The first choice a player must make is which of the seven farm types presents the best option for them in Stardew Valley.
This depends mainly on play style and experience with the game, though some have clear advantages for all kinds of players.
With seven total farm types, which one is the best to choose?
The Four Corners farm is the best overall farm type in Stardew Valley, with a wide variety of resources available, solid sections of tillable soil, and excellent multiplayer capability.
Its versatility and simple layout make it perfect for new players and veterans alike.
The Four Corners Farm Explained
The Four Corners farm type is, as the name implies, separated into four basic quadrants:
- In the upper left is a Forest block, with many trees and stumps
- In the upper right is a Standard block, which is an open area of farmland (this area also houses the farmhouse)
- In the lower left is a Riverland block, with a large pond for fishing
- In the lower right is a Hilltop block, with raised areas that spawn ore nodes
The quadrants are separated by cliffs along the horizontal axis and treelines along the vertical axis.
The greenhouse is in the middle of the map.
Why is the Four Corners farm the best?
The Four Corners map was designed for multiplayer games, with the idea being that each of the four farmers would occupy a single quadrant and be responsible for the resources there.
That being said, Four Corners farms work very well for individual players as well.
The different quadrants give the player easy access to most of the gatherable materials in the game, including foraging, fish, and minerals that might otherwise be difficult to get.
This map also has the second most tillable tiles (behind the Standard farm) at 2952 tiles overall.
The quadrants are large enough that planting large crop plots and raising livestock is easy while still leaving extra room for additional building.
Read more: Best Stardew Valley Greenhouse Layouts for Production and Profit
Other Stardew Valley Farm Types Compared
Here are each of the other six Stardew Valley farm types compared.
We list their unique qualities, advantages, disadvantages, and which play styles each is best for.
Standard
The standard farm is pretty much Stardew’s “default” setting. It is a large, empty farm that can be transformed in whatever way you see fit.
Advantages:
- Largest continuous tillable tile area (63 x 31 tiles)
- Majority farming land makes it ideal for ranchers and planting
Disadvantages:
- Little in terms of forest, mineral, or water resources
- No monsters to collect from
- No beach resources
Best For:
- New players
- Ranchers
- Farmers
Read more: Best Farm for Beginners (and our top tips)
Riverland
The Riverland farm is composed of a large upper peninsula surrounded by a series of small islands connected by bridges.
Advantages:
- Majority water makes it ideal for fishermen
- A surprising amount of farming land makes for good raising of crops and livestock
Disadvantages:
- Farmland is cut and scattered by rivers and lakes
- Little in terms of forest or mineral resources
- No monsters to collect from
- No beach resources
Best For:
Forest
The Forest farm is a map largely filled with trees and a few small ponds.
There are also two sections on the left side of the map with eight large stumps that produce Hardwood.
Advantages:
- Majority forest makes it ideal for loggers
- Lots of foraging opportunities
- Additional ponds make for great fishing
Disadvantages:
- Less farmland than other farm types
- Little in terms of mineral resources
- No monsters to collect from
- No beach resources
Best For:
- Loggers
- Foragers
Hilltop
The Hilltop farm is composed of three raised platforms with a large stream running through the middle of the map. These platforms produce ore nodes.
Advantages:
- Raised areas make it ideal for miners
- Stream bisecting the farm makes for great fishing
Disadvantages:
- Farmland is cut and scattered by raised areas and stream
- Little in terms of forest resources
- No monsters to collect from
- No beach resources
Best For:
Wilderness
The Wilderness farm has two large ponds and some grassy areas for trees.
On this farm, monsters will spawn at night for the player(s) to fight and gather resources and experience from.
Advantages:
- Monsters spawn at night making it great for resource hunting outside of the mines
- Large pond makes for great fishing
Disadvantages:
- Dangerous to work the farm at night
- Less farmland than other farm types
- Little in the way of forest and mineral resources
- No beach resources
Best For:
- Monster hunters
Beach
The Beach farm is the newest map, added in the 1.5 update of Stardew.
It Is a large, sandy map with a smaller grassy section containing a small plot of normal farmland.
Advantages:
- Lots of beach resources available immediately
- Access to fishing for both sea and freshwater fish
- Excellent foraging opportunities
Disadvantages:
- Very little traditional farmland (crops can grow in sandy tiles, but sprinklers will not work there)
- Little in the way of forest or mineral resources
- No monsters to collect from
Best For:
- Veteran players looking for something new
- Fishermen
Read more: 20 Best Stardew Valley Farm Layouts Ranked
The Best Farm Types in Stardew Valley Comparison Chart
Here is a quick reference chart for all of the different farm types in Stardew Valley.
| Farm Type | Tillable Tiles | Fishing chances | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 3427 (235 buildable) | 100% trash | Basic wood, grass, and stone |
| Riverland | 1578 (516 buildable) | 70% town river fish, 30% forest fish | Basic wood, grass, and stone Fish |
| Forest | 1413 (1490 buildable) | 5% Woodskip (adjusted by Luck), 45% pond and river fish, trash chance unspecified | Basic wood, grass, and stone Hardwood Foraging items Berry bushes Fish |
| Hill-top | 1648 (930 buildable) | 50% forest river fish, 50% trash | Basic wood, grass, and stone Ore nodes, large stones, and geodes Hardwood Fish |
| Wilderness | 2131 (444 buildable) | 35% lake fish, 65% trash | Basic wood, grass, and stone Fish Monsters |
| Four Corners | 2952 (buildable not specified) | 50% forest fish, trash chance unspecified | Basic wood, grass, and stone Hardwood Fish Ore nodes, large stones, and geodes |
| Beach | 2700 (202 where sprinklers can be placed) (1928 buildable) | 15% seaweed, 5.1% Oyster or Coral or Mussel or Cockle, 52.73% ocean fish, 27.17% trash | Basic wood, grass, and stone Foraging items (including beach foraging items) Fish Supply crates |
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