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Farm life sims are a subgenre of
life simulation game Life simulation games form a subgenre of simulation video games in which the player lives or controls one or more virtual characters (human or otherwise). Such a game can revolve around "individuals and relationships, or it could be a simulation ...
s which fuse
social simulation Social simulation is a research field that applies computational methods to study issues in the social sciences. The issues explored include problems in computational law, psychology, organizational behavior, sociology, political science, e ...
,
dating sim Dating sims, or , are video game subgenre of simulation games with romantic elements. Dating sims are often dialog-heavy and focus on time management. The player must befriend and carefully build and maintain a relationship with one or more ...
and farm simulation elements. The games generally feature a protagonist going out to a rural setting and taking upon a farm, oftentimes because of an inheritance from a deceased relative, or because of urban boredom. The player-character grows crops and raises livestock to make money, and can interact with a wide cast of characters who are inhabitants of the town, and work toward the main plot's objective, if one exists. The game plots often featured dying ghost towns that must be revitalized by the player's actions. The genre origins were in the original '' Story of Seasons'' series (previously called Harvest Moon in English) which was almost the sole series in its genre up until ''
Stardew Valley ''Stardew Valley'' is a simulation role-playing video game developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. Players take the role of a character who takes over their deceased grandfather's dilapidated farm in a place known as Stardew Valley. The game wa ...
'', a successful
indie game An indie game, short for independent video game, is a video game typically created by individuals or smaller development teams without the financial and technical support of a large game publisher, in contrast to most "AAA" (triple-A) games. ...
inspired by it, popularized farm life sims as a distinct genre.Nintendo Life
How Stardew Valley Grew The Farm Sim While Harvest Moon Went To Seed , Nintendo Life
accessdate: June 22, 2023


History

The first game ever in the genre was ''Harvest Moon'', which released in the later stages of the
SNES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...
console lifespan. Inspired by his childhood in the countryside and the game series Derby Stallion, producer Yasuhiro Wada wanted to make a rural setting "role-playing" game without any combat.Engadget
Yasuhiro Wada waxes nostalgic about Harvest Moon , Engadget
accessdate: June 22, 2023
The game starred Pete as he moves out to the country to take upon a farm he inherited from his grandfather. The player could explore the town and interact with its inhabitants. As a bonus, the player could bond with and marry eligible bachelorettes in town, making it one of the earliest examples of a
dating sim Dating sims, or , are video game subgenre of simulation games with romantic elements. Dating sims are often dialog-heavy and focus on time management. The player must befriend and carefully build and maintain a relationship with one or more ...
. A later influential game in the Story of Seasons series was the spinoff ''
Rune Factory is a franchise of fantasy role-playing simulation games created by Yoshifumi Hashimoto, and primarily published by Marvelous. The games are developed by Hashimoto's studio Hakama, taking over from Neverland after they ceased operations in 2013 ...
'' which married farm life sim games with the
Japanese role-playing game While the early history and distinctive traits of role-playing video games (RPGs) in East Asia come from Japan, many have also been developed in South Korea and in China. Japanese role-playing games Japanese computer role-playing games O ...
(JRPG) genre and featured
dungeon crawling A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games in which heroes navigate a labyrinth environment (a " dungeon"), battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find. Video game ...
. JRPG fusions are now a noted variant of farm life sims. The series was the only series in its genre until fairly recently, and would often market itself as a role-playing game because of this. The series remained a stable, consistent property but did not sell in great numbers for many years. In 2016,
Eric Barone The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ai ...
released the self-developed game ''
Stardew Valley ''Stardew Valley'' is a simulation role-playing video game developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. Players take the role of a character who takes over their deceased grandfather's dilapidated farm in a place known as Stardew Valley. The game wa ...
'' which exploded in popularity, becoming one of the most successful
indie games An indie game, short for independent video game, is a video game typically created by individuals or smaller development teams without the financial and technical support of a large game publisher, in contrast to most "AAA" (triple-A) games. ...
ever. The game heavily popularized this type of game, and made it into a genre itself. Use of the phrase "farm life sim" started appearing after this.The Washington Post
‘Stardew Valley’ fans should try Rune Factory, Cozy Grove and more - The Washington Post
accessdate: June 22, 2023
After ''Stardew Valley'''s success, the genre experienced a massive boom in popularity, and more farm life sims would release, many of which were also indie.I Think We've Reached The Breaking Point Of Adorable Farming Sims
I Think We've Reached The Breaking Point Of Adorable Farming Sims
accessdate: June 22, 2023
Square Enix is a Japanese multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate, best known for its ''Final Fantasy'', ''Dragon Quest'', '' Star Ocean'' and ''Kingdom Hearts'' role-playing video game franchises, among numerou ...
would put out ''
Harvestella ''Harvestella'' is a 2022 farm life sim role-playing video game developed by Live Wire and published by Square Enix. It was released for the Nintendo Switch and Windows on November 4. It has been compared to ''Final Fantasy'' and ''Rune Factory'', ...
'', a JRPG fusion in the vein of ''Rune Factory''.


