Everyone’s wanted to unplug, pack their bags, and embrace the rural lifestyle at some point. I write in front of a screen all day and often catch myself gazing out the window, wondering what my life would be like if I traded the sounds of my mechanical keyboard for blissful winds. While we keep dreaming, it’s the escapism of games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Stardew Valley that provide our best alternative. Ranch Simulator brings that rural fantasy into one complete package, with livestock rearing, farming, hunting, and building combined into one neat open-world simulation game. Best of all, it’s dirt cheap right now.
Here’s the deal. In a Stardew Valley-like opening, your grandfather has left you his pride-and-joy ranch in the hope you can bring it back to life. So you pack up your bags, move out into the country, and roll up your sleeves. When you arrive you realize there’s a lot of work to be done, so you gather tools, purchase some vehicles, and get to work. Ranch Simulator’s building plays out akin to House Flipper, as you wander around your new homestead tearing down the old and spending an inordinate amount of money on the new.
A ranch is more than just the smell of fresh paint and a new barn, though, so you’ll need to gather livestock and look after them in your day-to-day. Think of it like the simulation game tasks in Stardew Valley, as you breed, rear, and feed your animals to help you make products to sell – that new pickup truck didn’t come cheap, you know.
Rearing plenty of animals also invites deadly prey to the party, so you’ll need to brush up on your rifle skills and defend against wandering bears and wolves. It doesn’t end there either, as just like in Read Dead Redemption 2 you can head out into the wilds. Keep an eye out for deer and other fauna, as the open-world landscape outside your ranch is teeming with them.
You and up to three friends can also play Ranch Simulator in co-op, so be sure to split up the hunting, building, and livestock-rearing accordingly to keep your new business afloat. If you and some pals are looking for a more relaxed game to sink your time into, you can’t go wrong with Ranch Simulator.
Ranch Simulator is 70% off until Saturday August 17, so you can expect to pay $7.49 / £5.99 until then. With a ‘very positive’ 83% Steam rating from over 21,000 user reviews, you can pick up Ranch Simulator right here.
There are plenty more farming games and relaxing games to try on Steam as well, if you want something with the same loop as Ranch Simulator.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.