When we talk about farming games and the genre's rise to popularity, we normally speak about it in general terms. However, we have to take into account that the genre itself is made up of several kinds of farming-oriented games. All these fall under the general term of farming simulators and, in general, have been massively played for some time now. The current boom of farming games, though, can be attributed mostly to a specific portion of the entire farming simulation market, and that is the RPG/MMORPG farming-type simulator.

Simulators going for realism

Straightforward simulation games, in general, are a niche of their own. Take the case of MS Flight Simulator or the classic Silent Service sub-simulator of the 1980s. Straight-out simulators tend to be as realistic as possible and are usually adapted as tutorials for real-life situations. In terms of farming games, true farming simulators deal with the nitty-gritty tasks and activities of building, running, and maintaining a farm. Everything in the game is technically oriented, from running and operating farm equipment to packing and packaging both farm, dairy, and meat produce.

Almost everything you need to learn and have an idea regarding how to run a real farm is featured in the game, and that's it. It stops there and ends there because it's what it is designed to do, to simulate and act as a teaching tool. Games like the Farming Simulator series, Farmer Simulator Tractor, and Farmer Life Simulator, to name a few, are good examples of this kind of farming games. These are the true farming simulators, and although quite popular, they are not the cause of the big boom in farming games that we have today.

Though sims thrive, cartoonish slice-of-life titles do so as well

Game designers have to be creative in order to survive in the dynamic and competitive market of video games. Games like FarmVille and Harvest Moon are pioneers in the creation of mixed adventure and farming simulation games, which have turned out to be a massive success. The extra "something" when added to the boring and straightforward farming activities has managed to pull in a huge crowd of new fans to the genre, and this has snowballed through the years. Eventually, games like Maple Story, Story of Seasons, Stardew Valley, The Ranchers, and many more are continuing the started legacy at an ever-growing pace. The boom is in the RPG and multiplayer aspects of these games.

While we do know how immersive solo-player RPG games have been since they first appeared in the late '70s and early '80s, the introduction of online multiplayer gaming has practically increased the immersive addiction to the games at a massive scale. These are evident in early MMORPG games like RuneScape and EverQuest.

RPGs and farming simulators

Now, when applied to today's current MMORPG farming simulation games (which seems to be the trend), we have a kind of similar result to that of those pioneering MMORPG games. The more people play, get invited, and are convinced to play with others online, the more the game becomes popular. Games like Fortnite and even VR Chat are good examples of current-day popularity. This is the reason why farming game simulators, the RPG variety, are hugely booming today.

Not all RPG games are alike or created equal. The most successful ones rely on certain aspects or features of the game that endear the gamers to it. Falling in love within the game world or merely interacting with online friends, both old and new, is already a very big pull for online gamers to play. A very good and immersive game design with a dash of social gaming would be a very good recipe for a successful game. Let's take the case of Stardew Valley.

It took Eric Barone quite some time to create and refine his game through in-depth research and customer feedback. Knowing what your audience wants and implementing them is a surefire way to earn your customers' continued patronage. Luckily, Barone knew what he was doing, so Stardew is the legend it is today. Things like clearly laid-out goals, character interaction, an attractive game setting and environment, game ambiance (which includes awesome sounds and music), varied game options and add-ons, multiplayer accessibility and availability, and most importantly, the discreet emotional hooks in the game that keep gamers playing, will ensure that there will always be people online who will be attracted to playing the game.

If the MMORPG game is designed and implemented well, then it will perform what it has been designed to do. This, of course, is not only limited to farming games but both to RPG and MMORPGs of the various genres as well. So, it is no wonder if RPG farming game simulations are booming today. Many people are lonely, bored, stressed, or exhausted, and there are games that provide the kind of solace and relaxation that will help them cope with another day. These kinds of farming games, though they could be viewed as a mere distraction, provide a comfort zone that both inspires, entertains, and even educates gamers as well as give them a second or third-hand experience when it comes to running a farm.