Farming Simulator Kids Review: A Carefree Farming Game for Younger Audiences (Switch)

There are a lot of farming games out there, for young and old. Farming Simulator is a huge series that has been going on for years. Now, a new, different title has joined their ever-expanding roster of games. Farming Simulator Kids, as the title suggests, is a new Farming Simulator game tailored specifically towards kids, but that shouldn’t stop older players from having a go. After my experiences playing this game, I’ve realized that this is a harmless, simple game for those that like farming and aren’t bothered by campaigns and goals. They can do whatever they like at their pleasure. This might be too simple a set up for some, but for others, it functions as both an educational game for kids and a casual game for others. Let’s take a look at exactly what Farming Simulator Kids has to offer in this review.

Farming Simulator Kids is now available for iOS for $2.99, Android for $3.49, and Nintendo Switch for $29.99. Note that on the Nintendo Switch, the game is played by touch screen only.

Story – No Story, Just Enjoy Some Farming Fun

Not every game comes with a story, and Farming Simulator Kids is one of those. This is just a simple cozy farming simulator game primarily aimed at kids, but older gamers can enjoy it as well for playing casually. You can have fun making up your own stories as you play at running your own farm.

There’s no story in Farming Simulator Kids, but there is a character creator.

Gameplay – Exploring the World of Farming

I have to admit, I have never played a Farming Simulator game in my life, so unfortunately I can’t compare Farming Simulator Kids to the other games in how it plays and how good it is. However, I can still do a fair review of Farming Simulator Kids as a first-time Farming Simulator gaming experience. I do know that this is a much simpler version of the original games, mainly for kids, but casual-gaming older players can find enjoyment out of it as well.

A General Look at Farming Simulator Kids

In summary, Farming Simulator Kids can be seen as an introduction for younger players to the Farming Simulator series. Everything has been designed specifically to appeal to kids. Everything you need in a basic farming game is in this game. You can grow and harvest crops, take care of animals, and even use John Deere farming equipment. In a sense, this game is a bit like an interactive educational picture book for kids about farming and how it works.

I wouldn’t say the game was really babyish, not so that older players would cringe and feel embarrassed about playing it. It’s pleasant and easy to play. For older players, they might see Farming Simulator Kids as a casual game, something to play if they like farming but don’t want to be bogged down in challenging campaigns and goals. It’s one of those games that you could easily play for even just a few minutes when you have a spare moment in your day, and it’s easily accessible on mobile devices.

Even though I admittedly lack experience with Farming Simulator, I imagine that many experienced players of this game might prefer the originals to this one, if they favour the realistic graphics and more detailed farming gameplay, not to mention the inclusion of campaigns if they like more goal-oriented gameplay.

Farming Simulator Kids is broken up into 4 distinct areas focusing on different gameplay.

The Simple Pleasures of Farming

Let’s get into more details of the actual gameplay in Farming Simulator Kids. There are 4 areas you can load up and play in: the Barn, House, Farm, and Market. At the barn, you’ll find all the animals you can expect to find at a farm; sheep, cows, goats, alpaca, chickens, and pigs. You can milk the cows and feed the animals. The farm is where you grow all your crops, including carrots, potatoes, onions, sunflowers, tomatoes, corn, wheat, and yams. Crops can be managed by hand, using watering cans and shovels, or you can use John Deere’s farming equipment to dig trenches, plant crops and then harvest them. At the market, you can pick up lots of produce, make sandwiches for customers, create food using crops, and exchange crops for other items. There’s also the house, and I’m not really sure what it’s for, but it’s a relaxing environment, so it’s pleasant enough to visit.

Growing crops in Farming Simulator Kids couldn’t be easier. You can do it the slow way, digging with a shovel, using the seed sacks to plant, then a watering can to water, and finally picking by hand. This is okay if you’re not in a hurry, but when you’ve got a lot of crops to deal with and want to do it quicker, John Deere’s tractors are on hand to make life much easier. There are 3 different tractors to use when dealing with crops; a digger, planter, and harvester. I found it good fun using the equipment, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to take your time and do it the old fashioned way either. There are no rules in Farming Simulator Kids. You do everything at your own speed and pleasure. The other good thing about this game is that crops grow very quickly; you don’t have to wait days for things to grow. It’s all instant, if you need to grow something in a hurry.

If I had to pick a favorite area, it would either be the farm or the market shop.

