{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/activity-simulators--t127","type":"mechanic","id":"activity-simulators--t127","lang":"en","title":"Farming, gardening and animal husbandry","summary":"Farming connects land preparation, growth cycles and animal care to a seasonal production plan.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/activity-simulators--t127/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/activity-simulators--t127.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/activity-simulators--t127.md","aliases":["Farming and tending a homestead"],"tags":["Activity and profession simulators","Mechanics and variants"],"sourceIds":["source-3817d420df0baa92","source-5f6cb2e78b518764"],"sources":[{"id":"source-3817d420df0baa92","title":"Robert Nystrom: State","url":"https://github.com/munificent/game-programming-patterns/blob/master/book/state.markdown","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-5f6cb2e78b518764","title":"Stardew Valley","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"Farming connects land preparation, growth cycles and animal care to a seasonal production plan."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Mechanic variants\n\n<a id=\"t127-variants\"></a>\n\n- Sowing occupies a plot until crops mature. <a id=\"t127-v1\"></a>\n- Watering supports a chosen growth rate. <a id=\"t127-v2\"></a>\n- Soil changes suitability for different crops. <a id=\"t127-v3\"></a>\n- Animal care connects feed to useful output. <a id=\"t127-v4\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"A player reserves some land for feed to maintain animal production through winter.\n\nPrototype check: Test simultaneous crop maturity and ending a session without mandatory immediate harvesting."},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"Activity simulators turn observation, operation sequences and limited tools into a testable work task. Each overview separates player actions, state changes and alternative rules. Examples are hypothetical design scenarios, not claims about a named game. A prototype check states an observable question for the next iteration. Existing detailed references remain separately linked from the direction map."}],"relations":[{"type":"uses","direction":"outgoing","label":"Sources in the selection","key":"resource/state-pattern","title":"State: Game Programming Patterns","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/resources/#resource-state-pattern","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/resource/state-pattern.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/resource/state-pattern.md"}],"placements":[{"catalogId":"activity-simulators","id":"t127","title":"Activity and profession simulators","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/activity-simulators/#t127","categoryIds":["mechanics"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Farming and tending a homestead","description":"Farming connects land preparation, growth cycles and animal care to a seasonal production plan.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/stardew-valley-crops.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"crop":{"x":180,"y":300,"width":825,"height":488},"game":"Stardew Valley","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/413150/ss_a3ddf22cda3bd722df77dbdd58dbec393906b654.1920x1080.jpg?t=1786554168","credit":"ConcernedApe","rights":"© ConcernedApe. All rights reserved.","caption":"Plots with crops at different stages","alt":"Stardew Valley: young sprouts and more developed crops grow beside each other on a farm protected by scarecrows.","markers":[{"x":49,"y":51,"label":"Young crops need time and care"},{"x":61,"y":55,"label":"A more developed crop approaches harvest"}]},"tips":["Align crop growth with seasons and the ability to end a play session."],"examples":[{"title":"Stardew Valley","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original bilingual editorial overviews authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and reviewed on 2026-10-21. Scenarios are hypothetical design examples; prototype checks describe work to perform, not completed playtests. Primary sources support the stated techniques and implementation context, not every proposed variant.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/activity-simulators"}}