7. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley Gameplay

Your day job has you feeling like a cog in the machine, so you quit and move into your late grandpa’s farm in Pelican Town.

Farm to make money, build relationships with your neighbors, and uncover several strange, magical goings-on brimming just under the town’s unassuming surface. Stardew Valley is often described as an improvement on the Harvest Moon series, with twelve romanceable villagers that aren’t restricted by your chosen gender, intuitive new mechanics, and a compelling narrative that places the farmer’s moral compass under scrutiny.

It’s relaxing and engaging at the same time, and you’ll find yourself daydreaming about tending to your strawberries while your honey waters the roses when you’re supposed to be working.

Country livin’: growing crops and tending to cute farm animals becomes a peaceful, comfortable routine

Community building: the inhabitants of Pelican Town are bursting with personality, and they’ll open up to you if you pursue a friendship