This ultra-satisfying farm automation sim can actually teach you how to code

Games can be a great way to learn real-life skills. Minecraft is often held up as a fantastic tool for encouraging creativity, and Stardew Valley teaches good habits for time management. The Farmer Was Replaced is one of the cleverest examples of this I've experienced in a while. It takes the joy of automating a farm and watching it all play out in true Factorio fashion, and turns it into a way to learn basic coding. If you're a budding programmer or, like me, haven't attempted it in years and fancy going back for another shot, developer Timon Herzog's creation has just hit 1.0 after two years in early access, and it'll cost you less than $10.

The best farming games aren't just about doing all the work yourself, but rather setting up the systems to get everything running at once. The Farmer Was Replaced turns that into a way to learn or practice your programming by letting you create behavior rules for a drone, and it's masterfully paced. Rather than dividing things up into separate levels, there's a gradual, continuous progression. As you collect resources, you'll be able to cash these in for additional technologies you can put to use.

The programming uses a simple language that's similar to Python, and tutorials will walk you through all of the concepts you need to know by gradually introducing them one at a time. The early game lets you wrap your head around the basics, but Herzog warns that "it won't hold your hand." If you're a complete beginner, you might find it gets quite challenging even in the early hours, but the guidelines do a lot to help get you there.

If you are already an experienced coder, you'll be able to zoom through those initial stages and get into the more complex tasks found later on. Herzog notes that you're able to use external text editors such as VS Code, and can toggle on a 'file watcher' setting that will allow the game to detect the changes you're making. "Although the programming language isn't exactly Python, it's similar enough that Python IntelliSense works well with it."

Since it hit early access two and a half years ago, The Farmer Was Replaced has earned itself the coveted 'overwhelmingly positive' Steam rating, with 96% of user reviews giving it the thumbs up. "A great example of gamification where the player feels like they are just having fun but are actually learning," one writes. Another says, "Definitely the best programming game I have played. It's simple programming, but you can optimize and experiment endlessly."

The Farmer Was Replaced 1.0 is out now on Steam, and is available for just $7.99 / £6.80 thanks to a 20% discount that lasts through Friday October 24. Get it here if you're curious to put your skills to the test.

We've put together even more of the best sandbox games to exercise your creativity, along with our pick of the best indie games in 2025 to highlight some hidden gems.

What real-world skills have you picked up by playing games? Let us know in the PCGamesN community Discord server, where you can chat with the staff and fellow readers.