Drive a Tractor and Raise Livestock in This Meditative Farming Game

Video games can transport players to historic war zones, fantastical realms, and alien planets in far-off galaxies. They can also recreate mundane activities from life without any of the real-world responsibilities that go with them. Such is the case with Farming Simulator 17, a new game that allows players to experience the relaxing aspects of farming, all from the comfort of home.

According to New Scientist, the game is the latest installment in a series from Swiss developer Giants Software. Players progress by planting and harvesting crops, raising livestock, and buying new land and equipment with the money they earn. There is some strategy required, but the real appeal is in the soothing activities like driving your tractor up and down a field for an hour at a time (for harvesting, of course).

The Farming Simulator series isn’t just popular among city-slickers with idyllic visions of farm life: Even professionals are known to play. Mason, an employee on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania, told New Scientist, "At work my boss tells me what he needs me to do and I do it. In the game I am the boss, I decide what to buy when I need it."

Farming Simulator is one of several trendy video games that forgo action for monotony. In Virdi, for instance, players are tasked with the sole responsibility of taking care of succulents. Playing as a farmer is slightly more high-stakes—you do get to operate heavy machinery, after all. The game is now available through a variety of platforms, starting at $5 for mobile.