Games

Best Farming Games With RPG Mechanics

Published

1 month ago

November 25, 2024

Christoph Rediske

Key Takeaways

Farm sim games offer a calm, cozy alternative to other genres for players looking to relax.
RPG elements enhance depth and replayability, adding new dimensions to the genre.
Games like Stardew Valley and Rune Factory blend farming and RPG mechanics, offering engaging narratives.

Farm simulation games have captivated players worldwide with their unique blend of management, exploration, and a relaxing environment. This genre, known for its cozy approach and controlled pacing, offers an engaging experience to those seeking a calmer alternative compared to other games.

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To enhance depth and replayability, many of these games incorporate RPG elements into their gameplay, adding new dimensions to the genre. Through progression systems, character customization, combat, and even a wide variety of equipment, these mechanics introduce fresh ways to explore farm simulators, making the gameplay more dynamic and rich with content to be explored.

9 Fae Farm

A Game That Mixes Farming And RPG With Magic

Systems

Released: September 8, 2023
Developer(s): Phoenix Labs
Publisher(s): Phoenix Labs
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

For players looking for a game that combines RPG elements with farm sims, Fae Farm is a solid choice that transports characters to the magical island of Azoria, where cultivating, raising animals, and using magic for combat and other tasks are possible. This approach brings new features to the established mechanics of the genre.

Additionally, Fae Farm offers 3D environments and creates a perfect atmosphere for fans of cozy games, providing various cute animals to be raised on the farm. The island of Azoria also boasts a diverse cast of secondary characters, ensuring that the game’s content is varied.

8 Fields Of Mistria

A Nostalgic Journey Inspired By Games From The ’90s

RPG

Farming

Life Simulation

Systems

Released: August 5, 2024
Developer(s): NPC Studio
Publisher(s): NPC Studio

Fields of Mistria successfully combines farm simulation with various RPG mechanics, delivering a consistent and well-crafted experience for fans of the genre. Set in a village rich with fantasy elements, activities like agriculture, fishing, mining, and others can be undertaken while following a narrative about the return of magic to the world.

Like many other games in the genre, Fields of Mistria features the passage of time and various seasonal events, where interactions with different characters occur. Exploring abandoned ruins in search of new resources also involves combat, and developing different skills can facilitate in-game activities.

7 Harvestella

Square Enix’s Take On The Farm Simulator Genre

Systems

Released: November 4, 2022
Developer(s): Live Wire
OpenCritic Rating: Fair

Developed by Square Enix, Harvestella attempts to introduce new elements to farm games by adding JRPG components to the genre. This has resulted in an exotic combination that blends different elements to tell a story, exploring seasonal themes and a threat to all life in the world.

split image of the protagonist in Harvestella at her crops and running

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The combat system is one of the game’s main highlights; unlike many other farm simulators, Harvestella features a class system, allowing players to adapt strategies to face dungeon challenges. Cultivating different plants on the farm is also possible, which are used for commerce and crafting.

6 Coral Island

A Fun Game Featuring Merfolk

Released: October 11, 2022
Developer(s): Stairway Games
Publisher(s): Humble Games

In addition to possessing the farm simulator and RPG elements familiar to genre fans, especially those accustomed to Stardew Valley, Coral Island stands out with its colorful 3D environments. Furthermore, the game allows interactions with merfolk, sea creatures that add a unique aspect to the gameplay.

Amid the RPG elements and farm care, Coral Island promotes a narrative focused on sustainability and environmental care, encouraging players to help the community restore the island’s coral reefs. By mixing classic mechanics with modern themes, the game offers a refreshing experience for genre enthusiasts.

5 My Time At Portia

Farming, Crafting, And RPG Unite In This Game

Action RPG

Life Simulation

Released: January 15, 2019
Developer(s): Pathea Games
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

My Time At Portia combines the usual charm of farm simulators with a deep emphasis on both RPG and crafting mechanics, creating an experience distinct from other games. Instead of just tending to crops and animals, the game focuses on building a workshop, allowing characters to construct various structures across the map.

The game also includes combat elements, requiring players to explore dungeons and face enemies to find resources that can be used in progressing the story. The world setting is intriguing, with several indications that the peaceful environment exists in a post-apocalyptic universe filled with charismatic characters.

4 Sun Haven

A Game Rich With Fantasy Elements

Systems

Released: March 11, 2023
Developer: Pixel Sprout Studios
Publisher: Pixel Sprout Studios

The entire theme of Sun Haven is built on the blend of RPG with farming simulators, transporting players to a fantasy universe where the main character needs to transform abandoned land into a farm. Magic can be used both in combat, to face monsters, and on the farm to assist with harvesting.

The game also features a well-crafted setting that captures what players expect to see in a fantasy scenario, yet doesn’t feel disconnected from the farming simulator aspect. There are also numerous interesting characters, many of whom are available for relationships, making the overall experience more enjoyable.

3 Rune Factory 4 Special

A Franchise Renowned For Mixing Farm Simulator With RPG

Released: February 25, 2020
Developer(s): Marvelous
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

Originating as a spin-off of Story of Seasons, it didn’t take long for the Rune Factory franchise to become a market leader by blending traditional farm sim elements with various RPG mechanics. Players are thus transported to a well-constructed fantasy universe.

A tri split between someone riding a horse in My Time At Portia, An elf fishing in Staxel and a farmer standing between fields in Coral Island

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For example, Rune Factory 4 is one of the best games in the series to date, combining farm management with dungeon exploration, combat, and interactions with various NPCs. The game also offers an engaging narrative, complex progression systems, and a wide range of activities like fishing, cooking, and crafting, ensuring many hours of content.

2 Stardew Valley

One Of The Best Farm Simulators Ever Produced

Released: February 26, 2016
Developer(s): ConcernedApe
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

A major reference among modern farming simulators is Stardew Valley, which is also one of the leading games in the genre to utilize RPG elements in its gameplay. While players have access to basic gameplay elements like tending the farm and interacting with NPCs, there are many other activities to engage in across the map.

One such activity is exploring the Mines, which function like dungeons where players can collect materials to upgrade equipment and fight monsters, as well as equip different weapons. Although more laid-back, Stardew Valley also features character progression, where the protagonist can improve in areas like farming, mining, combat, and others.

1 Kynseed

A Farming Simulator About Generations

Systems

Released: November 8, 2018
Developer: PixelCount Studios
Publisher: PixelCount Studios
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Kynseed boasts a unique aesthetic that combines life simulation and RPG in a vibrant and colorful world where characters age and have their own routines. In this setting, managing a farm is essential, but operating other businesses like a blacksmith shop or exploring dungeons filled with magical creatures is also possible.

Created by former developers of Fable, the game offers a deep narrative and nostalgic pixel art graphics. For players who enjoy a game that allows freedom to explore, Kynseed delivers on this promise, also permitting the formation of a family and passing the legacy to other generations of characters, which is what makes the title so captivating.