20 Best Indie Games Of The Decade

5. Stardew Valley

Ever been fed up with the way a game studio is handling your favourite IP?

Eric Barone sure did with the terrible recent Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons games, and set about laboriously crafting a farming sim for likeminded fans.

Obviously the term "farming sim" might make you want to run for the hills, but trust me, Stardew Valley is worth your time, and has way more under the hood.

Besides the fact that looking after your own farm - replete with animals, crops to maintain and product to shift - is satisfying in a wholesome, homegrown, doing-it-for-myself kinda way, Stardew also lets you get lost in a massive dungeon, fighting enemies and returning with gems and ore to craft better gear or sell down the shop.

All the trimmings of a Harvest Moon are here, from giving gifts and dating villagers to various fares and in-game year that rotates through all four seasons, changing the environment and what you'll need to harvest to stay on top.

Don't skimp on Stardew Valley because of its often phoned-in genre. The game's sales speak for itself, and you too could be a diehard fam sim lover just waiting to plant their first pack of strawberry seeds.