4 Games Like Stardew Valley That Are Totally Free To Play

When it comes to farming sims, it doesn't really get much better than Stardew Valley. Sure, there are plenty of other great games like Stardew Valley there, but before long you'll probably find yourself wanting to return to the cream of the crop. So, given few other games (if any) can match Stardew Valley's blend of exploration, farming, and relationship building, what can a rival game do to be worth your time over the best example of the genre?

How about if it was free? Don't get me wrong, these days you can pick up Stardew Valley for the price of a nice cup of coffee in sales, but what about a game that captures the vibe of Stardew Valley while also being completely, 100 percent free to play? That'd be nice, wouldn't it? Fortunately, we've outlined five free games like Stardew Valley you can play now. While they might not match the depth of the game that inspired them, they could still be worth your time.

4 Palia

If you love Stardew Valley but want to try something with a bit more of a fantasy life vibe, Palia is the game for you. While this free-to-play MMORPG doesn't have the same charming pixel graphics as Stardew Valley, it offers a polished 3D world to explore, as well as gardening, fishing, cooking, crafting, home building, quests, and friendships with villagers. It also supports cross-play on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, so you can play with friends.

3 Harvest Town

This one matches Stardew Valley most closely in pretty much every sense. It looks, plays, and feels exactly like the beloved indie game. The only catch (if you can call it that) is that Harvest Town is only available via mobile devices. I don't particularly consider that a catch, but then I feel people who don't consider mobile games to be "real" games are fundamentally strange. You can decorate, farm, take on quests, and do most of what you can do in Stardew Valley. Just be aware it's a mobile game, so there are in-app purchases and ads.

2 Farm RPG

A game like Farm RPG does pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: it's an RPG all about farming. This is probably the closest you'll get to Stardew Valley in terms of simplicity, although some might find this one a little too light on actual gameplay: most of the farming in this game is done through text and menus. Even so, you can fish, craft, grow crops, and trade with players. A nice, sedate game. This one is playable via your browser or on mobile devices, but also through the Steam store.

1 Heartopia

A relatively new addition to the world of Stardew Valley-style games, Heartopia has elements of Stardew Valley, My Sims, and Animal Crossing. This one is designed to be played with friends, but you can still have a good time on your own. Build your own house, create your own character, plant crops, look after pets, and basically do whatever you want. Heartopia is still getting regular updates so it's worth checking in every now and then. Just be aware that the game does use AI, which is of course not something every gamer is on board with.