It’s a guide you’ve seen time and time again, I know. But this time, dear reader, I’m hoping to get the ranking as perfect as possible. I’ll admit that there will always be someone with another opinion (and that I’d be lying if I said I didn’t let my own opinions influence this list) but this list isn’t about politics. It’s about playability, practicality, and, ultimately, the best Stardew farm for both brown and green-thumbed players.
Here we count down the best Stardew Valley farm layouts, their features, pros and cons, and the perfect players for each of them (because, at the end of the day, it’s Stardew Valley - it’s always fun.)
Note: I will refer to tillable/buildable tiles throughout this list in reference to the standard map, which has 3427 tillable tiles and 235 buildable but non-tillable tiles.
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7. Hilltop Farm
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Okay, the idea of living in the hills of the rural countryside on a farm is enchanting, yes, but the hilltop farm is far from a fairytale. Whilst I have seen some very aesthetically pleasing builds on this map, they’ve always been from people who know what they’re doing, and who know how to utilize the pokey holes around this map and the limited spaces of tillable land (half that of the standard map).
Key skill: Mining
Tillable tiles: 1648
Buildable but non-tillable tiles: 930
Special Features: small quarry, a stream running through the map.
Fishing stats: 50% forest river fish, 50% trash.
Pros:
Quarry allows more immediate access to mined materials
Easier access to forest river fish (50% spawn rate)
Cons:
Decreased farming area
The quarry takes up valuable space and is effectively useless once you reach lower levels of the mine/unlock the skull cavern
50% trash fishing rate and 0% chance of catching fish from any other regions
The layout is heavily sectioned
Pick this farm if…
You have a specific aesthetic vision for your farm. Sure, it might take a lot longer to get there than if you had a farm with easier resource access, but if you manage to make it work, the hilltop farm can turn out to be a treat!
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6. Wilderness Farm
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Only sadists pick the wilderness farm.
Okay, that might be a bit over the top, but I struggle to see the appeal in this farm layout. It’s basically like someone mish-mashed Minecraft into Stardew Valley, hoping it would work - and while the idea sounds good conceptually, it fails in its execution.
Key skill: Combat
Tillable tiles: 2131
Buildable but non-tillable tiles: 444
Special Features: monsters spawn at night, large ponds.
Fishing stats: 35% lake fish, 65% trash.
Pros:
Spawns more wilderness golems in the late-game stage
Almost double the buildable tiles than the standard map
Monsters spawn at night - useful for gathering certain materials that can be hard to access without mine access
Cons:
Around half the tillable tiles of the standard map
Monsters spawn at night - in the later game, this can make getting home a pain, especially when trying to take shortcuts from other parts of the map
65% of the time fishing produces trash (the most out of any map)
Pick this farm if…
You want a challenge with optimization! For all the wilderness pitfalls, it’s basically hardcore mode SDV. Challenge yourself to use the little space you’ve been given and the limits on your time (both in need to leave the farm, such as to fish, and in avoiding hostile NPCs at night).
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5. Riverland Farm
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Take this from someone who loves Stardew Valley’s fishing system: no one likes fishing this much. Although the Riverland farm is cute, it’s also impractical and doesn’t do anyone any favours when it comes to trying to create a cohesive farming layout, especially if you’re trying to farm animals.
Key skill: Fishing
Tillable tiles: 1578
Buildable but non-tillable tiles: 516
Special Features: the majority of the farm is water.
Fishing stats: 70% town river fish, 30% forest fish.
Pros:
The unique layout is very aesthetically pleasing
0% trash rate
Cons:
No access to sea or lake fish, despite fishing being the map’s main selling point
Very difficult to structure farming logically with very little building space
Pick this farm if…
You’re obsessed with fishing and willing to sacrifice practicality for the fisherman’s life. Whilst the map can be challenging to navigate and manage, it is one of the prettiest and most unique options in the game.
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4. Beach Farm
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For all its sunny vibes, it took me a while to warm up to this map, even as an experienced Stardew Valley player. But, even though I didn’t take to the luscious (although somewhat geologically improbable) sands of this farm immediately, it has quickly become one of my favourites, especially to play with friends.
