Stardew Valley was originally released in 2016 and quickly encapsulated audiences with its Harvest Moon-inspired farming simulation and simple yet enjoyable role-playing mechanics. The game came to Nintendo Switch in 2017, a year after its initial release, giving a new set of players the chance to lose themselves in the indie game's world.
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Players have put in hundreds of hours of playtime into Stardew Valley in that time but might be looking for something new on the console. Thankfully, there are many other fantastic Switch titles that offer simple RPG mechanics, the ability to farm, and sometimes both.
8 Forager
Forager was developed by HopFrog and first came to PC in April 2019 before hitting Nintendo Switch just over three months later. The game differentiates itself from most crafting games with the extremely high rate that resources respawn at, allowing players to swiftly progress through technological advancements.
The open-world game was fairly well-received by critics, exemplified by its 78 Metascore on both Nintendo Switch and PC.
7 Farming Simulator: Nintendo Switch Edition
For anyone wanting to play a more true-to-life farm management game, the aptly named Farming Simulator: Nintendo Switch Edition is an ideal option. The Farming Simulator series is similar to Euro Truck Simulator, Train Sim World, and Forklift Simulator in the sense that it takes a perceived mundane job and turns it into an addictive, engrossing gaming experience.
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Like with Stardew Valley, much of Farming Simulator: Nintendo Switch Edition's charm comes from watching hard work pay off with a growing, flourishing farm.
6 Minecraft
Realistically, if someone has played and enjoyed Stradew Valley, they likely will have tried the iconic indie game Minecraft at one point or another. Still, it's worth including, as anyone who hasn't tried it yet may be about to play the perfect replacement for ConcernedApe's RPG.
Minecraft has was originally released in 2011 and engrossed players by offering one of the purest open-world and sandbox experiences released up until that point, with players have complete freedom to build their own world and craft their own story.
5 Terraria
Terraria was released just a few months before Minecraft and draws numerous similarities with its open-world, sandbox mechanics, and procedurally generated world. Despite its similarities, Terraria hasn't come close to the eye-watering sales figures of Minecraft, likely due to its 2D perspective, which often doesn't have the same mainstream appeal as 3D for modern audiences.
Although Terreria has always had to live in the shadow of Minecraft, it's sold an incredible 35 million units and is still being enjoyed by tons of gamers today.
4 Farm Together
Farm Together was developed by Milkstone Studios and was released on Nintendo Switch in February 2019. Like many farming games, Farm Together begins with the player being given a vacant plot of land that they are tasked with building into a thriving farm. Farm Together lives up to its name by letting players invite people to their farm who can either just enjoy the scenery or help with ongoing work.
The game doesn't just involve farming, as players can take a break to enjoy hobbies such as painting and cooking.
3 Animal Crossing: New Horizons
When thinking of game's that one can relax with and enjoy growing something over time, few series' come to mind faster than Animal Crossing. The franchise originated in 2001 with the game simply titled Animal Crossing and has had another four main series releases since, which have all been highlights of the social simulator and life simulator genres.
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons doesn't try re-invent the wheel, keeping intact the core building, social, and management mechanics that players have always loved about the iconic franchise.
2 Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is essentially what would happen if Stradew Valley was put in a blender with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game beings with the player traveling on a boat, which is soon obliterated by a bolt of lightning, bringing the player to a mysterious island. The island is plagued by an evil substance known as Murk, which players must eliminate by finding sprites. Although this is the primary goal, the player is free to traverse the island at their leisure while partaking in activities such as farming and fishing.
The game doesn't match the quality of the aforementioned Stardew Valley or Breath of the Wild, though it's still a fantastic, loveable game that will appeal to Stardew fans.
1 My Time At Portia
Although the vibrant visuals and flourishing nature may suggest otherwise, My Time At Portia actually takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, many years after civilization was destroyed. Humans have since begun to rebuild society, a tall order that the player is tasked with continuing.
The game's crafting mechanics are similar to other games in the genre, but My Time At Portia stands out by featuring numerous dungeons that are filled with enemies for players to kill. The game was relatively well-received by critics, scoring between 71 and 75 on Metacritic.