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Squirrel's Pick Squirrel's PickThe best game on this page. If you only try one, try this. Closest Match Closest MatchThe most similar game to the anchor, by what players say.
FarmingImmersive SimHorses
$8.19 ~42.5 hr median no co-op complexity: light 88.7% of 3k
The Squirrel's verdictShares FS17's core farm work—planting, harvesting, expanding plots—but wraps it in a life-sim structure: quests, dialogue, and a calendar where each in-game day equals a month. Where FS17 is open-ended with no story, this gives your farming tasks narrative purpose and pacing. Single-player only, no co-op.
Not for you if bugs are frequent and the compressed day-equals-a-month calendar makes you feel constantly rushed rather than able to plan at leisure.
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Farming SimLife SimRPG
$3.99 ~23.5 hr median no co-op complexity: light 74.9% of 4k
The Squirrel's verdictBoth put you in farm-chore loops—repair, upgrade, tend equipment—for long solo stretches. Farmer's Dynasty adds an inherited-farm story and NPC dialogue on top of that grind, plus building restoration FS17 doesn't offer. Reviewers report frequent bugs and a forced online-connection requirement despite no co-op. Median playtime sits at 23.5 hours, priced at $3.99.
Not for you if you want stable saves and no online-connection requirement in a single-player farming game, since reviewers report bugs and forced connectivity checks.
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AgricultureAutomationImmersive Sim
$14.99 ~11.7 hr median no co-op complexity: light 80.9% of 215
The Squirrel's verdictACRES is a solo-developer farming game where fields dry up and die quickly without constant manual attention—watering, weeding, fertilizing are hands-on and unforgiving. That frantic pace contrasts sharply with FS17's open-ended, low-pressure loop. Reviewers note performance problems as farm size grows. Released in 2025, priced at $14.99, with a median playtime of 11.7 hours and a Very Positive rating.
Not for you if you want a relaxed, sprawling simulation or find manual upkeep across every plot exhausting rather than engaging.
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Farming SimOpen WorldAgriculture
Strong Mods Strong ModsA deep, active modding scene extends it past its base content.
$19.99 ~18.1 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 73.5% of 2k
The Squirrel's verdictSame core loop of planting, harvesting, and managing equipment across a farming sim, but Pure Farming 2018 adds more countries, crops, and animal variety than FS17's base game offered. No co-op here, and reviews note it lacks the mod ecosystem and depth FS17 built over time. Suits players wanting more content diversity over deep simulation.
Not for you if you want co-op play, mod support, or the polish FS17 gained from years of updates.
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Professional Farmer 2014
PC
Farming SimAgricultureFarming
$2.39 ~2.9 hr median no co-op complexity: light 46.7% of 621
The Squirrel's verdictStripping out animal feeding, equipment selling, and mod support, Professional Farmer 2014 narrows the farm-sim loop down almost entirely to driving: plow, cultivate, seed, fertilize, repeat. Animals appear on the property but require no care. No co-op. At a median playtime of under 3 hours and a Mixed Steam rating, it suits someone who wants a brief, cheaper taste of tractor-driving mechanics without the broader feature set.
Not for you if you want animal care, equipment trading, mod support, or sessions that last beyond a couple of hours.
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Farming SimAutomobile SimDriving
$19.99 ~5.4 hr median no co-op complexity: moderate 46.3% of 693
The Squirrel's verdictFarm Expert 2017 pursues more realistic vehicle physics and terrain detail than FS17, but reviews consistently flag bouncing tractors, floating vehicles, wonky controls, and crashes as unresolved at release. The developer has a documented pattern of limited post-launch support. Median playtime sits at 5.4 hours, far short of FS17's long-haul appeal. Worth considering only for players drawn to the physics ambition over execution.
Not for you if you need stable physics, reliable controls, and confidence that reported bugs will be patched after purchase.
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Farming SimAgricultureOpen World
~4.1 hr median no co-op complexity: light 40.3% of 288
The Squirrel's verdictReal Farm covers the same plow-and-harvest fundamentals but with a narrower vehicle roster and less overall depth than FS17. Reviewers describe controls as worse, sound as poor, and the feature set as thinner than competing titles at the same price. Some reviewers position it as a simcade entry point rather than a full simulator. Median playtime is 4.1 hours on a Mixed Steam rating.
Not for you if you want the vehicle variety, mod ecosystem, or mechanical polish that FS17 built up over its lifespan.
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Farming SimAgricultureFarming
$4.99 ~3.5 hr median no co-op complexity: light 38.4% of 315
The Squirrel's verdictAn isometric click-to-farm structure replaces 3D equipment driving entirely: till a field, plant crops, wait out growth timers, harvest, sell, then repeat. Farming World adds buildings for animals and food production, but reviewers describe the loop as monotonous, the automation as absent, and manual livestock feeding across multiple barns as tedious. No co-op. Median playtime is 3.5 hours.
Not for you if you came for driving and operating farm equipment, or you expect any meaningful automation for livestock management.