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How to Download and Start Playing the Free Stardew Valley–Style D&D RPG

By Freedom251 Team · · 12 min read

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Farmers & Fighters is the free, unofficial Stardew Valley-inspired tabletop RPG that best matches a D&D-style farming adventure. Download its Maki Games itch.io PDF, choosing either the complete 4.6 MB file or the 1.8 MB print-friendly version, then read the character and resolution rules before creating your first farm or village scene. It is a hack of Lasers & Feelings, not an official Stardew Valley product.

If you would rather play without a game master, A Year in Farm Valley is a separate, name-your-own-price option for one to six players. It normally takes one to three hours and explicitly lists a six-sided die, a deck of playing cards, writing materials and its booklet as required materials.

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Which free Stardew Valley-style RPG should you download?

Farmers & Fighters: the closest match to a D&D-style group game

Farmers & Fighters is a downloadable tabletop RPG by Maki Games. Its creator describes it as a hack of Lasers & Feelings transplanted into a setting of “crops, gardens, animals and beautiful countryside.” That lineage matters: you are getting a compact, rules-light game inspired by another small tabletop system, rather than a full edition of Dungeons & Dragons with farming-themed character classes and a large rulebook.

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The itch.io listing marks the game as released and tags it with farming, Stardew Valley and tabletop role-playing. Those tags identify the intended mood, but they do not make it an official licensed game. The creator states: “This isn’t an official Stardew Valley game. It’s just a little something I made and thought others might enjoy it as well!” Treat it as a fan-made tabletop work that uses its own rules and setting assumptions.

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A Year in Farm Valley: a self-contained GM-less alternative

A Year in Farm Valley is a different game, not an expanded edition of Farmers & Fighters. It is inspired by Stardew Valley, is offered on a name-your-own-price basis, and is designed for one to six players without a game master. The creator says a typical playthrough lasts one to three hours. Its premise follows the inheritance of a derelict farm, then asks the group to improve it, explore the surrounding area, meet townsfolk, build a business and celebrate over the course of a year.

Its listing provides two files: Farm Valley v1.1 Rules.pdf (841 kB) and Farm Valley v1 Sample Playsheet.pdf (246 kB). Unlike the Farmers & Fighters listing, the creator explicitly identifies the materials: a six-sided die, a deck of playing cards, writing materials and the booklet.

How to download Farmers & Fighters

  1. Open the Maki Games itch.io page. Use the creator’s page for the game rather than an unofficial file mirror, so you can see the current release listing and both PDF choices together.
  2. Choose the complete file for screen reading. Select Farmers&Fighters – full 4.6 MB if you plan to read on a laptop, tablet or phone. The full layout is intended to preserve the complete on-screen presentation.
  3. Choose the print-friendly file for paper play. Select Farmers&Fighters – print friendly 1.8 MB if you intend to print the rules or want a smaller, simpler file for a table binder.
  4. Save the PDF locally. Let the download finish before opening it. A partial file may display a blank page, report a damaged document or omit later pages.
  5. Open the file in a PDF reader. Check that the page count, headings and any character or resolution sections render correctly. If the document looks incomplete, download the same choice again rather than relying on a cached partial copy.

The listing does not publish a required dice list for Farmers & Fighters. Do not assume that it uses a particular die because another game, a generic D&D session or the related A Year in Farm Valley does. Read the downloaded rules first and use only the resolution method they specify.

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Prepare your first Farmers & Fighters session

1. Read the rules that affect the first scene

Before inviting everyone to make elaborate backstories, read the character rules and the resolution rules in the PDF. Those sections tell you what information a character needs, how the game handles uncertain actions and what the facilitator must decide when a roll or other resolution is called for. A short rules read-through prevents a common problem in rules-light games: players inventing incompatible procedures before the first scene.

Make a one-page reference with the terms, numbers and sequence you actually need at the table. Copy the wording from the PDF accurately, especially for any character choices or resolution outcomes. Keep the full PDF open on a tablet or laptop if the reference would otherwise omit an exception.

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2. Decide who will facilitate

Farmers & Fighters is presented as a group tabletop role-playing game, so decide who will frame scenes, portray non-player characters and apply the rules. The source listing does not publish a fixed player count or a required facilitator title. Agree on the role before play: one person can guide the world while everyone else plays a farmer, fighter or other character allowed by the rules, or the group can rotate scene-framing duties if the rules support that arrangement.

The facilitator should prepare only enough material for the opening. A name for the farm or village, two nearby places, a handful of residents and one immediate problem are sufficient. Avoid writing a complete calendar or a giant map before you know what the players care about.

