It’s no secret that we here at Overclockers UK are big into our gaming. We live for new game hype and love to replay our old favourites. Over 2024, we’ll be sharing our own top fives across a spicy selection of genres. This month we’re looking at Emily’s Top 5 Farming Sims.
Farming sims are my jam. The gameplay is chill, the narratives can be played at your pace, and there is just something comfortingly repetitive about them. (Maybe that’s my neurospicy need for routine showing, who knows.) Not to mention, they have cracking soundtracks and yes, I have a dedicated playlist for them. While I could talk farming sims all day, I have managed to narrow it down to my top five favourites. (Almost.)
5. Harvest Moon: Back to Nature
This was the original farming sim I fell in love with. The version I have is on the PlayStation 1 (and yes, “have” as in still own). Harvest Moon: Back to Nature really vibed with me because it was simple and easy to play. FPS shooters make me feel travel sick, I lack the skill for precision genres, and well, those two things combined really limits the pool of games I can enjoy. So, discovering Harvest Moon in my formative years was a blessing.
You come to Mineral Town to inherit the farm your grandfather left to you, with a three-year deadline to revitalise the land and assimilate into the village. All fairly standard stuff. Looking back, it feels like Harvest Moon might be missing some of the more “exciting” features found in modern farming sims, but I see it as laying the groundwork for a versatile genre. Follow the basic pattern, and you can add whatever embellishments you want! For that reason, Harvest Moon: Back to Nature will always be a classic to me.
Plus, you can marry innkeeper Ann, aka the best Ann. (Oh yes, yet another weird hill I will die on.)
4. Kitaria Fables
Frankly, this one was a toss-up between Kitaria Fables and Stardew Valley. The former won out because, while Stardew is an absolutely banging farming sim, Kitaria Fables breaks from the norm. For starters, you’re a cat with a sword. That is the sort of whimsy I vibe with. Kitaria Fables leans more into the RPG elements of modern farming sims while still incorporating the farming and crafting side of things.
This game is the perfect fit for when I want to farm but also go on adventures. The map progresses through different climates, bringing new and varied monsters to fight which are all arguably adorable. (Makes me want to merge Kitaria Fables with the collectathon mechanics of RE: Legend.)
What’s especially interesting about Kitaria Fables is the integration of magic. It’s been banned from the kingdom, but a few select allies will help you gain magical items, craft new spells, and develop your powers. My combat style has always been a little rough around the edges, so adding some explosive element power into the mix absolutely appeals!
3. Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town
Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon are intrinsically tied, but this one feels like it deserves a place because: one, I love it, and two, it is the game that truly elevated my love for farming sims. I’d always enjoyed the gameplay, but this is when the obsession really took. Playing it on the Switch helped too, because I could cosy game in my cosy nest like a cosy queen. I have yet to find a better way to spend a rainy day.
What I particularly like about Pioneers of Olive Town was that was familiar enough to not create any barriers but still also featured new mechanics and facets that come from an evolving genre. I had a new town to explore and cast of characters to get to know, light combat to master in the mines, and a whole ruck of machines to employ. I particularly enjoyed visiting the sprite village and unlocking the new areas of my farm. Especially if there was an animal waiting amongst the overgrowth to be claimed. The silkie chickens were my favourites – they look like little goth chickens!
2. Fae Farm
Fae Farm is a new love, as it only came out in September 2023. But it has more than earned its high-ranking spot. This game was clearly made by fellow farming sim fanatics, and it does an excellent job of adhering to the conventions of the genre whilst being distinctly its own. From the magical theming to the quality-of-life mechanics, Fae Farm gets it right.
The RPG elements are well balanced with maintaining your farm. You can push the story by exploring the newly unlocked areas or you can chill on your farm for a few days, splicing flowers together to make new colours, or caring for your new magical critters.
I really love the crop system in Fae Farm. You have your base crops that grow all year, every year. Each season, you can plant them in magical fertiliser, and they will mutate into seasonal crops. Better yet, you can unlock a farm in the fae realm and use this same method to create magic crops! Once you are a high enough level with access to the proper resources, you can build plots that simulate each season and the fae realm, so you can always grow the full array of vegetables.
New DLC, the Coasts of Croakia, dropped towards the end of 2023, too, so there’s going to be even more to explore!
