Beaches and Hilltops and Forests – oh my! When starting a brand new farm on Stardew Valley, what’s the best farm layout to use? Here is a definitive ranking of every farm layout available since Version 1.5 from worst to best.
Why Should You Pick the Best Farm Layout?
The map you pick will greatly influence your experience playing the game, and it cannot be changed after you’ve started. Whether you’re brand new to Stardew Valley or have been playing for many years, this choice is one of the most crucial. This list will let you know which farms to avoid, and which make for better gameplay.
7. Riverland Farm
Most players agree that the Riverland Farm is their least favorite. While it greatly prioritizes fishing, the sheer amount of water severely reduces not only farmable land but buildable land on which you can put buildings or trees.
While it doesn’t have the fewest number of tillable (i.e. you can plant crops there) tiles of all the maps on this list, the fact that they’re not contiguous and the areas are oddly shaped makes it difficult to create efficient and aesthetic farming areas.
If fishing really is your jam, then you might be pleased to know that unlike any of the other layouts, there is a 0% chance of catching trash on your farm. Otherwise, it’s most definitely not the best farm layout in Stardew Valley.
6. Beach Farm
While the Beach Farm isn’t a huge step from the Riverland Farm, it does have a bit going for it. Both forest and beach foragables can spawn, which is good in the early game for both energy and gold.
Additionally, supply crates may wash up on shore that contain items that increase in value as you upgrade your house. But even on the starting farm, you might find quality retaining soil, coffee, or even cherry bombs. Supply crates after a fully upgraded house could include an artifact trove, mega bombs, or even difficult-to-access food such as mango sticky rice or banana pudding.
Don’t get too excited about the supply crates, because the Beach Farm has one major downside: sprinkles don’t work on the sand. There is a small plot of land (approximately 10×20 tiles) on which sprinklers do work, but the majority of your 2,700 tillable tiles can’t take sprinklers. This makes late-game farming extremely difficult.
If you prefer raising animals and fishing, then this might be the farm for you, as it also has an additional 1,928 non-tillable but buildable tiles. However, if you’re interested in continuing to farm into the later stages of the game, the Beach Farm isn’t for you.
5. Wilderness Farm
The Wilderness Farm is adequate. It has 2,131 tillable tiles, which is not a number to sneeze at. The ponds take up an unfortunate amount of space on the farm, considering you have a 65% chance of catching trash and only a 35% chance of catching lake fish. It also has a rather large cliff sticking out in the middle of the west side of the map, reducing buildable areas even further.
But the most unique part of this farm is the fact that monsters spawn at night. If the thought of intense combat on your first night worries you, no need to fear. The amount and difficulty of the monsters that spawn scale with your combat level.
However, all farm layouts have the option to have monsters spawn at night as an option under Advanced Settings. If you’re looking to play a spooky goth farmer, then maybe consider this layout. If not, there are definitely better choices.
4. Hilltop Farm
Now we’re getting into the pros outweighing the cons of farm layouts. The Hilltop Farm only has 1,648 tillable tiles, but the layout is more conducive to raising animals with distinct sections that reduce the need for fencing. However, there is still plenty of space to grow crops.
But the highlight of this layout is the hilltop quarry on the southwest part of the map. This area spawns stones as well as ore and geode nodes. Additionally, it regenerates 7-13 items every four days, which is a faster rate than the town quarry unlocked through the community center.
Unfortunately, the stairs might be blocked by an obstacle (such as a large stump or boulder) that requires upgrading a tool. So while having your personal quarry on your farm is a huge perk, there are still quite a few downsides, making it neither the worst nor the best farm layout.
3. Standard Farm
It’s hard to go wrong with the Standard Farm. It comes with a whopping 3,427 tillable tiles, by far the most out of any of the other maps. This layout has plenty of versatile open space, so the type of farm you want to have is entirely up to you. Additionally, this farm has a contiguous rectangular area of 63 x 31 tiles, allowing the opportunity for large swaths of aesthetically pleasing, geometric crops.
The biggest downside to this map is that it doesn’t have any of the special features that the other maps boast. Forageables don’t spawn, so after you’ve cleared your farm of all stumps and logs, you’ll need to go to the Secret Woods for hardwood (before you have access to mahogany seeds), and once you break all the rocks on your farm, they’re gone forever.
However, due to the versatility of this layout, it’s a great choice for beginners while still providing a great experience for long-term Stardew Valley players.
2. Four Corners Farm
The Four Corners Farm is a little bit of the best of some of the other maps. While the four quadrants were designed to make multiplayer easier, many solo players choose this layout due to its many benefits. It has 2,952 tillable tiles, which is only a little less than the Standard Farm. Each quadrant has an element from another farm.
The northwest one has a renewable large stump for hardwood, as well as certain weeds that always drop mixed seeds (see: Forest Farm.) The northeast has a large contiguous area that’s great for farming. The southwest quadrant has a pond with a 50% chance of catching forest pond fish (the other 50% is trash, unfortunately.) And the southeast has a small 3×11 quarry with the same spawning rules as the Hilltop Farm.
While the cliffs separating each corner do, in fact, reduce the amount of useable space, this layout provides a great opportunity for a farm that is both symmetrical and functional, making it the second best farm layout in Stardew Valley.
1. Forest Farm
The best farm layout in Stardew Valley by far is the Forest Farm. It’s particularly favored by speedrunners as it makes it easier to finish both the Community Center as well as achieve perfection. This layout has 8 large stumps that respawn every day to provide plenty of hardwood after upgrading to a copper axe. Additionally, forageables spawn during the first three seasons, including mushrooms that can be difficult to find if you choose the fruit bat cave.
This layout also has a special type of weed that will always drop mixed seeds. Furthermore, while fishing on the Forest Farm, you have a chance of catching a woodskip, depending on your daily luck. This is a huge bonus for those trying to finish the community center or who wish to achieve perfection, as it means you don’t need to access the Secret Woods before you can get the woodskip.
Perhaps the largest downside to the Forest Farm is that it only has 1,413 tillable tiles, but that’s greatly made up for with the 1,490 buildable tiles. So while your farming area might be reduced, those other buildable tiles can be used to house animals, orchards, or other buildings.
You can also remove the bushes from the center of the farm. Be cautious about choosing the Forest Farm on your first playthrough, however. You might be ruined from wanting to play any of the other layouts!
