Raising animals can be quite difficult in real life. In the realm of gaming, it can be a cozy and rewarding experience. Games that revolve around taking care of animals offer a unique spectrum of gameplay mechanics. In some cases, you’re building a park to show off these critters to the world. In others, you’re raising them to produce a healthy supply of goods for trade.
Whatever the reason, you’re going to need all the care skills and housing you can muster up to keep your animals from revolting. So here are some farming games that have you taking care of a nice variety of critters, from those you find in the barnyard, to others that are out of this world.
Stardew Valley
WHERE TO PLAY
Restore your grandfather’s farm to its former glory in Stardew Valley, a charming indie simulation role-playing game developed by Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone. Along the way you’ll meet new friends, romance villagers, and explore deep caves for the materials you’ll need to craft, build, and grow.
Stardew Valleyhas you managing your own farm on top of everything else you do for the town. What makes the farming aspect so engaging is just how in depth it is. You’re not just taking care of cows and chickens, but dinosaurs and ostriches as well.
Animals also don’t come easy. Some can be purchased once you’ve upgraded your farm enough. Others can only be found by chance or by meeting certain conditions. Then you can sell the milk, eggs, or other items they produce to replenish your funds and make the town happier.
Slime Rancher 2
In Slime Rancher 2 you again assume the role of Beatrix LeBeau, this time exploring Rainbow Island. You’ll collect the resources to feed slimes, in order to farm plorts and make money.
Slime Rancher 2has you capturing slimes in the wild, then raising them on your farm. You’ll need to keep them fed, watered, or even held in their appropriate habitat if you want to keep them from going rampant.
In return for all your efforts, you may collect the plorts they leave behind. Just don’t ask exactly where they come from. These little slime balls are worth a pretty penny. You can even combine slimes by feeding them different plorts. Though this will change their needs.
Farming Simulator 25
Farming Simulator 25 invites you to join the rewarding farm life. Whether you build your legacy single-handedly or cooperatively in multiplayer - you decide: This Farm is Your Farm!Build a farm along winding rivers and historic grain elevators in North America, surrounded by ponds in Central Europe, or in a lush East Asian landscape filled with rice paddies near a neon-lit port city. Grow crops, tend to animals, practice forestry, and manage an empire of business ventures with farm shops, productions, and constructions!Twisters and hail add new challenges, prompting farmers to prepare and assess the impact on their crops. Tire tracks also leave an impact thanks to ground deformation and plenty of new weather effects, making the view on your farm more romantic and immersive. Start the day with sun rays breaking through the treetops, illuminating the morning mist with golden light!Grow two types of rice on water-retaining rice fields, or spinach, peas, and green beans as Farming Simulator 25 extends the choice of crops to 25 in total. Various tree species plus greenhouse vegetables offer even more variety. Adding Asian farming, you roam the fields operating new types of equipment, while mighty buffalo and goats join cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, horses, and other livestock in pens and pastures. Baby animals, too!Farm more precise with GPS-assisted steering and improved automation. Operate over 400 authentic vehicles & tools from more than 150 international top brands. Including Case IH, CLAAS, Fendt, John Deere, Kubota, Massey Ferguson, New Holland, Valtra, and many more. Choose your favorite brand or discover exciting new technology!Feel a deeper connection to fields and nature thanks to a general tech upgrade: Improved graphics and physics based on the latest GIANTS Engine 10 refine the experience. Improved accessibility and quality-of-life features make Farming Simulator 25 the most beginner-friendly way to start your life as a newfound or returning farmer. If that’s not enough, download developer-tested user creations from the in-game ModHub!
If cozy gaming isn’t the right fit, thenFarming Simulator 25offersa more realistic gameplay style. With life-like visuals and plenty of customization for your farm, everything you do will have some effect on your production.
While crops are important for keeping your farm afloat, animals are just as vital for manufacturing goods such as milk, cheese, eggs, and other necessary products. Animals include pigs, sheep, cows, goats, chickens, and so much more. you’re able to even take the time to ride horses yourself.