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3. Create characters from the PDF

Use the character procedure in the downloaded rules rather than importing D&D ability scores, classes or spell lists. Have each player record the information the game requests, then ask a few setting questions that do not alter the mechanics: What do you grow or care for? Which local person trusts you? What unfinished task brought you to this farm? Which part of the countryside makes you curious?

Keep answers concrete. “I am good at everything” gives the group nothing to build on; “I know how to repair an old irrigation pump but owe the blacksmith a favor” creates a useful relationship and a possible first scene without adding an unapproved rule.

4. Frame a first farm or village scene

Begin with a problem that shows the game’s countryside premise immediately. Examples include a damaged fence with animals loose, an overgrown plot that hides an old marker, a delivery that has not arrived or a neighbor asking for help before sunset. These are prompts, not canon: adapt them to the character choices and use the rules to resolve actions.

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Give players a clear choice and a reason to act now. A scene works better when the group knows what is at stake, who is present and what will change if they wait. Leave room for a surprising solution; a farming-focused game is not improved by forcing every problem into combat.

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5. Bring simple table supplies

Keep pencils and spare paper available for notes, maps, crop ideas, relationships and scene prompts. Paper is useful even when the rules are on a screen: players can sketch field boundaries, track names and write questions without passing a device around. Add index cards or sticky notes if the group likes to move locations, tasks or relationship prompts around the table.

Do not buy a specific dice set for Farmers & Fighters until the PDF tells you what it needs. The listing itself does not state a required die.

A practical structure for the first session

Opening: establish the place

Spend the first few minutes naming the farm or village, identifying the surrounding countryside and placing each character in the opening situation. Ask one question that connects every character to the same immediate task. This gives the group a shared reason to cooperate without requiring a prewritten campaign.

Middle: alternate work, exploration and conversation

Let the group move between the activities suggested by the premise: tending a crop, caring for animals, repairing a building, exploring a nearby location and meeting townspeople. Call for the game’s resolution procedure only when the outcome is uncertain and meaningful. Routine description does not need to become a mechanical test; a difficult choice, a risky action or a time-sensitive task does.

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Track consequences visibly. A missed delivery, a damaged tool or a new favor owed to a neighbor can become the next scene. This creates the seasonal, relationship-driven feeling players often want from a farming RPG without claiming that the PDF contains a particular calendar or economy.

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Closing: leave a concrete next step

End the first session with an unresolved but specific development: a field is ready for planting, an unexplored path has opened, a resident has made a request or a repaired building needs one final resource. Ask each player what their character plans to do next. Record those answers so the next session starts with decisions rather than a blank page.

What the Farmers & Fighters listing does and does not establish

  • Established: it is a free downloadable tabletop RPG by Maki Games, inspired by Stardew Valley’s farming-and-countryside premise.
  • Established: it is a hack of Lasers & Feelings.
  • Established: the listing offers a 4.6 MB full PDF and a 1.8 MB print-friendly PDF.
  • Not stated on the listing: a required dice type or complete materials list.
  • Not stated on the listing: a fixed player count, session length or mandatory campaign structure.
  • Not stated on the listing: compatibility with D&D character sheets, classes, monsters or supplements.

These limits are useful when planning. You can prepare pencils, paper and a screen or printout with confidence, but you should not advertise a specific die requirement or promise a particular campaign length until you have read the PDF and agreed on a format with your group.

How to print the rules cleanly

  1. Use the print-friendly download. Its 1.8 MB size is the option identified for printing, so start with that file instead of converting the full layout yourself.
  2. Check the printer preview. Confirm that no page is being cropped, scaled beyond readability or printed with two pages on one sheet unintentionally.
  3. Choose single-sided pages for table notes. Single-sided printing leaves room for annotations and makes it easier to spread reference pages around the table.
  4. Use duplex printing when paper economy matters. If your printer supports automatic double-sided output, verify that page turns preserve the reading order before printing the entire document.
  5. Print only the pages you need for a session. Keep the complete PDF available digitally and print the rules, character information and any reference pages your group will consult repeatedly.

If text is too small, do not solve the problem by printing the full PDF at an unusual scale. Open the print-friendly version, increase the reader’s zoom for digital use or print selected pages at a larger scale after checking the preview.

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Playing digitally or in a hybrid group

For screen play, the full 4.6 MB PDF is the natural starting point. Place it where everyone can access it, but designate one person to call out page numbers so the discussion does not stop while several players search. A shared note can hold character names, the farm map and unresolved requests.

