Choose Stardew Valley
Choose Stardew Valley if you want an Indie game with Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online Co-op. On Steam, it's Steam Deck Verified, so handheld play works out of the box. 384,187 Steam reviews back the pick.
Stardew Valley vs Hillshade Farm
Stardew Valley and Hillshade Farm both land in 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 Simulation, RPG on Steam. Stardew Valley (2016) is 10 years older than Hillshade Farm (2026). Stardew Valley scores higher on Steam reviews (98.9% positive) than Hillshade Farm (70.6% 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 Hillshade Farm
Choose Hillshade Farm if you want a Casual and Early Access game with Steam Leaderboards. On Steam, it's the newer release (2026) and ships with the modern feature baseline. Hillshade Farm launched in 2026.
Both Stardew Valley and Hillshade Farm sit in 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 |  Hillshade Farm | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2016 | 2026 |
| Genres | Indie, Simulation, RPG | Simulation, RPG, Casual, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Unrated |
| Price | 14.99 USD | 16.57 USD |
| Steam reviews | 98.9% positive (384,187 reviews) | 70.6% positive (51 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Single-player only |
| Developers | ConcernedApe | NORTHSTAR Games |
Side by side
- Both share Simulation, RPG on Steam.
- Stardew Valley (2016) is 10 years older than Hillshade Farm (2026).
- Stardew Valley scores higher on Steam reviews (98.9% positive) than Hillshade Farm (70.6% positive).
- Stardew Valley is currently ~10% cheaper on Steam than Hillshade Farm (14.99 USD vs. 16.57 USD).
- Stardew Valley has co-op; Hillshade Farm does not.
- Stardew Valley is Deck Verified on Steam Deck; Hillshade Farm has no Deck rating yet.
Stardew Valley vs Hillshade Farm — FAQ
- Should I play Stardew Valley or Hillshade Farm first?
- If you want chronology, Stardew Valley (2016) came out before Hillshade Farm (2026). 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 Hillshade Farm similar?
- They overlap on 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 Hillshade Farm have multiplayer like Stardew Valley?
- No. Stardew Valley supports multiplayer on Steam (Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op), while Hillshade Farm is listed as single-player only.
- Does Stardew Valley run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Stardew Valley is rated Deck Verified by Valve. Hillshade Farm doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.