Farmville pushed Facebook’s traffic records through the roof when it launched on the social media site in 2009. It held its position as one of the most popular games on the site for over two years, reaching its peak of 50m monthly active users in December 2010.
For those of you who have not become addicted to the game at some point, it falls into the category of a video game simulation, where real farm activities are recreated. Each player begins with an empty farm and must perform actions – like ploughing or buying items – to rise within the game. As you progress, new crops and animals become available to purchase.
Since then, there has certainly been a surge in these types of games and an increase in popularity too. That’s not to say games like Farmville were not there beforehand, but experts believe the fact users shared their progress on their Facebook walls resulted in great marketing for the game, targeting a mainstream audience.
We have assembled a cheat sheet to get you up to speed on some of the games that have proven really popular among children (and adults) in the last few years. But first, take a look through our recommendations for keeping your children safe while gaming.
>> Safe gaming for kids
1. Use the internet with your child. Let them lead, but stay with them until you are sure they are using it appropriately. Check your browser’s history to make sure they have been accessing suitable sites.
2. Do your research. Make sure you read and understand the ratings for the games that your child is playing. Some game sites have multiple games with different ratings, so check all of them.
3. Talk about what your child is doing online and cultivate an interest in their online activities. Discuss their favourite websites, online games and interests.
4. Talk to your child about the benefits and dangers of the Internet and don’t be afraid to ask who they are talking to online and what they are talking about.
5. Explain privacy. Make sure your child knows that they may not send out any materials to fellow gamers that contain private information.
6. Take advantage of the software that exists to help parents manage their children’s computer experience. In only a few minutes, parental control software such as Magic Desktop or Safe Eyes can block inappropriate websites and restrict the amount of time that your kids use the Internet.
1Minecraft
Minecraft is a sandbox game: this is where players create the world in which they play. Think of it not as a video game with a determined plot, but as a toy that children can play with as they wish.
Within the game the player can collect boxes, which are needed to build things. Anything can be constructed, from temples to farms. Most people will build a small farm, at least, in order to survive at the beginning.
Wheat, carrots, potatoes, melons, pumpkins, cocoa and sugarcane can all be grown and harvested in the game and help replenish the character you play.
The likes of sugarcane allows you to advance within the game, the raw material used for making paper, books, bookshelves, and enchanting tables. Pigs, chickens, cows and sheep can also be farmed within the game. The sky is really the limit with Minecraft.
Children flock to the game and really use their imaginations to build what they like. Minecraft’s focus on this creative building and exploring certainly aids a child’s problem-solving, planning and organisational skills.
A demo of Minecraft can be downloaded online on minecraft.net/en-us/download, while the full version can be bought here too for €23.95. Minecraft is available for Windows, Mac, Xbox one, Playstation 4, Wii U, as well as android and ios devices.
2Farming Simulator
The concept behind the game Farming Simulator is explained in its name. Like Farmville, it is a simulation: mirroring actions similar to real life activities. In 2015 this hugely popular game topped the UK charts for video games.
The game sees the player take on the role of the farmer. Their task is to expand on their “dated” farm and machinery. The main goal for the player is to harvest their crops and sell them, in order to expand the farm.
You can grow a choice of several crops and buy additional fields and equipment. Livestock can also be bought and then they have to be cared for.
A huge appeal of the game is that the player gets to drive machines that they otherwise never would, like the Case IH Steiger 470, which costs €375,412.
The 2017 version of the game introduced a female character option, which makes us wonder if its creators weigh in on the gender in farming debate.
Farming Simulator 17 is available to play on PlayStation 4 (€49.99), Xbox One (€49.99), Microsoft Windows and Mac (€39.99).
3Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is another really popular farming game, becoming the highest-earning game of 2016.
As the game begins, the player learns they have inherited their grandfather’s farm plot in Stardew Valley. With a few old tools and a few coins you have to learn to live off the land and turn the overgrown fields into a thriving home.
As your character performs a task it loses its energy and needs to be replenished by food or sleep.
The interesting part to Stardew Valley is that as the game progresses and as you direct your character’s actions, their personality is unveiled.
If you are social and go into the nearby village to speak to your neighbours, your character will be social, but if you work your character to the bone and have no social interaction, they will turn into a recluse.
Stardew Valley is available to play on Xbox One (€44.99), Playstation 4 (€44.99), Microsoft Windows and macOS (€44.99).
SHARING OPTIONS