For a hybrid table, print the pages that contain recurring procedures and keep the full file on a laptop for the facilitator. Ask remote players to describe where they are looking in the PDF rather than assuming everyone has identical screen dimensions. If a page is difficult to read over video, paste the relevant rule text into the group’s private notes only after checking it against the PDF.

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Download and table troubleshooting

The PDF will not open

  • Confirm that the file finished downloading and has a .pdf extension.
  • Download the same file again from the Maki Games listing.
  • Try another current PDF reader or open the file on a second device.

The printout is missing margins or text

  • Use print preview and select “fit to printable area” if your printer offers it.
  • Check whether borderless printing is unavailable on your model.
  • Try the print-friendly PDF rather than the full layout.

The group is unsure what equipment to bring

Bring the downloaded rules, pencils and spare paper. Follow the PDF’s resolution procedure for any additional equipment. Do not copy the explicit six-sided-die requirement from A Year in Farm Valley onto Farmers & Fighters; they are separate games.

How A Year in Farm Valley works as an alternative

Choose it when you want no game master

The game is designed for one to six players and is GM-less, so the group shares responsibility for creating and resolving the story. That makes it suitable for a solo player as well as a small group that does not want one person to prepare a campaign. The stated one-to-three-hour duration also makes it easier to schedule as a complete evening or convention-style session.

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Gather the listed materials

  • One six-sided die
  • A deck of playing cards
  • Writing materials
  • The Farm Valley v1.1 Rules.pdf booklet
  • Optionally, the Farm Valley v1 Sample Playsheet.pdf as a reference while learning

The sample playsheet is 246 kB, while the rules PDF is 841 kB. The creator’s description ties the play experience to inheriting a neglected farm, improving it, exploring the area, meeting townsfolk, developing a business and celebrating over a year. Use the booklet’s procedures to decide how cards and the six-sided die enter those events.

Farmers & Fighters versus A Year in Farm Valley

Feature Farmers & Fighters A Year in Farm Valley
Rules lineage Hack of Lasers & Feelings Separate GM-less, Stardew Valley-inspired role-playing game
Facilitator The listing does not state a fixed format; decide who will facilitate after reading the rules No game master; players share the procedure
Player count Not stated on the listing One to six players
Typical session length Not stated on the listing Usually one to three hours
Required materials Not stated beyond the downloadable rules; bring pencils and spare paper as practical table supplies A six-sided die, a deck of playing cards, writing materials and the booklet
Download choices Farmers&Fighters – full 4.6 MB and Farmers&Fighters – print friendly 1.8 MB Farm Valley v1.1 Rules.pdf (841 kB) and Farm Valley v1 Sample Playsheet.pdf (246 kB)
Price model Listed as a free download Name-your-own-price

Which game fits your group?

Pick Farmers & Fighters if you want a facilitator-led adventure

Choose Farmers & Fighters when your group wants one person to frame scenes, portray the village and connect farming problems into an ongoing story. Its Lasers & Feelings lineage points toward a compact rules engine that can get out of the way of conversation, but the downloaded PDF remains the authority on how characters and uncertain actions work.

Pick A Year in Farm Valley if you want a contained, shared story

Choose A Year in Farm Valley when you need a game for one to six people, want to avoid assigning a game master or prefer a session with a stated one-to-three-hour range. Its explicit materials list also makes shopping and preparation straightforward: a d6, playing cards, writing tools and the booklet.

Use both as different experiences, not interchangeable supplements

The two games share a farming-and-community inspiration, but their structures differ. Do not combine character rules, dice procedures or playsheets unless the creators’ texts explicitly invite it. Download and learn one game first, then try the other as a separate session if your group wants to compare facilitator-led and GM-less play.

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First-session checklist

  • Download the correct PDF from the creator’s listing.
  • Choose the full file for screen reading or the print-friendly file for paper use.
  • Read the character and resolution rules before play.
  • Decide who will facilitate, unless you selected the GM-less alternative.
  • Prepare a farm or village name, a few nearby places and one immediate problem.
  • Bring pencils and spare paper for notes, maps, crops, relationships and prompts.
  • For A Year in Farm Valley, also bring a six-sided die, a deck of playing cards and the listed booklet.
  • Record the unresolved task that should open the next scene.

With that preparation, Farmers & Fighters can begin as soon as the group has read its rules and chosen characters: download the right PDF, establish a shared countryside problem and let the game’s resolution procedure decide what happens next.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

D&D alternativesFarmers & Fightersfree RPGindie gamesStardew Valleytabletop RPG

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