Key Points
- There are a lot of different farming games available for PC and Stardew Valley continues to help popularize this genre even if you never thought about a farming game before.
- Stardew Valley is arguably the most popular farming game on PC and was surprisingly created by just one person.
- Farming Simulator 22 features exceptional graphics, over 400 machines, and lots of tools to choose from, but can be overwhelming for beginners.
Whether you enjoy their slower pace, fun characters, or a traditional take on farming life, the best farming games for PC can offer something for everyone.
One of the most popular sub-genres in the gaming world under simulation, farming games, or farming simulators can be a ton of fun. Some days, there is just nothing like sitting down and planting yourself a virtual garden or a whole field of crops to help break away from the realities of everyday life.
If you’ve been looking for a farming game for your PC that can help you take a break, let’s take a look at the 7 best farming titles you can download and play today.
The Best Farming Games for PC: Summary
| Rank | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Stardew Valley | The most popular farm game around can help you get lost for hours. |
| #2 | Farming Simulator 22 | A lifelike farming simulator game that feels like a real job |
| #3 | Coral Island | A terrific attempt at creating Stardew Valley with non-pixel graphics |
| #4 | Farm Together | This game is great for playing both individually or with friends. |
| #5 | Pocket Harvest | This game is great for playing both individually and with friends. |
| #6 | Dinkum | Inviting you to the Australian outback, there is so much to do in this title. |
| #7 | Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos | The original farming game is back and better than ever. |
#1: Stardew Valley
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to read or find Stardew Valley as the most popular farming game for your PC available today.
Having sold over 20 million copies across all platforms, Stardew Valley is surprisingly the work of just one person, Eric Barone, who single-handedly created one of the most popular independent titles in gaming. The game’s backstory is that you have inherited your grandfather’s farm plot in the town of Stardew Valley.
As you arrive in town, you are armed with a few simple tools, a little pocket change, and an opportunity to leave the hustle and bustle of the big city behind. Your goal is to help restore the town of Stardew Valley to greatness, and that starts with you turning your overgrown field into the most lively farm in town. From growing crops, crafting machines, finding love, starting an orchard, fishing, mining, combat, and foraging, the sky’s the limit in Stardew Valley.
Often recommended as one of the most relaxing games available on any gaming platform, PC included, Stardew Valley has so much to do and explore, so there is little reason you won’t get to 50-plus hours of this game in no time.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The best farming game on PC available | Your spouse might get mad at you for playing so much. |
| Can sink hours and hours into this title | Can’t play all day long |
#2: Farming Simulator 22
- PC
- Start your farming venture in one of four distinctive European and American environments
- Take on agriculture, forestry, and animal husbandry
- Over 500 authentic vehicles and tools, and over 100 real brands including Volvo and others
- A large variety of crops, animals, and trees
- Seasonal challenges, production chains, tree marking, and more
- Includes the base game and Platinum Expansion
While Stardew Valley is pixelated fun, Farming Simulator 22 is the real deal as you create your fictional farm and manage it as you would in real life.
In Farming Simulator 22, you’re taking on the role of a modern-day farm complete with surviving all four seasons to see how well you can perform this job. The sky’s the limit as you build your farm and create an agricultural empire by creating production chains or try your hand at creating a lush vineyard.
There is so much to do in Farming Simulator 22 that you have more than 400 machines and tools to choose from as well as 100 real agricultural brands like John Deere, Massey Ferguson, New Holland, Valtra, CLAAS, and so many more to help you achieve success. All of these tools will help you build a greenhouse, grow plots of wheat, potatoes, corn, or cotton in the United States, or raise animals somewhere in Europe.
Best of all, the deep community that loves Farming Simulator 22 has created so many mods that are not only approved by the developer but tested for stability to become an unofficial official part of the game.
Check out Farming Simulator 22 on Amazon.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Exceptional real-world graphics | Requires a significant time commitment |
| Over 200 real farm tools to choose from | Can be overwhelming for beginners |
#3: Coral Island
Often regarded as one of the best Stardew Valley clones yet, Coral Island is a terrific farm game on its own and carves out its spot in the PC farming world.
Coral Island is a farming title where your player leaves the big city behind and starts life anew on an island known as Coral Island. In this game, you can be who you were meant to be by creating the farm of your dreams where you’ll spend time raising animals, tending crops, and creating a bond that you never thought possible with the natural world.
The town in the game Coral Island offers its 70 fictional residents who need help and your farm can be the missing link to help make it a thriving community once again. Within the game, you will get to know every character as you learn about them and help make them part of your world, including finding a spouse. When you’re not in a dating mood, you can go fishing, restore a coral reef, or mine for gemstones.