When it came to the barn and the animals, I struggled to find things to do. The animals are, as you would expect, very cute, but there’s not a lot you can do with them. Chickens lay eggs you can pick up, you can stock up on the animal feed, and then there’s the milking-the-cow mini game. You can pick the animals up and move them around, and they may also ask you to give them a specific food, but that’s it. I wish there was more interaction with the animals. I found working with the crops more satisfying and engaging. I also had a problem with gathering milk; for some reason, it wouldn’t appear in my basket (i.e. inventory), so I don’t know if I was doing something wrong or if it was a bug.

The market has a few things you can do. As it’s a shop, you can gather food stuff here. No need for money; everything is free to grab! One of the most significant things is the sandwich-making mini game. Around the shop, customers have requests for sandwiches, letting you know what type of bread they want and the two fillings. Making the sandwich up is very simple. It can be difficult at times with the small screen to make out what the customer wants, whether it’s egg or cheese or if the cheese goes on top or below. It’s something to do though. Another activity at the market is creating food. There’s a big machine that allows you to create a vast variety of food, providing you have the right ingredients. You might only need one thing, or two. The final thing of note was the item exchange, where you could swap crops for items, mainly to be placed in the house, which I’ll get onto next.

Making yummy sandwiches for hungry customers.

The house is the fourth location you can go to in Farming Simulator Kids. If I’m totally honest, I’m not really sure what this place is for. There aren’t any mini games like the other locations. The house is nicely furnished with people inside to give it a lived-in feel. You can interact with a few things. You can open up the fridge, put logs in the fireplace to get a fire going, turn the TV on and change channels, but that’s about it. The way I saw it, it was just a quiet pleasant place to visit if you wanted a little break from farming. Some players might enjoy decorating the house to their liking.

Farming Simulator Kids gives you a lot of freedom. You’re not tied to goals or tasks. You can do whatever you like whenever you like. Since this game is primarily for younger audiences, they might enjoy using their imagination to play at running their own farm. Thinking about it, it’s like a kid playing with a make-believe farm set, but in a video game instead of a toy. Farming Simulator Kids also reminds me of sticker books, where you can move around pictures, including people, animals, tools, crops, and items. It will appeal to people who enjoy things like this.

Regarding gameplay and how to play, one thing I did appreciate was instructions on how to complete certain tasks such as growing and harvesting crops and milking cows. Next to the activity, there’s a board with about 4 simple steps, telling you what tools to use and in what order. The instructions are shown clearly and there was never any confusion. There weren’t instructions for the John Deere equipment, but these were easy to figure out.

Helpful instruction boards are found around the different areas to get you started on certain activities.

In Farming Simulator Kids, although you don’t have a player avatar, there is a character creator. Like the rest of the game, this is simple to use. You can be a human or even a humanoid animal such as a fox or badger. Then you can dress them in different tops, bottoms, and hats.

The final thing I thought I should address for this review of Farming Simulator Kids is microtransactions. I had heard some people grumbling about this online. However, I didn’t encounter any microtransactions in the game, although I don’t know if this is because I was playing on the Nintendo Switch. I’m not sure if the microtransactions were specifically to buy more content for Farming Simulator Kids, or a link to buy the other Farming Simulator games. Whatever the case, if your children do play this game, it should be something to be aware of.

Graphics & Audio – Cheery and (Mostly) Pleasant

As you might expect from a game aimed at younger kids, Farming Simulator Kids has bright and cheerful cartoonish graphics. It’s exactly what you might see in a picture book for children. The colors are very pleasant, bright but subtle, nothing that is garish. What I like is how organic the food looks. Despite the cartoony graphics, the food still looks good, almost like you could eat it. The animals are also cute to look at while also having a slightly realistic look about them. In summary, Farming Simulator Kids is bright, cheery, and cartoony, but also organic with some realism, and not oversaturated.

The music is harmless enough. I don’t think it’s something that gets really annoying after a while. Also, music only plays in the start menu and when selecting a location to visit. For the most part, the sound effects aren’t bad. There’s nothing unsurprising; you hear sound effects when you expect to. For example, cows moo when you pick them up, and the fireplace crackles into life when logs are put into it, and doors creak realistically when they’re opened. I did have a few gripes with some of the sound effects though, primarily regarding harvesting. Some of the John Deere vehicles were louder than others. Also, an annoyingly loud sound effect plays when crops are growing and then ready to harvest. I appreciate the sound effect being in there to alert you, but they are much louder and more obnoxious, so I think there’s an issue with sound balance here.

Farming Simulator Kids was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch with a key provided by GIANTS Software.