Best Games like Stardew Valley & Animal Crossing 2021: Expert Review

My search began with a hunt for the highest-rated and most popular farming simulation games on the market, and once I found them, I downloaded them onto my phone and began to play. I did this over 10 days and spent approximately an hour testing different games each day, although sometimes I played for longer. 

As I tested each one, I took note of how well they compared to each other, but I also had criteria that I was testing against, which helped me to rank the games accurately. 

This included focusing on: 

• How easy the game was to play
• The characters and story simulation
• The graphics 
• How frustrating or relaxing the games were 
• How easy it was to control the characters 
• How long it took to progress in the game 
• How much these games were "pay-to-win," and if there was too big of an emphasis on in-game purchases 

Using these criteria, I was able to more accurately test, compare and rank the games and get a clever picture of which ones were the best, which was extremely useful with these games as many of the games were quite similar.

As games go, it’s a great choice not only among farming simulation games but among any other mobile games as well. The one-time purchase of $4.99 (though the game was on sale for $3.99 at the time of testing,) and you’ll get all the features.

Good graphics bring the game to life and make it fun to play. It features an interesting story that keeps you coming back to see what happens next and further explore the Stardew world. Straightforward gameplay with a user-friendly interface that’s both easy and fun to play, plus all the traditional farming elements that you would expect in a game like this. However, where Stardew Valley comes into its own is with how expansive the simulation is.

Not only can you fix up your farm and build your business, but you can live an entire life too.

It’s one of those games that you can play over and over again without getting bored, and it’s not unrealistic to say you may end up investing hours of your life into this game.

It is worth noting that, at times, it can be a little slow-paced, and you do have to wait for some events to unfold, but in our opinion, that just adds to the relaxing experience of the game.

When we first started paying we did feel like some of the instructions could have been clearer as there were a few times when we got lost and couldn’t figure out the next steps. 

We did get to grips with things after a while, but it would have made things much easier to have in-game instructions from the beginning. It doesn’t need to be anything too crazy, but a better map for when you’re moving around and some instructions on how to handle the equipment on the farm would have been great. 

We also felt that the character movement could be improved. You do get used to it, but when you first start playing, movement is a little sticky.

It means you get to spend more time building your farm, and you won’t have to spend time away from the main purpose of the game.

Completing these next steps, whether it’s planting crops or making flour, can take time; however, there is an option to buy keys in the game that you can use to speed things up. These aren’t essential, but they do give you a good way to progress through the game at a quicker pace.

It’s extremely popular on Nintendo Switch and we couldn't wait to test it now it’s on mobile. We’re happy to report that the move has been seamless.

The game as a whole is very fun and is a great way to relax and unwind as you play at your own pace.

The game itself is simple to play and the controls are straightforward. You can move your avatar, complete tasks, and interact with others with ease. You can also play one-handed if you want to, which is a huge plus for us.

Although you can make in-game purchases, this certainly isn't a game that relies on them, so you’ll be happy to know that you can make good progress without having to spend any money.

This is a great farming RPG and one you’ll love if you’re looking for something similar to Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley. It has a ton of content for a free-to-play game, although there are in-game purchases if you want to level up faster. You can buy diamonds from the store, which you use to buy items in the game, and there’s a pack for every budget, from $0.99 for a pack of 80 diamonds up to $99.99 for a pack of 1300.

Fans of the original farming simulation game will love to play this as it brings back so many great memories. Its unique characters and storylines are interesting and fun to experience, and you’ll love the gameplay as you do your best to run a successful farm and make new friends.

This is a really good game with great graphics and good characters. It’s easy to play and easier to control than some of the other games we tested. However, the only thing holding it back is the load time. Starting the game takes quite a while, and in between each scene, there’s a small wait again. It isn’t huge, and you can still have fun, but it's frustrating when you have to continually wait.

A decent farming game, especially if you’re a fan of retro 16-bit graphics; however, we felt it didn’t do enough to warrant a place above the other apps we tested. At times the gameplay was a little slow, and some of the actions weren’t as smooth as we would have liked.

Overall this is a pretty good game. It has good graphics and straightforward gameplay, and a range of activities to keep the game interesting. We did find that some crops took a while to produce, which slowed the gameplay down a little, but otherwise, it’s a solid game.