like Stardew Valley mix farming, crafting and small-town life: Coral Island, My Time at Sandrock and Graveyard Keeper lead the way. You've restored the community center, married your favorite villager and filled the cellar with kegs? Here are 8 games that bring back the joy of a busy little day, from the gentlest to the weirdest.

Why Stardew Valley feels so good

Stardew Valley, made by ConcernedApe and released in 2016, starts from a simple idea: you inherit your grandfather's old farm and rebuild your life away from the big city. Every day you water crops, fish, explore the mine and give gifts to the locals.

The trick is that everything moves forward a little each day. Your harvests pay off, your tools get better, the town changes. There's never real pressure, but always a good reason to play one more day. According to players on IGDB, the core experience alone takes about 50 hours, so no wonder it's hard to find a follow-up.

How to pick your next cozy game

If you miss farming and relationships, Coral Island and My Time at Sandrock are the closest. If the mines and combat were your favorite, go for Core Keeper or Terraria. And if you just want a peaceful life with no real goal, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is still the gold standard.

For more gentle picks, we also have a list of cozy games.

1. 

   1. Coral Island

   2023 · Main story 52 h

   The closest to Stardew Valley on paper: a farm, a town full of people to befriend and romance, festivals, fishing. On top of that, Coral Island adds an underwater side where you clean up the reef around the island. Perfect if you want the same loop in a tropical setting.

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2. 

   2. My Time at Sandrock

   2023

   Here you mainly run a workshop in a desert town. You gather materials, build machines and fill orders for the locals to help the town grow. More about crafting than farming, with lovable characters and real friendships to build along the way.

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3. 

   3. Graveyard Keeper

   2018 · Main story 39 h

   The dark, funny take on Stardew Valley. You run a medieval graveyard, which means bodies to prepare, a church to keep going and some shady side business. Same gathering and crafting loop, but the black humor changes everything. For cozy fans with a twisted streak.

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4. 

   4. Core Keeper

   2024

   Picture Stardew Valley's mines turned into a full game. You dig through an underground world, farm, cook and fight big bosses, solo or with friends. If your best days in Stardew were spent going down floor after floor, this is your game.

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5. 

   5. Dave the Diver

   2023 · Main story 22.5 h

   By day you dive to catch fish. By night you serve them in a sushi restaurant. That two-part loop echoes Stardew's daily routine, with lots of humor and surprises. Shorter and more story-driven, it's a great break between long farming sessions.

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6. 

   6. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

   2025 · Main story 60.5 h

   A life RPG where you pick jobs (hunter, angler, cook, woodcutter) and switch between them at your own pace. There's building, exploring and a light story. For players who loved having a thousand things to do in a single Stardew day.

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7. 

   7. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

   2020

   The gentlest game on the list. You settle on a deserted island, decorate it, fish, catch bugs and chat with your animal neighbors. No season breathing down your neck, no strict goals. More ideas in our games like Animal Crossing list.

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8. 

   8. Terraria

   2011 · Main story 25.5 h

   More action-focused, Terraria is a 2D sandbox where you dig, build and fight ever stronger bosses. You can also grow plants and attract townsfolk. Ideal if the mines and fights were the part of Stardew that excited you most.

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FAQ

What game is most like Stardew Valley?

Coral Island is the closest: farming, a town, relationships, festivals and fishing, plus an underwater area. My Time at Sandrock keeps the village life but leans harder on crafting. Graveyard Keeper takes the same loop and gives it a black humor twist.

What games like Stardew Valley can I play with friends?

Core Keeper plays really well in co-op, with mining, farming and bosses. Terraria also supports multiplayer for building and exploring together. Both capture the spirit of sharing a farm with friends that makes Stardew Valley co-op so much fun.

How long does it take to beat Stardew Valley?

According to players on IGDB, the core experience takes about 50 hours, about 90 hours with extras and about 208 hours to complete everything. The game doesn't really end, though, so you can keep running your farm as long as you like.