Honourable Mentions
I may have already snuck two honourable mentions in (Stardew Valley and RE: Legend ICYMI), but there were a couple more that needed some love before I got onto the number one slot. Humble Bundle dropped a “Fighting Farming Sim” bundle a while back, and it featured some cracking games. This included Spirit Island, a Kickstarter-funded game that sees you moving to a tropical island to start your farm, and Forager, which is just the best kind of chaos. I would also like to give due to the time I turned The Sims 4 into a farming sim, by making an outdoorsy sim max out her gardening skill and plant all the things. Easily the richest sim I have ever had without cheating.
For future gaming sessions, I’m waiting for Coral Island to go on sale. I can see that one going in my top five!
1. My Time Series
Honestly, I am going to cheat. I cannot separate my love for My Time at Portia and My Time at Sandrock. So, I won’t. I discovered My Time at Portia a couple years back and fell in love. The bonkers storyline, blend of farming and building, and rich cast of characters – it was the farming sim I never knew I needed. And then Sandrock came along, and I was lucky enough to get a review copy. It took the game I already adored and elevated it to new heights, with a stunning soundtrack, generational improvements, and an exciting environment to master.
The way these two games tie in together is beautiful, too. I remember on my first playthrough of Portia that the various Free Cities would get name-dropped, Sandrock included. In fact, one of the later mission lines was building a tunnel through the Eufaula desert mountains to Sandrock. The sequel takes place at the same time as the original game, so every now and then they would reference something that was happening in Portia which would make me go, “Hey! I remember playing that!” It’s the little details that bring me the biggest joy.
From the compelling post-apocalyptic world to the bonkers humour infused throughout the games, the My Time Series will easily hold the top spot on my list of favourite farming sims for a while.
Best Gaming PC for Farming Sims
Generally, farming sims don’t demand much from your gaming PC. When not on the Switch or PS1, I play on an Intel Core i7-10750H CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, and 16GB RAM, for reference, and have yet to encounter any trouble. My spec may be a little outdated, but at Overclockers UK, we have a wide variety of gaming PCs and laptops with bleeding-edge tech that will keep you happily farming all day. I’ve picked out a couple at a similar tier to my hardware, but you can explore the full ranges should they not vibe with you.
Refract Gaming Amber Pre-Built PC
The Refract Gaming Amber is the perfect tool for your farming sim needs. Sporting an AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, you have the power of Zen 4 architecture behind your farm or workshop to optimise your gameplay. Plus, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU will render your farming faves in stunning detail, so you can enjoy all the critters in the glory they deserve. Plus, with 16GB DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD, you can game with low latency and no slow loading screens breaking your immersion.
Better yet, the Refract Gaming Amber is pre-built, fully tested, and ready to ship with next day delivery (when stock allows). This puts you one step closer to the farm of your dreams. What’s more, it is also covered by our comprehensive three years parts and labour warranty, for that extra peace of mind.
ASUS ROG Strix G16 Gaming Laptop
Take your farming fun on-the-go or to your own cosy nest, with the ASUS ROG Strix G16. This gaming laptop is packed with powerful hardware to enhance your gaming, streaming, and content creation. The Intel Core i7-13650HX CPU features a blend of P- and E-cores designed to handle single-threaded and background tasks, respectively. Intel Thread Director ensures the right core is on the job! The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU and 16.0” WUXGA display work in tandem to bring your farming sim faves to life in vibrant colour and detail. Plus, the 165Hz refresh rate keeps all your gaming smooth.
Keeping the ASUS ROG Strix G16 cool in those hot summer months is a highly efficient thermal solution, ROG Intelligent Cooling. This system features vents that fully surround the bezel, tri-fan technology, and liquid metal thermal paste, resulting in effective heat dissipation no matter how hard you’re working.
Let Us Know Your Favourites
Agree with my list? Feel like I am missing some classic farming sim action? Drop your favourites in the comments below! (Not just so I have some new games to wishlist, no…)
PC specs are subject to change.
- 9 min read
Emily Haylock
Author
Emily is a board and cosy gamer, keyboard obsessive, and content copywriter for Overclockers UK. She has been with Overclockers UK for two years, writing about everything from noblechairs to 8Pack PCs. She writes from within her desk nest with a foster pup at her feet. (What, a desk duvet is a totally normal thing!) In her downtime, she likes to play board games, farming sims, and old-school Final Fantasy. IX to be specific. It is the best, and that is a hill she will die on.
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