--- 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 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 --- # Farming, gardening and animal husbandry id: activity-simulators--t127 type: mechanic key: mechanic/activity-simulators--t127 lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/activity-simulators--t127/ Farming connects land preparation, growth cycles and animal care to a seasonal production plan. ## At a glance ![Stardew Valley: young sprouts and more developed crops grow beside each other on a farm protected by scarecrows.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/stardew-valley-crops.webp) [Stardew Valley](https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/) · © ConcernedApe. All rights reserved. 1. Young crops need time and care 2. A more developed crop approaches harvest - Align crop growth with seasons and the ability to end a play session. - [Stardew Valley](https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/) ## How it works Farming connects land preparation, growth cycles and animal care to a seasonal production plan. ## Variants ### Mechanic variants - Sowing occupies a plot until crops mature. - Watering supports a chosen growth rate. - Soil changes suitability for different crops. - Animal care connects feed to useful output. ## Design example A player reserves some land for feed to maintain animal production through winter. Prototype check: Test simultaneous crop maturity and ending a session without mandatory immediate harvesting. ## Context and limits 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. ## Connected materials - Sources in the selection: [State: Game Programming Patterns](https://gamemechanics.pro/en/resources/#resource-state-pattern) (key: resource/state-pattern) ## Sources and 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. - [Robert Nystrom: State](https://github.com/munificent/game-programming-patterns/blob/master/book/state.markdown) (id: source-3817d420df0baa92) - [Stardew Valley](https://store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/) (id: source-5f6cb2e78b518764) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors