Played Stardew Valley so much you are burnout? Sure, Stardew Valley is relaxing but so are these games like Stardew Valley. All of these games are great and are unique in their own way, however, some have romance, some are 100% free and some are not farming sims.
I bet that there are some games on here that you never even heard of! Keep reading to find more relaxing games like Stardew Valley to help stay stress-free during 2022. (I also just updated the list with even more games!)
If you rather see some gameplay than reading, watch the videos. If not, keep reading below.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you buy something, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read the Disclaimer to learn more!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul2yPLOrqXIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiQI9hImdy8&lc=Ugy1VBWLzpQAb9EQFX54AaABAg.9d-CuqsAQbo9f6R87f3dij
1. World’s Dawn: One of the Games like Stardew Valley
There is a misconception about this game. A lot of people think that this was inspired by Stardew Valley, but this came out before Stardew Valley did. That’s how similar the two games are!
Even though they have many similarities, they are very different. There is a plot of land to farm and a barn to raise animals in World’s Dawn but it is not farm focused. The plot is little and there is a limit on the number of farm animals you have can.
Instead, it is more of a social sim. The goal is to save Sugar Blossom and allow it to, well, blossom. You have to appease the harvest spirits by making friends, finding love, and completing other tasks. More NPCs move into Sugar Blossom when you appease the spirits!
With its pretty calming music, no combat stress-free environment, romance, and more, this relaxing game like Stardew Valley is bound to fill the void when you need a break from Stardew Valley. This game is available on Steam from Humble Bundle.
2. My Time at Portia
More than likely, you have heard of My Time at Portia but here it is just in case. My Time at Portia is a life sim, just like Stardew Valley but it is not farming focused. Sure, you can farm in My Time at Portia if you want by using planters but the main focus is your workshop.
Instead of a farmer, you are referred as a builder and it is your job to improve Portia by completing commissions. However, you play the game at your own pace. Take some time to make friends with the locals, find love, complete quests, mine, forage and more! You can also decorate your house and workshop!
With colorful graphics, romance, soothing soundtrack, and more, you are definitely going to relax with this Stardew Valley like game. It is available on Steam from Humble Bundle and on consoles. This game is also on the Xbox Game Pass so if you already have that, you can go ahead and play it. If not, you can get the Game Pass digital code through Eneba and the 3-month subscription is cheaper than the game!
3. The Farming One
You most likely have not heard about this game. In fact, I didn’t until a few days ago.
In The Farming One, your job is to restore the town by making money so you can prepare for the bandit raid. There are at least 3 different endings to the game.
This game, The Farming One, is like if Stardew Valley was on a large amount of caffeine. You can actually finish the story in 1 or 2 hours but that’s no big deal since this game is totally FREE! I listed this game for its comedic relief since it’s so silly and odd, it is bound to make you laugh.
You earn money at an alarming rate once you start growing your crops. Eventually, you will have to hire people to harvest them for you, like an eyeball monster. You can also mine, fish, and chop wood for money.
There are also 30-second festivals, when you unlock them, marriage candidates, but do not expect deep characters, slightly hidden areas, and funny references to things like Phoenix Wright. Download it at RPGMaker.
4. Slime Rancher
Slime Rancher, developed by Monomi Park, is a very colorful sim game where Beatrix LeBeau, is a slime rancher on a distant planet. The goal of this game is to capture and raise slimes to harvest plorts. You then sell the plorts to the market for money.
Not only are you raising slimes, you can crafts items, decorate your land, explore, unlock new areas and mysteries and more.
Slime Rancher isn’t very farming oriented but you need to grow some crops to feed your slimes so they don’t get mad and try to escape. You can also raise chickens needed for requests and to feed some slimes. However, there is no romance in this game, in fact, you really don’t see much people.
With a story to play at your own pace, causal game mode, beautiful scenery and very cute slimes this game is bound to unwind and relax you. It is available on Steam from Humble Bundle and on PS4 or Xbox One from GameStop.
5. Homework Salesman: One of the Great Games like Stardew Valley
Yeah, Homework Salesman, another 100% FREE game, is an odd name and you are not a salesman who is selling homework. (That would be a weird job, right?) Instead, you are Reniat, a girl who just got back from boarding school, who discovers that her hometown is mostly abandoned. It is up to you to clear the mines of monsters and try to revive your town.
The Colourous Mines is a lot like the Skull Mines. There are lots of floors deep in the mines and this is where most of the combat takes place. Instead of hack and slash mechanics, the battles are turn-based, like the old Final Fantasies. Sometimes, the monsters will beg you to let them go in exchange for gifts.
Instead of passing out, if you run out of AP or HP, your character warps back to her room to sleep for the day. No bills to pay or less Stamina the next day!
You can befriend the townspeople by talking to them and giving them gifts. This will allow you to learn more about them but be warned, I do not believe there are romance options. You can also do quests for them.
While exploring, you can forage for herbs, wood and ores for quests and your crafting needs.
There are several skills you learn in this game:
- Cooking
- Smithing
- Alchemy
- Enchanting
and just like skills in Stardew Valley, they level up the more you use them. Also, the character can learn magic spells as well.
With infinite days, funny characters, charming 2d pixel graphics, and the ability to play at your own pace make Homework Salesman a perfect AND FREE relaxing game like Stardew Valley. Download it at itch.io
6. Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale
Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale is a charming Item Shop simulation game where Recette has to pay Tear back a debt her father owes. In order to do that, she runs an item shop with Tear’s help.
