When it comes to farming games, especially the social ones, you won't hear a bigger name than FarmVille. It was a social networking game developed by Zynga and released in June 2009. The game was one of the most popular social games of all time, with over 800 million registered users at its peak. With all these users and the stunning gameplay it offered, Farmville had absolutely no competition. The game was addictive, and, considering the users it had, it shouldn't be a surprise.

Why did FarmVille boom?

If we talk about the popularity and addictiveness, FarmVille was addictive for a number of reasons. First, the game was very simple to play. Players could start a farm by planting crops, raising animals, and building structures. The game was also very social, as players could visit each other's farms and help each other out. FarmVille was also addictive because it was very rewarding. Players were rewarded for their actions with coins, which could be used to buy new items for their farms. The game also offered a variety of achievements, which players could earn by completing certain tasks.

The arrival of FarmVille 2

The game peaked at the start of 2010 when it reached 83.76 million active users. These numbers are gigantic for any game, let alone for one of the best social games ever. FarmVille 2 was released in 2010 as a sequel to the original FarmVille. The game was more complex than the original, with a wider variety of crops, animals, and structures. FarmVille 2 was also more social, with the ability to trade items with other players. FarmVille 2 was not as popular as the original FarmVille, but it still had a significant following.

Eventual end and legacy

Keeping up with the changing trends is always a bit tricky, and with the introduction of even more engaging social games on the mobile platform, Farmville suffered big time. FarmVille started to decline in popularity in 2011. This was due to a number of factors, including the rise of other social games, such as Candy Crush Saga, and the increasing popularity of mobile gaming. In 2014, Zynga announced that it would shut down FarmVille on Facebook, and the game was officially shut down on December 31, 2016.

The game did leave a big mark on the online gaming community despite being one of the biggest games ever to be shut down. FarmVille left a lasting legacy on the social gaming industry. The game was one of the first social games to achieve mainstream success, and it helped to popularize the genre. FarmVille also showed that social games could be profitable, and this led to the development of many other successful social games.

All things considered, FarmVille was a cultural phenomenon that had a significant impact on the social gaming industry, and it's unfortunate that it joined the long list of games that shut down. The game was addictive, social, and rewarding, and it helped to popularize the social gaming genre.