The 24 Best (& WORST!) Cozy Farming Games on Switch

Story of Seasons remains one of the foundational franchises in the genre of farming RPGs, serving as a continued source of inspiration for the development of modern farming and social simulation games. 

Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is the latest addition to the series and it takes a nostalgic turn, as it is a remake of the beloved Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life. Following in the footsteps of its groundbreaking predecessor, you will raise a child and watch them grow up and eventually follow their own path.

As the seasons progress, you can farm, fish, explore, and socialize with the townsfolk, all reminiscent of the cherished gameplay experience from the original game.

One Lonely Outpost is a colonization-life sim that breaks the mold of the classic farming sims out today. Your alien world still has the usual gameplay you expect from the farming genre like terraforming and turning wastelands into vibrant landscapes. But you can also expect lots of exploring, farming, building, and unlocking mysteries on this strange new planet that sets this game apart from the others.

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Pixelshire is a town builder and RPG that enthusiasts of Stardew Valley’s pixelated aesthetic will enjoy. This RPG sandbox has a charming aesthetic and you can form friendships and romantic relationships with the locals, explore the vast landscapes, beautify your town, and do the usual farm work.

Pixelshire mixes life-sim elements with combat and town building with the edition of mastering trades and terraforming to make your farm something truly special. 

Garden Life is a relaxing gardening game in which you create your dream garden in a peaceful, colourful world. Plant and add ornaments at your own pace, transforming an overgrown forgotten plot into a flourishing community garden.

Let’s talk about Ooblets, because this is a life simulator with some farming elements. Ooblets has a card-based battle system but is 100% non-violent. Instead, you take part in dance battles where you can win yourself seeds that can be planted to grow Ooblets.

This creature collection game is adorable and perfect for you if you want a light farming game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Your Oobs take on the job of maintaining the farming elements so you can go off and explore to discover new and rare Oobs to collect, which is why this game is still a farming sim but without the grind.

Have you ever looked up at the sky and thought about what it would be like to live among the clouds? Clouzy! is part adventure and part farming management game that lets you explore a floating island in the sky. But don’t get too comfy because these clouds aren’t all well. Clouzy! is basically a clinic for clouds.

It’s your job to nurture them back to full health by collecting fruits and herbs for crafting into medicinal teas and tasty meals. The whole environment is wholesome and relaxing but there are a few puzzles that may test you.

Wall-e meets Stardew in No Place Like Home. Play as Ellen as you clean up Earth and after a hands-on tutorial, explore different zones and renovate your farm.

No Place Like Home prioritizes environmentalism by focusing on the revitalization and rejuvenation of land through cleaning and restoration efforts. If you care about the future of our planet then ‘No Place Like Home’ is the game for you.

My Time At Portia has a classic farming sim story – you inherit a workshop and need to restore it. Have you ever actually inherited a farm or piece of land for real? Because I haven’t and I’m beginning to think I need to make friends with some farmer boys.

Restore your Pa’s run-down workshop by completing commissions, growing crops, raising farm animals, and befriending the folks that live on this charming post-apocalyptic land!

Garden Life is a relaxing story-driven gardening game. You’re not restricted by grid placements so you can place plants and objects freely! I know it’s not technically a farming sim but if you want a break from growing veggies perhaps try growing flowers instead. Plant and add ornaments at your own pace, transforming an overgrown forgotten plot into a flourishing community garden.

Life in Willowdale: Farm Adventures blends the relaxing experience of a farming simulator with the excitement of an action-adventure game.

A unique combination of exploration and the serene ambiance of a leisurely life amidst nature. Tend to livestock, construct a thriving community, and reap the bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables that you have personally cultivated.

STORY OF SEASONS: Friends Of Mineral Town is a 3D remake combining the content of the Game Boy Advance games, Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town, for the Nintendo Switch. 

With very little plot to talk about you simply start by inheriting a large and neglected piece of land before getting to work restoring it to its former glory. The resource management system keeps you coming back each day to encourage you to grow your farm. If you’re looking to fill the Animal Crossing-shaped hole in your life then this remake of the harvest moon series will keep you company.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin intertwines side-scrolling action with intricate crafting and farming simulation, presenting a captivating narrative that explores the journey of self-discovery and belonging. 

You play as Princess Sakuna who must fight monsters on the Isle of Demons so she can one day return to her heavenly Lofty Realm. In between battles, you return to your hamlet to dine with the humans you are caring for and eat meals made from your harvest to restore Sakuna’s health and stamina. 

Noby and his friends reunite in an exciting new installment of Doraemon: Story of Seasons! This beloved crossover series, combining the cherished farming franchise with the iconic Japanese cultural figure, Doraemon, returns with a host of fresh and engaging gameplay features.

