Choose Stardew Valley
Choose Stardew Valley if you want the Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online Co-op side of the pairing. On Steam, it has co-op, so you can bring a friend. 384,187 Steam reviews back the pick.
Stardew Valley vs Sprout Valley
Stardew Valley and Sprout Valley both land in Indie, Simulation, RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Indie, Simulation, RPG on Steam. Stardew Valley (2016) is 7 years older than Sprout Valley (2023). Stardew Valley scores higher on Steam reviews (98.9% positive) than Sprout Valley (69.7% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Sprout Valley
Choose Sprout Valley if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2023) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Sprout Valley launched in 2023.
Both Stardew Valley and Sprout Valley sit in Indie, Simulation, and RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Stardew Valley |  Sprout Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2023 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, RPG | Indie, Simulation, RPG, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 14.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 98.9% positive (384,187 reviews) | 69.7% positive (66 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | ConcernedApe | Vadzim Liakhovich |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, Simulation, RPG on Steam.
- Stardew Valley (2016) is 7 years older than Sprout Valley (2023).
- Stardew Valley scores higher on Steam reviews (98.9% positive) than Sprout Valley (69.7% positive).
- Sprout Valley is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Stardew Valley (14.99 USD vs. 14.99 USD).
- Stardew Valley has co-op; Sprout Valley does not.
- Both are Deck Verified.
Stardew Valley vs Sprout Valley — FAQ
- Should I play Stardew Valley or Sprout Valley first?
- If you want chronology, Stardew Valley (2016) came out before Sprout Valley (2023). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Stardew Valley and Sprout Valley similar?
- They overlap on Indie, Simulation, RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Does Sprout Valley have multiplayer like Stardew Valley?
- No. Stardew Valley supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op), while Sprout Valley is listed as single-player only.
- Do Stardew Valley and Sprout Valley both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.