To supply the store with items to sell, you will have to go to the market or guild and buy items or have an adventure go to the dungeon to collect items. Recette and Tear follow the adventurer in the dungeon, so you have control. If the adventurer falls, you only get to take one item back.
To get more adventurers, you will have to befriend them while they shop at your store. That means do not overcharge them or you may never get to work with them. The same can be said for your customers, if you over charge them, they may not come back to shop.
Opening the shop, moving around town, and dungeon delving takes up time during the day and once the day ends, you will sleep for the night. You need to keep in mind how much you owe when your loan payment is due and how much. If you can’t pay up, you lose your house.
This game is available on Steam.
7. No Man Sky
Okay okay, just hear me out. No Man’s Sky is very different from Stardew Valley BUT there are some similarities like exploring, farming, decorating your base, crafting, and learning the lore of your surroundings.
This game is so massive that you could just explore forever, and I do mean forever. In fact, I spent 60 hours exploring before really diving into the main quests. I was discovering different types of systems and planets, scanning animals, plants, and minerals, looking for knowledge stones to increase my known words in the local Alien races, and learning about the past from ancient ruins.
Once you find that special planet you want to call home, you can build a base there. (If you really want to play causal, you can play in creative mode!!) You can finally have the vacation home you always wanted by the lake, ocean, or wherever.
When your base is all built, you can decorate it. Also, you can grow crops inside your base. It’s not the standard crops like corn but rather alien plants like Frostworts. You can use the materials you get from the plants to use in crafting.
Beautiful landscapes and sunsets, relaxing music, play at your own pace and limited combat make this game relaxing like Stardew Valley.
No Man’s Sky is available on Steam from Humble Bundle and on PS4 or Xbox One from Gamestop.
8. No Place Like Home
No Place Like Home is a post-apocalyptic simulation game, like My Time at Portia. Instead of being a builder, you are a girl named Ellen who wanted to visit her grandfather one last time on Earth before leaving for Mars. Earth has been trashed and in order to find Ellen’s grandfather, you will have to clean up the place. You will recycle trash to craft machines to help run your base/farm. You can also raise chickens and dress them in cute hats!! However, there are no romance options but if you must you could always ship Ellen and Rudy!
Farming, raising and dressing chickens, exploring, and crafting with play at your own pace gameplay makes for a relaxing time.
It’s available on Steam for Windows.
9. Graveyard Keeper
If you are looking for something more spooky, you can dive into Graveyard Keeper. Even though I have received comments about this game in my videos, 50% percent of you don’t know what this game is! (According to the poll on my communities tab anyway.) Graveyard Keeper is a management simulation game where you are trying to get back home to your loved one. (Again no romance options in this one.)
In order to do this, you need to run an established medieval graveyard. You can farm, craft items, harvest organs, (yes I did say that), and much more.
In fact, if you are lazy, just make a zombie army to farm for you! It’s available on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and Steam.
10. Harvest Town
If you are looking for something more like Stardew Valley, try Harvest Town. It is free on android for mobile. You get to start your whole life over and you need to restore your farm. You can farm, get to know the people in town, have romance, and more! The downside is that it has to connect to the internet and you run out of stamina real quick. Other than that, it is a cute little game to play.
11. Grow: Song of the Evertree
If you liked Yonder the Cloud Catcher Chronicles, you should play Prideful Sloth’s second game Grow: Song of the Evertree. Even though it’s a sandbox, it has life management elements. You are tasked with building a town and creating worlds to restore the Evertree.
In order to acquire essences and tend to the words, you will need to weed, plant, break rocks, fish, and more.
There is actually a little Romance element in this game as well. If you are not a fan of combat, then you would be happy to know that there is no combat element in this game. This can make for a more casual and relaxing gameplay! It’s available on Nintendo switch, Ps4, Xbox One and Windows.
12. Wobbly Life
Another sandbox game with life simulation elements is Wobbly Life. You can work jobs, including farming and fishing, own houses, cars, outfits, pets, find secrets, and much more.
Now, there isn’t much to do with the NPCS, so there is no romance but this is more of an exploration game. Another great thing about this game is that not only do they have split screen capability, but this studio updates constantly so there are always new things to do and find. It’s available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows.
That’s the List of 12 Relaxing Games Like Stardew Valley
Did any of these games sound intriguing to you? At least check out the free ones if all else fails, especially Harvest Town. Trust me.
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Just for a recap, the 12 relaxing games like Stardew Valley were:
- World’s Dawn
- The Farming One
- My Time at Portia
- Homework Salesman
- Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale
- No Man’s Sky
- No Place Like Home
- Graveyard Keeper
- Harvest Town
- Grow: Song of the Evertree
- Wobbly Life
If any of these games sound interesting to you, please share this post with your friends and family so that they too can find a game to enjoy!
Amber Borden
Amber is an avid gamer. The first game she ever played was Super Mario Bros on the NES. She has seen many genres of videos games due to her 30 years of gaming. However, Amber typically sticks to RPGs, Sandbox and Simulation.
Since she loves gaming, her first job was at a Gamestop. Also, she has written guides for Gamefaqs. Amber was a full time worker in the retail world, but now she is working on this site from home. No matter what, however, she still plays her video games.
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