Bury yourself in a heartwarming story where you can cultivate crops, raise adorable animals, and utilize Doraemon’s Secret Gadgets to assist your friends. This delightful experience offers enjoyment for individuals of all ages.

Slime Rancher is a fun first-person sandbox farming adventure where you play as Beatrix LeBeau, embarking on a new life as a rancher in a distant galaxy, far removed from Earth.

Fulfill daily tasks assigned by fellow ranchers, cultivate crops, and care for adorable chickadoos to nourish your collection of squishy slimes.

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STORY OF SEASONS: Pioneers of Olive Town didn’t try to revolutionize the farming genre with this one.

Borrowing heavily from the popularity of Stardew Valley, Pioneers of Olive Town continues with the familiar trope of ‘young person wants to escape the city to help restore a run-down building they inherited’. If you like familiar calming, relaxing farming sims then you’ll enjoy the usual tale of Story Of Seasons: Pioneers Of Olive Town.

Kitaria Fables is an action and adventure RPG with 2 Player Couch Co-Op.

Fight back against the darkness. Farm for ingredients, plant seeds and tend to your crops to gather materials and craft weapons to save Paw Village. A cute and cozy local co-op with combat.

With its inviting atmosphere, extensive customization options, and lovable characters, Littlewood stands out as one of the top farm-simulation games available on the Nintendo Switch.

In Littlewood, you take on the role of an RPG hero who has chosen to leave the battlefield and focus on constructing a flourishing community. However, a notable twist is that you have lost your memories.

This endearing game immediately immerses you in a cozy and intimate atmosphere, infusing a small yet significant human element into every aspect of your experience. The kind and enthusiastic personalities of your friends contribute to this sense of warmth. While the grind may be a genuine aspect of the game, if you’re able to see beyond it, Littlewood offers far more than your typical farm simulation.

Farm Together 2 expands on the original game – Farm Together. Work in co-op with friends or online to cultivate your farm. Free updates and paid-themed DLCs have been promised and even seasonal events coming soon!

Garden Paws combines a little bit of everything from crafting and fishing to exploration and farming. Your grandparents have set off to travel the world and left you their farm to run.

With so much to do in this role-playing game, you’re spoilt for choice. Choose to explore to grab some loot or enter a dungeon to battle some epic monsters, be a shopkeep and display your crafted items and later tend to your crops… or perhaps you prefer raising animals? As I said, Garden Paws has it all!

Are you a Twitch Streamer? Garden Paws even has Twitch chat integration so your viewers can join in the fun too. They can actually hang out at your Townhall which is a wonderful way to keep your community entertained.

Bunhouse is an adorable game brimming with bunnies! You focus on nurturing plants and managing a delightful greenhouse alongside fellow bunny companions. Show your tender care for your leafy plant buddies by striking the perfect balance of water and light they require.

Palia is a life-sim MMO, but it has found its way to this list because of its farming skill. There are 8 skills you can choose to work on in the game and farming is a big one. If you wanted to you could just focus on leveling up your farming skill entirely. I’m partial to hunting and foraging though myself.

You thought I’d forgotten to add it, didn’t you? Be honest now. Although I’ve never personally played Stardew myself I know from my community that it’s incredibly popular.

Stardew Valley is a farm life sim game developed by Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone. With 12 dateable townsfolk and over 30 residents to befriend it’s captured the hearts of many cozy gamers.

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Make friends with the magical folks of Azoria, collect resources, craft cozy decorations and feed the animals on your homestead. Fae Farm is a multiplayer farming sim for up to 4 players but I just played it solo. Perhaps that’s why I found it so boring.

The game’s “Cozy System” rewards you for creating specialized furniture and home decor, buffing your health, stamina, and mana each day so you can head into the mine for resources. But the reason it’s landed on my worst farming Switch games to play is because the neighbors were as dull as dishwater. It’s fun for a short while but with no characters I cared about I quickly became bored and stopped picking it up.

If I hadn’t been gifted a copy of the game I most certainly wouldn’t have spent good money on it. If you want to play Fae Farm I’d advise waiting for it to go on sale.

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Everdream Valley

Everdream Valley is a farming sim adventure that has a lot going for it – cute graphics, open-world exploration, and inhabiting the animals around your farm (a fun concept!) but it’s received mixed reviews.

I’m perhaps not the target market for this game as it is best suited for a younger player base. I’d say get this as an introductory to the cozy farming sim genre but don’t expect to play it endlessly. It’s reasonably priced for a 20-40hr game though.