The best games like Stardew Valley right now are Fields of Mistria (the closest match, out of early access since August 5, 2026, $13.99 on PC), Coral Island (a bigger 3D island farm with 4-player co-op, Switch 2 version due this winter) and Roots of Pacha (Stone Age farming with cross-play co-op). Below are 12 picks, each with the platforms and US prices we checked on the official stores on October 17, 2026, and a line on who it suits best.
Every game here keeps the Stardew loop of crops, seasons, friendships and a town that grows with you, but each changes one big thing: more magic, more combat, more building, or friends on the same farm. If you are playing on Nintendo hardware, our list of the best cozy games on Switch 2 covers the console side in more depth.
Table of Contents
Quick answer: the best games like Stardew Valley
- Closest to Stardew: Fields of Mistria (PC, $13.99).
- Best for co-op with friends: Coral Island or Roots of Pacha (both cross-play).
- Best with real combat: Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma.
- Best for builders and crafters: My Time at Sandrock.
- Best free option: Palia (free to play on PC, Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S).
- Best cheap pick this week: Moonstone Island, $4.99 on Steam until October 22.
Games like Stardew Valley compared: platforms and prices
| Game | Platforms | US price (list) | Steam Deck | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fields of Mistria | PC | $13.99 | Verified | Stardew purists |
| Coral Island | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S (Switch 2 winter 2026) | $29.99 | Verified | Co-op, ocean diving |
| Roots of Pacha | PC, Switch, PS4/PS5, Xbox | $24.99 | Verified | Co-op, slower pace |
| Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar | PC, Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | $49.99 ($59.99 Switch 2 Edition) | Playable | Selling your harvest |
| Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma | PC, Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | $59.99 ($69.99 Switch 2 Edition) | Verified | Farming plus action combat |
| My Time at Sandrock | PC, Switch, PS4/PS5, Xbox | $39.99 | Verified | Crafting and building |
| Sun Haven | PC, Switch | $24.99 PC, $29.99 Switch | Playable | Fantasy quests and dragons |
| Dinkum | PC, Switch, Switch 2 | $19.99 | Playable | Survival-flavored island life |
| Palia | PC, Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Free to play | Playable | Playing with lots of people |
| Ooblets | PC, Switch, Xbox | $29.99 | Verified | Creature collecting, silly humor |
| Moonstone Island | PC, Switch | $19.99 | Verified | Card battles, exploring |
| Littlewood | PC, Switch | $14.99 | Playable | Relaxed town building |
Prices are standard US list prices on Steam, the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store, checked October 17, 2026 UTC. Sales are noted in each entry. Steam Deck ratings are Valve’s own.
Fields of Mistria left early access with version 1.0 on August 5, 2026. Image: NPC Studio
1. Fields of Mistria
If you want the game that feels most like Stardew, start here. NPC Studio’s pixel-art farming and life sim RPG pairs building your farm with magic, romance and adventure, in a nostalgic 90s-anime style. It left early access with version 1.0 on August 5, 2026, kept its $13.99 price, and carried existing saves over, as RPG Site reported. The studio is still shipping fixes (patch 1.0.8 landed October 13).
Worth your time if you play on PC or Steam Deck and want the same cozy rhythm with a magical twist. There is no console version yet; the developer has only said it will look at ports after 1.0. Steam reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive.
2. Coral Island
Coral Island takes the Stardew template to a bright 3D island with a big, diverse cast of townsfolk and a magical underwater Merfolk Kingdom to dive into. Up to four players can farm together with cross-play. It costs $29.99 on Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it is included in PlayStation Plus Extra right now.
The big news: on October 16, Stairway Games announced a Nintendo Switch 2 version for winter 2026, launching alongside the free 1.4 “Kids Grow Up” update, in which your children grow from baby to teenager and pick up hobbies. Worth your time if you want a busier, more social world and a co-op farm.
3. Roots of Pacha
Roots of Pacha moves farming to the Stone Age: you discover “ideas”, domesticate crops, befriend animals and help your village grow. It supports online co-op with cross-play, and it runs on PC, Switch, PS4/PS5 and Xbox for $24.99. It is on sale this week: $14.99 on PlayStation Store until October 22 and $12.49 on Xbox until October 20 (checked October 17 UTC).
Worth your time if you liked Stardew’s community side most and want a gentler pace with friends.
Coral Island's 3D farm, coming to Switch 2 this winter with the Kids Grow Up update. Image: Stairway Games
4. Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar
From the series that shaped Stardew in the first place, Grand Bazaar centers on running your own market stall: you grow crops, raise animals and sell your goods at Zephyr Town’s bazaar to restore it to its former glory. It came to Switch, Switch 2 and PC in August 2025 and to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on May 28, 2026. It costs $49.99, or $59.99 for the Switch 2 Edition.
Worth your time if the best part of Stardew for you was planning the perfect harvest for profit.
5. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
Rune Factory has always been “farming sim plus action RPG”, and Guardians of Azuma leans hard on both. As an Earth Dancer, you fight corrupted monsters, restore villages, seasonal farms and even the local gods, and build relationships in the eastern land of Azuma. It is $59.99 on Switch, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S (consoles since February 13, 2026, per Marvelous USA), and $69.99 for the Switch 2 Edition.
Worth your time if your favorite Stardew days were spent in the Skull Cavern rather than the fields.
6. My Time at Sandrock
You play a builder in a struggling desert town, gathering resources, building machines and turning a run-down workshop into a production line that saves the town from economic ruin. It is heavier on crafting and construction than on crops. $39.99 on PC, Switch, PS4/PS5 and Xbox.
Worth your time if you loved automating your Stardew farm with sprinklers and kegs and want more of that.
7. Sun Haven
Sun Haven mixes farming and town relationships with a fantasy quest line, monsters, dragons and a skill tree. On PC it supports multiplayer for up to 8 people. It costs $24.99 on Steam and $29.99 on Switch.
Worth your time if you want Stardew with an RPG story pulling you forward.
8. Dinkum
Dinkum sets island life in a world inspired by the Australian outback: you farm, hunt, mine, fish and forage, then use what you gather to expand your town, solo or with friends. It hit 1.0 on PC in April 2025 and also runs on Switch, with a Switch 2 Edition (free upgrade pack for Switch owners). $19.99.
Worth your time if you want a little survival tension and a lot of freedom over where your town goes.
9. Palia
Palia is a free-to-play fantasy life sim where you craft, explore and build the home of your dreams, online alongside other players. It supports cross-platform play on PC, Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. It earns money from optional paid packs in its store.
Worth your time if you want to try the genre for free, or want a cozy game you can play with a big friend group.
A developed Roots of Pacha farm with irrigation and beehives. Image: Soda Den
10. Ooblets
Ooblets swaps combat for dance-offs: you run a farm, grow and train little creatures called ooblets, and explore odd lands with them. The tone is relaxed and offbeat throughout. $29.99 on PC, Switch and Xbox.
Worth your time if you like Pokémon-style collecting and want something lighter and stranger than Stardew.
11. Moonstone Island
Moonstone Island is a creature-collecting life sim with 100 islands to explore, potion brewing, and card-based battles with Spirits. It lists at $19.99 but is $4.99 on Steam until October 22, 17:00 UTC and $9.99 on the Switch eShop until November 1 (checked October 17 UTC).
Worth your time if you like deck-building and exploration as much as farming.
12. Littlewood
Littlewood starts after the hero has already saved the world: you rebuild the town, learn new hobbies and make lifelong friends in what the developer calls a peaceful and relaxing RPG. $14.99 on PC and Switch.
Worth your time if you want calm sessions and a town that grows around your choices.
Coming soon: more games like Stardew Valley
- Coral Island on Switch 2: winter 2026, with the 1.4 “Kids Grow Up” update on all platforms.
- Witchbrook (Chucklefish): a witch life sim for up to 4 players, still listed for 2026 on Steam. Its September 10 dev blog said the team was finishing its final internal playtest, with localisation and console porting still underway. There is no release date yet.
Looking for something seasonal? Our cozy Halloween games list covers witchy farm sims like Wylde Flowers. On mobile, see our picks of games like The Sims for iOS and Android and games like BitLife.
FAQ
What is the closest game to Stardew Valley?
Fields of Mistria is the closest: the same top-down pixel style, a similar seasonal farming and friendship loop, and a $13.99 price on PC. If you want it on console, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar or Roots of Pacha come nearest.
Are there games like Stardew Valley on PS5?
Yes: Coral Island (included in PS Plus Extra), Roots of Pacha, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, My Time at Sandrock and Palia are all on the PlayStation Store. Stardew Valley itself is on PS4 for $14.99 and plays on PS5.
Is there a free game like Stardew Valley?
Palia is free to play on PC, Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Moonstone Island is not free but costs $4.99 on Steam until October 22.
Sources: Steam store pages and announcements (Fields of Mistria, Coral Island, Roots of Pacha, Witchbrook and others), Nintendo eShop US, PlayStation Store US, Microsoft Store US, Steam Deck compatibility ratings, Stairway Games, Marvelous USA, RPG Site. Prices checked October 17, 2026 UTC.
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Featured image: AI-generated illustration