Palworld
Palworld has been described as Pokemon with guns and well, it’s hard to argue with that. The game is very similar in nature to the Pokemon formula, tasking you with catching and working with monsters called Pals. There are key differences, though. Palworld is rooted in multiplayer, oh, and, unlike Pokemon, its Pals have guns.
When you think about farming games, raising animals is a given. So, how about getting those animals to work for you? InPalworld, these creatures are called Pals and do more than just stand around dropping resources. They actively take part in keeping your farms and productions running smoothly.
If you take good care of the Pals and don’t force them to work harder than they’re able to, they will become more likely to produce better resources. You can even breed them to attain the attributes that you’re looking for.
Paleo Pines
Paleo Pines is a slice-of-life game in which you explore the titular island alongside Lucky, your dinosaur friend. Along the way you’ll establish a sanctuary, grow crops, and get to know the locals.
Paleo Pines takes you to a faraway land where you need to look afterprehistoric creatures. Don’t worry though, these dinosaurs won’t eat you for lunch. In fact, they’ll help you out in building the best dinosaur farm.
Taking care of dinosaurs isn’t easy. You not only need to find the right food for them, but figure out their social aspects. Some dinosaurs like to move in herds while others tend to be loners. This makes some groups easy roommates as you prepare them to become helpers on the farm.
Cult of the Lamb
Cult of the Lamb is a hit indie roguelike, in which you play a lamb who must raise a cult in honour of a mysterious god. Along the way you must indoctrinate new followers and deal with rival cults.
Cult of the Lamb has its fair share of farming and RPG elements. You also take care of animals in a way you would least expect. You’re keeping them happy and satisfied by tending to their needs, feeding them, and giving them shelter.
Taking care of your animal followers means your cult can grow and become stronger. Of course, this also kind of makes them livestock. Eventually, you might just need to sacrifice some of them to appease the gods. So is that so different from turning your cows into hamburger meat?
Ooblets
Ooblets is a creature capture life sim, set in the town of Badgetown. You must build up your new farm, using Ooblets to help.
In farming games, you’re either growing crops or raising animals. Ooblets combine both aspects of the farm so that you’re growing critters. These dancing creatures will drop seeds which can then be planted to form a brand-new Ooblet.
Once you have your Ooblets, you’ll need to take care of them and use them in epic dance battles against enemies. With unique traits and dance moves, each Ooblet is worth raising. You can also have them assist you around the farm as an extra set of hands.
Coral Island
Coral Island mixes the cozy farming sim and dating game genres, alongside having to battle monsters and mine minerals and gemstones. There’s plenty of customization to do, for your own unique playthrough.
Coral Island is a farming sim with all the basic elements of the genre but withan added twist. You’re working hard to restore the natural beauty of the island’s surface and coral reefs. So you’ll spend time taking care of animals for resources, then use them to make the island clean for the undersea animals.
Underwater barns can also be built to house some of these marine critters, such as the Mermoos, Seashrouds, and Carapoultry. So this farming sim has opportunities for ocean-dwellers and land lovers alike.
2Tales Of Autumn
The Picture Perfect Farm
Tales of Autumn has plenty of focus on ranching and meeting requirements to get certain species to join your farm. It’s not just your average animals you have to look out for, but mythical creatures such as manticore, gryphons, and jackalopes.
Once you’ve managed to entice these critters onto your ranch, you’ll need to create the perfect enclosure for them. This means managing the terrain and giving them a diverse biome that takes all of their needs into account. You get full control of how every pixel of the terrain looks.
1Ova Magica
Playing With Genetic Lines
Ova Magica is a farming sim with JRPG elements that forces you to remember all the old science classes about genetic traits. Blob creatures will inhabit your farm, your house, and the wilderness. Hatch your first blobs and you’re able to start your journey.
Two blobs will produce an egg that can result in offspring with a variety of features from the parents. Yet, these features aren’t always the same. Will your blob have its parent’s wings? How about their facial expressions? You’ll only know when they finally hatch.
