Key Takeaway
There are six basic Stardew Valley farms to choose from: Standard, Beach, Forest, Hill-Top, Riverlands, and Wilderness—but there’s another more unique option as well. The Four Corners farm layout is the seventh possible selection and it combines elements from all of the other maps, which makes it the best layout to choose.
Upon moving into your Stardew Valley farm, you’re confronted with a difficult choice: what farm layout to choose. Each map suits a different skill, so picking the right plot of land is a crucial decision that will impact your entire playthrough. Choose carefully, as it can’t be changed.
Table Of Contents
All Types of Farms in Stardew Valley
There are seven different farm types in Stardew Valley, each with its own positives and negatives. Some farm layouts focus more on a specific skill, like Fishing or Foraging. In contrast, others lend themselves more to traditional Farming with the ability to place Sprinklers and more tillable tiles to plant crops.
Standard
- Main skill: Farming
This layout, as it says on the tin, is basically the default starting map for Stardew Valley. As such, it’s perfect for beginner players getting to grips with the mechanics or for those wanting to return to the basics.
The Standard farm has no stand-out features compared to the other farms, but it does have over 3,000 tillable tiles, giving players plenty of space and a clean slate of farmland to work with. This map has no limitations, so let your imagination run wild!
Riverlands
- Main skill: Fishing
The Riverlands brings the joy of Fishing to your doorstep! The Riverlands comprise a series of small islands: all connected through bridges with a river running through them. When fishing in these waters, players have a 70% chance to catch town river fish, or a 30% chance to catch forest river fish.
For players who enjoy crop-harvesting, don’t worry! The Riverlands farm still has around 1,500 farmable tiles, so you can set up small crop patches as an extra side hustle to your Fishing main gig.
Hill-Top
- Main skill: Mining
Perched on a cliff-edge, Hill-Top is an excellent plot of land for players who want an extra challenge. The focus of the Hill-Top farm is Mining, because of the mini-quarry in the corner of the map. The ore and Stone here frequently respawn so you won’t have to go far for your Mining needs. Even better, the available ore corresponds to your current Mining level, so you could eventually mine Iridium from the comfort of your farm.
While the Hill-Top is perfect for players with a perchance for Mining, it doesn’t really suit the Farming lifestyle. Due to the amount of cliffs, there is a less than impressive amount of tillable farmland (only 1,648 tiles). You’d be better off using this leftover space for Barns or other buildings, rather than crops.
Forest
- Main skill: Foraging
If you’re a player who prefers to live off the land, the Forest farm may be right up your alley! This farm has respawning Hardwood stumps and seasonal forageable items, listed below.
| Season | 25% Chance To Spawn |
|---|---|
| Spring | Dandelion, Leek, Wild Horseradish, Morel |
| Summer | Common Mushroom, Grape, Spiceberry, Sweet Pea |
| Fall | Common Mushroom, Purple Mushroom, Red Mushroom, Chantarelle |
| Winter | None |
Players also have a 60% chance of catching lake fish in the three small lakes on this map. The Forest Farm has the lowest number of tillable tiles—1,413 to be exact—due to the large green spaces of forest leaves. However, you can fill up these empty spaces with buildings and live out your cottage-core dream of dwelling in the forest.
Wilderness
- Main skill: Combat
Thrill-seeking players will have the most fun playing on the Wilderness farm layout. When the sun goes down, monsters will begin to spawn, scaling with the player’s Combat level. While terrifying, these nightly terrors are perfect for players wanting to level up their Combat and secure kills for the Adventurer’s Guild.
WarningThe Wilderness farm has more farmable land than most others on this list, with 2,131 tiles. However, the amount of peaceful farming time you have will be limited by the monsters invading your land, so take this into consideration.
Beach
- Main skill: Fishing
The Beach farm is perfect for players looking for a challenge. For starters, most of the farmable ground (2,700 tiles) is made of sand, so Sprinklers can’t be placed. In essence, avid farmers must manually water their crops daily, which uses a lot of Energy, especially if you still need to collect all the Stardrops!
As the name implies, Fishing is the crucial skill used here, with a 52.7% chance of catching ocean fish like Eels, a 12% chance of getting Seaweed, and a 12.3% chance of picking up trash. However, a unique feature of this map is that supply crates sometimes wash up on the shoreline, which contain useful items such as Fertilizer or ingredients for Cooking.
Four Corners
- Main skill(s): Fishing, Mining, Foraging, Farming
Four Corners is the best of all worlds! It brings an element from each of the previously mentioned farm layouts, combining them all on one map. There’s a mini quarry, a pond, grassy forest areas for Foraging, and plenty of Farming space with 2,952 tillable tiles on which you can work. As with previous maps, crops or buildings can be placed in open areas.
If you’re playing with friends, the Four Corners map gives each player their own individual area. If you’re going solo, the four separate areas allow you to compartmentalize your farm and keep things organized with a plot for your crops, one for farm animals, one for artisanal goods, and so on.
The Best Type of Farm in Stardew Valley
While it all comes down to individual preferences, playstyles, and the skills you want to trade in, the best farm combines all these elements into one plot of land. The Four Corners is the best Stardew Valley farm layout, as each area is separate and joined by a crossroads and meeting at the center by the Greenhouse. The Four Corners has a quarry for Mining, a lake for Fishing, and even enough farmland for players to create the buildings they want to use, like a Coop or a Silo.
If you’re playing Stardew Valley in co-op mode, you can have a maximum of three other friends join your farming adventure, as the Four Corners is specifically designed with multiplayer in mind.
Choosing your Stardew Valley farm is the first step in a long adventure into which you’ll sink hours. Let the above guide make your decision easier when choosing the ideal layout. Once on your farm, remember that you can move buildings until they all fit your dream layout. Happy farming!
