Highlights

• Farm choice isn't crucial in Stardew Valley, as different layouts offer unique challenges and benefits.
• Each farm type has its own quirks and advantages, so choose based on your preferred playstyle.
• Consider your farming, fishing, and combat skills when selecting a farm to make the most out of your experience.

Although Stardew Valley may seem like it's a simple farming game, there's actually a lot to do and a ton of little secrets hidden in this game. While farming is only a small piece of what you can do, it's still definitely an important part of the game.

When starting a new file, you'll have a few options for what type of farm you want to be living on after leaving the big city for a simpler life. There's a brief description of each farm, but it's definitely not enough to really tell you about the pros and cons of each farm map. To help you make your choice, we've ranked them on their general qualities. However, in the grand scheme, it's not really that important which one you choose, and they end up being mostly aesthetic in the long run, so choose whichever one you like!

Updated on March 19, 2024 by Gabrielle Castania: Whether you're playing through Stardew Valley for the hundredth time or it's your very first time enjoying this gem of a farming game, choosing your farm type at the beginning is a big decision, so you'll want to know the pros and cons of each farm and which is the best farm type overall. With the 1.6 update for Stardew Valley dropping today, we're back to update our Farm Layout list to help you make the best choice if you're returning to the Valley again for the update.

7 Hilltop Farm

Mostly Overrated

The Hilltop Farm is one that has some fascinating quirks. This farm's most notable feature is the fact that it has several areas that are actually raised above the rest of it. There are slight steps up to these raised plateaus in multiple places and there's a single river running throughout the entire farm. One of these plateaus will spawn rocks and ore as you level up through the Mining skill.

Even though having all that ore may be really appealing, it's not all that helpful in the long run. The rocks and ore aren't all that fast to spawn and, by the time you see anything like gold or iridium there, you've likely already encountered it in the mines and have plenty. Using that space for crops, coops, or barns may be a better option, but this layout is still pretty limiting.

6 Wilderness Farm

Sounds Cool, But Doesn't Deliver

The Wilderness Farm is a unique farm layout for two reasons. The main thing that sets this farm apart from the others is that, after the sun goes down, monsters will start to spawn on it. This is helpful if you want to try to level up your Combat skill or increase your numbers for the Adventurer's Guild.

Unfortunately, the lake in the middle of the farm and the large cliff to the side tend to limit the space that you have to work with. Plus, having monsters to deal with at night can limit the amount of peaceful time that you have on your farm and take up time that could be spent elsewhere.

5 Forest Farm

Easy Foraging, But Not Much Room For Crops

If you love to forage and harvest things out in the wilderness, the Forest Farm map is definitely a solid choice. This farm will spawn hardwood stumps and has a chance for different foraging items to be found in the clearing on the left side of the map.

It has the lowest number of tillable tiles any farm type, but there are also 1,490 tiles on which farm buildings can be constructed. Despite its positive points, if you care more about keeping crops the Forest Farm map can be slightly limiting. The large areas of grass can't be planted on, and the hardwood stumps can just be in the way if you haven't upgraded your axe yet.

4 Riverland Farm

An Underrated Choice

The Riverland Farm is one that many Stardew Valley players tend to overlook. The idea of the farm being so broken up by rivers may seem like it's not something that's appealing, but if you enjoy fishing, it can be helpful. Despite the broken-up land, there are still 1,578 tillable tiles on this map where crops can be planted and a generous amount of space for animals, equipment, and silos.

Although this map may be really versatile, its large number of rivers is not for everyone. If you only want fish to finish the Community Center or prefer to fish in other locations, this map may not be the right choice. Time is limited in Stardew Valley and having to run all over those bridges to the different areas can seriously take up a lot of it.

3 Beach Farm

Farming For Pros

If you want an extra challenge, this is it. This farm layout was added in the 1.5 update and is not for the beginner or those who want an easy ride. Focused on an oceanic and tropical vibe, the Beach Farm is mostly sand and grassy areas, with a long coastline and irregular shape. Crops can be grown but — and this is where the challenging part really comes in — sprinklers will not work.

This means that you'll need to manually water your crops unless you use the space for something else - the large open areas allow for a lot of buildings and room for animals to graze. Additionally, supply crates wash up on the beach with helpful items, which is a feature unique to this farm. However, of all the Stardew Valley farm maps, this one is the hardest to work with, so be sure that you're ready if you choose it.

2 Standard Farm

Back To The Basics

The Standard Farm is basically the 'default' map in Stardew Valley. This map has no real quirks or anything to make it stand out from the other farms, but it does have a whopping 3,472 tillable tiles. It's more or less just a large, solid area of farmland for you to do whatever you want with.

This map has no special characteristics, which means you're not limited with where you place anything. But, if you're looking for a challenge, the lack of unique features on the Standard Farm map may not be the best choice. The Standard Map is a good one to start out with when you're new, but it's also a great one for someone who likes clean lines and a nice, blank square with which to work.

1 Four Corners

Great for Multiplayer Or Just A Bit of Everything

The Four Corners map is another post-launch map layout that was added in Stardew Valley's 1.4 update. This layout is, as the name would suggest, divided up into four different sections, each of which has a large, open area. These areas are connected by pathways that can be cleared with upgraded tools and a crossroad in the center, where the Greenhouse can also be found.

While this layout is definitely ideal for multiplayer because it gives each player their own area, it's also excellent if you just want to organize your farm without having to think about where things go. The four areas can easily be divided up into sections: one for your crops, one for your animals, and so on.

Plus, there's a little bit of each of the other Stardew Valley farm types in each corner: one corner has a quarry where ore spawns, one has a pond for fishing, one has a grassy spot with some stumps and weeds that drop mixed seeds, and one has a large space for farming.