If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you may already know of my hateship with Canadian Winter (which I may or may not have just typed with a giant stink face, it’s up to your imagination). The moment it starts getting somewhere below the 18-degree mark or mid-September rolls around, I start preparing for hibernation like I’m a small, grumpy woodland bear. Part of that is bringing out the winter wardrobe way too early. The other is an attempt to get the most out of reasonably livable weather any way I can, whether it’s going on a run, a much less intense walk, or sitting outside and cursing the sun for deigning to set before 6 PM (which it always inevitably does). When all else fails, as it never fails to do, I lumber my grumbly self inside and hunker down with the only way I can bring the outside in during the long, cold, grey months of winter (my beloathed): farming simulators.

If you’re not familiar with what I mean by farming simulators, let me give you the rundown. These video games are pretty much what they say on the tin: they’re (for the most part) an easy, go-at-your-own-pace experience where you design, manage, and care for your own little plot of farmland (plus a few adorably round and chunky animal friends). They’ve existed since the 90s and have had multiple takes on the genre, with their own niche mechanics and new additions. For the beginner or less intense gamer they’re great hours of fun, and if you hate the outdoors come mid-fall like me, they’re perfect. They’re characteristically colorful (unless you’re playing one of the more gothic takes like Graveyard Keeper) which means you get to completely ignore the lovely array of browns and greys outside your window while you game. Plus, many of the newer iterations of farming sims have a multiplayer function, so you don’t even need to brave the cold to hang out with your friends (and that’s a win in my book). Farming simulators are all the rage in the independent gaming sphere too, so if you want to support a small, start-up gaming developer look no further than games like Coral Island, Dinkum, or PuffPals Island Skies (which I’m looking forward to simply for the frog named Bean).

Since there are so many choices to choose from and only so much gaming time (unless you’re an indoorswoman like me), let me give you some of my top picks that you can pick up here at the library.