Along with farming and finding that special someone, you can also help restore various heritage sites or rebuild the local museum and help the village of Coral Island become prosperous once again.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent graphics with vibrant colors | Feels very much like a Stardew Valley clone |
| Terrific if unoriginal story | Very time consuming |
#4: Farm Together
When it comes to farming games on your PC that work just as well when playing by yourself or with friends, Farm Together is the first name that comes to mind.
What makes Farm Together so great is that you’re able to take a small plot of land and create a farm that goes as far as you want it to go. The reason why this is so great is that it’s not only something you built but something you can say you built with your closest friends. This includes everything from taking care of animals on your land to growing crops, planting trees, or building new facilities to help harvest your crops.
Another strong highlight for Farm Together that not every game in this sub-genre considers is that time passes even when you are not online. This means your crops will grow while you’re away from the game, so when you return you’ll immediately have steps to take to increase your profits.
Better yet, you can open the farm to the public and let players of Farm Together from all over the world help you tend to your work.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| So many different customization opportunities | There is a risk involved in letting just anyone join your farm. |
| Play with friends or the public from around the world. | Don’t let too much time pass offline or crops will overgrow. |
#5: Pocket Harvest
Kairosoft rarely fails to deliver on its titles, and Pocket Harvest is yet another example of how well this gaming developer delivers simulators.
Within Pocket Harvest, your role is to say goodbye to the big city and start your very own farm. While this might sound like a storyline you’ve heard before in multiple games in this sub-genre, it’s still a great theme to hook players.
Pocket Harvest almost immediately has you growing all kinds of crops with everything from lettuce to strawberries and then working to sell them to your local grocers to start producing profits. If you want to get even deeper into this title, you can build your income by enabling tourism opportunities on your property. Everything from sports facilities to hot air balloon rides is possible, or maybe even a petting zoo for the kids.
As a simulation title, Pocket Harvest asks you to raise your virtual crops and livestock all while creating the largest farm in this virtual world. The size of the farm is entirely up to you, as is how you make a profit from any facilities you build or how well you can harvest and sell your work to local grocers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Typical Kairosoft simulation excellence | Not everyone loves pixel-style games |
| Lots of different methods to grow profits | Big time commitment to grow successful crops |
#6: Dinkum
Very much living up to its self-proclaimed definition as a cozy game, Dinkum is a unique farming title that takes place all over Australia.
Unlike other titles on this list that take place in more generic locations, Dinkum invites you to learn about the various parts of Australia to create a truly unique farming experience. Inspired by the Australian outback, you will find yourself exploring different environments including scorching hot deserts, billabongs, scrubland, or even a tropical eucalyptus forest.
Whether you are farming, fishing, hunting, or mining, you have the opportunity to customize your new town and attract different residents and businesses to support those residents. Along with building your farm, you can build the town however you want by choosing your own street lamps, windmills, fountains, fencing, and more.
The best part about Dinkum is the ability to create a town sprawling with farms to attract new visitors who will want to settle in this cute little oasis you have built somewhere in Australia.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Every build is unique | Not the right title if you only want to farm |
| More than just a farming game | Can easily get distracted by different tasks |
#7: Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos
The latest release in the popular Harvest Moon series, Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos is an engaging title that has you building up a farm at the behest of the Harvest Goddess.
The storyline in Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos begins 10 years after the Harvest Goddess has sent an SOS into the world after a volcanic eruption threatens life on the land of Anthos. Upon finding this SOS, it’s now your job to help revive the Harvest Goddess and restore balance to Anthos.
To achieve this job, you have to farm all over Anthos with your friend Doc and create farmland over everything, including snowy mountains and Anthos’ beautiful beaches. Whether it’s raising cows, sheep, or chickens, you have a clean slate to farm how you please.
Plus, you can choose between 5 different bachelors or bachelorettes and woo a suitor to find additional happiness as you return Anthos to glory. Whether you travel on foot or on a mount, you can explore Anthos and collect different seeds from all over the land to help create even stronger crops.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The original farming game is better than ever | Odd storyline |
| So much to see and do within this title | Requires a controller to play, no keyboard or mouse support |
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Wrapping Up
When it comes to a sub-genre of gaming on your PC that can help you get lost and forget the real world for short bursts or lengthy gaming sessions, farming titles are just fantastic. There is just so much to see and do that the replay value is completely off the chart.
No two games are the same, and among these titles, you have a variety of different graphics and stories to keep things interesting for years to come.