Key skills: Foraging & Fishing
Tillable tiles: 2700, with only 202 where sprinklers can be placed.
Buildable but non-tillable tiles: 1928
Special Features: supply crates wash up on shore, forest and beach foragables spawn, sprinklers don’t work in sandy soil.
Supply crates randomly wash up on shore with items inside them
Third highest tillable spaces in a map
Pretty and unique design
Easy access to beach fish and foragables, unlike other maps
Cons:
Sprinklers don’t work in sandy areas, which is especially inconvenient in the late game
Sandy look may not be for everyone
Pick this farm if…
You’ve been playing Stardew Valley for a while and want to try something new. This farm layout is pretty different from any of the others offered in the game, and its this that makes it a breath of fresh air for players who have multiple runs down in the game.
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3. Four Corners Farm
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Yes, Stardew Valley gives you comprehensive options for making friends with the interactive NPCs in the game, something it’s quite well-known for. However, on the off chance those social skills also translate into real life, the four-corners farm is perfect for players wanting to play co-op with friends!
Key skill: Multiplayer
Tillable tiles: 2952
Buildable but non-tillable tiles: N/A
Special Features: four distinct corners with specialised features, a small quarry, and a small pond.
Fishing stats: 50% forest pond fish, 50% trash.,
Pros:
Map with the most variability, including a small quarry, a pond (50% forest fish spawn), and plenty of farm space.
Great for multiplayer mode
Cons:
Can feel cut off and inconvenient to manage based on its structure
Pick this farm if…
You’re playing multiplayer, or you like to organize your areas. Whilst four corners lends itself to turf wars between you and your friends (I speak from experience), it is perfect for creating multiplayer co-op farms where resource management can become a lot more easily allocated based on the farm layout. Whilst I wouldn’t personally play on this map alone, it can also be good for those who want to organize their farm efficiently.
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2. Forest Farm
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The forest farm is underrated and under-used. Although it has a smaller number of tillable tiles compared to the rest of the maps offered by the game, it makes up for this with a perfect balance between buildable and tillable tiles. It’s an open map, but with its ponds and forests, it’s certainly not boring or featureless.
Key skill: Foraging
Tillable tiles: 1413
Buildable but non-tillable tiles: 1490
Special Features: border made up of trees (like the Secret Woods), bushes (including berry bushes), clearing with renewable hardwood stumps, forage items appear seasonally.
Fishing stats: 5% (0.05 + Daily Luck, to be more exact) woodskip,
Pros:
Renewable tree stumps for hardwood harvesting
Foragables spawn in forest clearing
5% chance to catch a Woodskip
Berry bushes available
One of the largest buildable areas of any map
Cons:
One of the smallest number of tillable tiles
50% trash rate during fishing
Pick this farm if…
You want the organisational abilities of the four corners farm, more convenience in finding foragables, and the chance to balance all aspects of your farm without feeling like you’re wasting tillable tiles.
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1. Standard Farm
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See? I told you it wouldn’t be controversial.
No, but really, the standard farm has to be the best all-around map in the game - there’s a reason it’s the original map, and why it was the only one available for so long. I, like many others, spent hours in Stardew Valley developing my farms on this map, and when I think of the game, I think of this farm. Ultimately, it is the map I go back to time and time again to experiment with, or even just to play with when I’m bored. Whilst the other maps can be fun, the novelty can wear off pretty quickly. And, most importantly, the standard farm works for everyone, whether it’s your first playthrough or your fiftieth.
Key skill: Farming
Tillable tiles: 3427
Buildable but non-tillable tiles: 235
Pros:
A big, open space for you to use as you please
Cons:
No discernable or challenging features
Pick this farm if…
You’re a new player, or if you want a creative challenge. What the standard farm lacks in unique features, it more than makes up for in unlimited potential.
Equipped with potion bottles of coffee and a notebook that's seen better days, Henry can often be found making friends with local animals (when he's not taming them in-game...)