Notable examples

*'' Story of Seasons'' series **''
Rune Factory is a franchise of fantasy role-playing simulation games created by Yoshifumi Hashimoto, and primarily published by Marvelous. The games are developed by Hashimoto's studio Hakama, taking over from Neverland after they ceased operations in 2013 ...
'' **'' Innocent Life'' *''
Harvestella ''Harvestella'' is a 2022 farm life sim role-playing video game developed by Live Wire and published by Square Enix. It was released for the Nintendo Switch and Windows on November 4. It has been compared to ''Final Fantasy'' and ''Rune Factory'', ...
'' *'' Disney Dreamlight Valley'' *''
Coral Island A coral island is a type of island formed from coral detritus and associated organic material. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas, typically as part of a coral reef which has grown to cover a far larger area under the sea. Ecosystem ...
'' *''
Stardew Valley ''Stardew Valley'' is a simulation role-playing video game developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. Players take the role of a character who takes over their deceased grandfather's dilapidated farm in a place known as Stardew Valley. The game wa ...
'' *'' Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin'' *''
Ooblets ''Ooblets'' (previously known as ''Moblets'') is a life simulation video game developed and published by Glumberland. It was released via early access on July 15, 2020, for Windows and Xbox One. Its Windows release is exclusive to the Epic Games ...
'' *''
Kitaria Fables ''Kitaria Fables'' is a 2021 role-playing video game. It was developed by Indonesian indie game studio Twin Hearts and released by PQube. It received "mixed or average reviews" according to Metacritic. Gameplay ''Kitaria Fables'' is an role-pla ...
'' *''
Fae Farm ''Fae Farm'' is a farm life sim with role-playing elements developed and published by Phoenix Labs. It was released on September 8, 2023, for Windows and Nintendo Switch. Gameplay After being shipwrecked on an island, players are rescued b ...
'' *'' My Time at Portia'' *''
My Time at Sandrock ''My Time at Sandrock'' is a 2023 farm life sim developed by Pathea Games and published by PM Studios and Focus Entertainment. It is the sequel of '' My Time at Portia''. Gameplay Players control a new resident in a desert town. The setting, ...
'' * ''
Roots of Pacha ''Roots of Pacha'' is a farming and life simulation indie video game set in the Stone Age developed and published by Soda Den, funded as a Kickstarter campaign. It allows up to four players to play online together. The village offers activities ...
''


Other

Joining in on the genre's boom, the 2.0 update of popular social sim '' Animal Crossing: New Horizons'' (2020) added the ability to create a farm and grow produce.


See also

* Life simulation game#Farming simulator *
Cozy game A cozy game is a video game genre that emphasizes non-violence and relaxation. Initially derived from the life simulation genre, cozy games commonly include activities such as gathering and growing plants and nurturing other characters. They ofte ...
s


References

{{VideoGameGenre Life simulation games Video game genres Video game terminology Farming video games Dating sims Social simulation video games