There are many reasons why people love Stardew Valley. Some love it for farming, others for mining. Some are obsessed with the characters and spend all their time working to get closer to them. Others are focused on the overarching plot and try to maintain a balanced mix of the different gameplay aspects. It’s a game with a lot of things to love, and the diversity of the player base reflects that.
With that in mind, it’s hard to find a game that looks exactly like Stardew Valley. No other game has its exact blend of art, story, character and gameplay. This list includes ten games that inspire the same sense of peace, while still requiring you to work to get the rewards. Some are more focused on crafting and resources, while others are more focused on completing tasks or finding romance. Whatever brought you to Stardew Valley, here’s something for you.
10/10 Terrariums
If you’re a fan of the exploration and resource-gathering of Stardew Valley, you should give Terraria a try. It is a front view 2D game with pixelated art style. It has charm, it has NPCs you can talk to and it has battles that further the plot of the game.
Terraria has a procedurally generated world and functions similarly to a Metroidvania in its gameplay style. However, it has multiple levels of difficulty, so if you just want to explore without the stress of monsters, you can totally do that.
9/10 Cityscape
This is a game that revolves around relaxation. Just press buttons and build a cute town. Or a big city. Switch between all the colors of the rainbow and fill the endless waters of the empty game world with stone walkways and charming backyards and roof terraces.
The only decisions you have to make in this game are how big you want your buildings to be, what color, and how close or far apart they are. Unfortunately you can’t change the build, but the art style is so cute and there are so many different combinations you can make that you hardly notice it.
8/10 Untitled Goose Game
If you’re a harbinger of chaos and eager to cross things off your to-do list, this will be your new favorite game. Chase the NPCs using your special horn button, have a picnic, overflow sinks and destroy prized flowers. The city is your canvas and crime is your paintbrush.
There is no tinkering in Untitled Goose Game, but each new part of the city has its own little collection to complete. And you can be mean to people without feeling bad for being a goose, which can be a nice change from Stardew Valley, where the point of the game is to be nice. And if you’re lonely, bring a friend.
7/10 Dream Daddy
One of the best parts of Stardew Valley is getting to know the different NPCs, discovering their backstories, and getting special cutscenes with them. Whether you befriend them all or want to date the whole town, it’s the characters that make the game feel so alive.
Dream Daddy is a dating sim where you are a single dad and you move to a new neighborhood full of other single dads. It’s a father-4-father romance with colorful characters that you’ll be excited to learn more about. You also get to build your own father and you have a teenage daughter who is simply the best.
6/10 Kindergarten
If you’ve ever wondered what Stardew Valley-esque humor would look like if it were a horror game, you’ll want to take a look at Kindergarten. It’s funny, it’s dark, it has multiple collections and endings, and you play like a toddler. It’s pretty gruesome at times, even with the pixel art, so keep that in mind if you’re thinking about playing it.
Kindergarten relies heavily on the choices you make and small branching decisions. Even if you think you’re making the wrong choice, chances are you’ve just stumbled upon an alternate path. Or you’ve found a new way to die, because that’s what happens.
5/10 Monster Prom
A game where you date literal and figurative monsters, what could be better? This is a different game with a higher maturity rating than Stardew Valley, but if you’re interested in romanticizing colorful characters with dirty humor, you’ll definitely want to give this game a try.
Monster Prom has multiple secret endings, both linked to the major datable characters, and routes that allow you to date some of the minor characters. One even involves bringing a computer to life and taking it to prom. Monster Prom also has a multiplayer mode and you have all the options to help or hinder your friends.
4/10 Minecraft
The OG, the classic, it’s Minecraft. You can mine, you can explore, you can befriend all kinds of creatures. It’s all square, what’s not to love? It doesn’t have the same linear, narrative stories as Stardew Valley, but it’s full of knowledge and the echoes of what happened before you.
If you’re looking for more of the Stardew Valley in your Minecraft, build yourself a home base near a village of villagers. Establish yourself as part of the community and grow your fondness for their sounds, even if you really can’t understand them.
3/10 Animal Crossing: New Horizons
If you have a Nintendo Switch, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a fantastic purchase. You will befriend cute animal villagers, you can grow crops and cook, you decorate your house and you can customize your island. There is so much you can do that it can be overwhelming at times.
There isn’t a big storyline, but the game takes place in real-time, so you can watch a little bit of your friends and your virtual home every day or a few times a week. It is a task and resource management game that keeps up with your real life, and you can always find something relaxing to do.
2/10 A short walk
A Short Hike is a small game in an open world. Yes, you read that right. You play as a bird trying to get a cell phone signal in a small rural town, and the only place you can get it is on top of the small mountain in which the village is nestled. To reach the top, you need to earn special springs to increase your jumping and gliding skills.
There is no set order to the game and there is no wrong way to go about it. You can spend all your time finding all the different NPCs, digging up treasure or laying down a beach stick ball (yes, that’s really something in the game). It is a peaceful, relaxing game that makes you feel good about people.
1/10 Spirit Farer
In Spiritfarer, you take over for Charon and take spirits to the other side. Of course it’s not that simple as the ghosts have to come to terms with what has happened to them in their lives before they are ready to move on. You will have to fulfill their requests and be by their side as they face the harsh emotions they have ignored for so long.
You pass your time between beating stories, fishing, gathering resources, cooking, tending your garden, shearing sheep and smelting metals. You will get lost in all the little tasks that you have to complete to help the ghosts entrusted to your care in the best possible way.
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