Summary
On New Year’s Eve 2023,Stardew Valley’s developer, Eric Barone, shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) about what appears to beStardew Valley’s 1.6 update. The post features a New Year’s festival, and as Barone previously stated that the 1.6 update would bring a new major festival, it’s clear that it will center around the New Year’s holiday.
The release date forStardew Valley’s 1.6 update has yet to be confirmed by Barone, so players will have to wait a bit longer before they get the opportunity to enjoy more of what the team at ConcernedApe has to offer. However, there are still several worthwhile games similar toStardew Valleythat players can use as a placeholder until the update arrives.
Sun Haven
Sun Haven, by developer Pixel Sprout Studios, has been widely recognized for its similarities toStardew Valley. Undoubtedly so, this is a large part of what has contributed to its popularity amongStardewfans who have searched for games similar to their favorite farm sim.Sun Haven’s kinship toStardewisn’t the only thing it has going for it, however, as it took the formula and art style fans have become accustomed to for the last eight years and combined it with fantasy mechanics akin toDungeons and Dragons. While it is a more combat-focused version ofStardew Valley, players can still grow crops, raise livestock, craft items, mine ores, catch fish, customize their living space, and more.
Slime Rancher/Slime Rancher 2
Monomi Park’sSlime Rancherwas a surprise hit when it was released in 2017. In fact, to this day, it still manages to maintain an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam, with some of its latest reviews being as recent as January 2024.Slime Rancherallowed players to collect and raise curious slimes, each of which belonged to a specific species of slimes with unique features, personalities, and abilities. Its sequel,Slime Rancher 2, went into early access in September 2022. Despite possessing a lower rating, it brings a host of new slimes and locations to the table, as well as improvements to movement, platforming, and exploration.
Coral Island
Stairway Games’Coral Islandhas often been criticized for being aStardew Valleyclone with nothing more than a graphical update on top of it. However, Stairway Games' cozy farming sim still manages to offer a unique experience. While it does offer almost everything currently present inStardew Valley, players will find an array of other features that separateCoral Islandfrom the competition. For example, players candive underwater inCoral Islandto visit mermaids and even become one, which is unique in the farm sim genre. The game also has a host of other fantasy elements to it that players won’t find inStardew Valley.
My Time at Portia/My Time at Sandrock
In 2019, Pathea Games released its unique open-world life simMy Time at Portiaand quickly captured the attention of hardcore fans of the genre. UnlikeStardew Valley,My Time at Portiaplaces a very heavy emphasis on building rather than farming, but there are still plenty ofsimilarities inMy Time at Portiathat will keepStardewfans engaged— like relationships, crafting, and exploration. Last November, Pathea released a sequel,My Time at Sandrock, which features a fairly significant graphical upgrade, better voice acting, a new story in a new world, and a library of new things to create.
Thanks to indie developers like Monomi Park and Pixel Sprout Studios, players can get more of the cozy life sim genre that they love beforeStardew Valley’s 1.6 updategoes live. The explosion ofStardew-like titles can undoubtedly be attributed in part to the success of Barone’s masterpiece, but they are all worth playing nonetheless.
