Rancher: A New Life – Early Access Review

Rancher: A New Life is a life and farm simulation developed by Sim Farm S.A. and published by Playway S.A. The story follows a white-collar worker tired of the city’s stress who spends their life savings on an old farmstead, intending to spend the rest of their life closer to nature.

Things are nowhere near as easy as they hoped. The farmhouse is falling apart. Trash is everywhere. Turning this almost entirely abandoned plot into a livable home takes months of work.

Although it’s sold as a farm sim, the game is really a life simulation first — farming takes a back seat. Cooking, eating, making coffee, and starting the day refreshed before tackling farm chores are all part of the loop.

You begin by clearing junk and scrubbing filthy spots so the house becomes livable. Then you repair the time-worn walls, replacing each broken section piece by piece.

After that, you paint the walls and give the place a fresh look. Leisure is part of the design too: after a day of rushing from one job to the next, you can sit by the fireplace in the evening with a glass of wine.

As for farming: there are ready-made farming spots. Don’t expect to plow a field, plant seeds, and wait for harvest in the classic sense. You plant seeds in these spots and water each one individually (Stardew Valley–style), then watch them grow.

For livestock, you also have to fully renovate the dilapidated barn. If you’re bored, you can take a quiet walk in the woods, photograph wildlife, or go hunting.

Technology shows up as a tablet that manages everything: order materials, use what you need, and track quests from there.

Almost every task has a mini-game — cooking, milking, and so on. You can craft nearly everything you need yourself, and the crafting system is already satisfying at this stage.

If you’re buying it mainly as a farm simulation, I wouldn’t recommend it. But it is very good at helping you unwind after a long day: repairing things, cooking, a bit of gardening, and some animal husbandry, all with a calming effect. If you like games like that, get it.

Some features are still locked in Early Access, but updates keep coming. Don’t let the early stage worry you — even now, the content feels substantial.

Sweet tip: If you’re going to sleep, close the house doors — otherwise you’ll get attacked by wild bees 🙂