Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Crimson Desert
  • Pokopia
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Starfield
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Don't miss these
Starsand Island
Simulation Games Popular Stardew Valley-like game removed from Steam for using "visual elements from a classic title" without permission
Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
The Legend of Zelda Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone says Link's Awakening is his favorite Zelda game because it has an "indie" feel
Best PC games: Screenshots of Baldur's Gate 3, Helldivers 2, Split Fiction and the Resident Evil 4 Remake
PC Gaming The 25 best PC games to play in 2026
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Action Games The 25 best Metroidvania games you can play in 2026
Mass Effect 2 - Garrus
Adventure Games The 25 best video game stories of all-time
Gabe Newell in an orange shirt
Games "Gabe really had a great vision": Steam became a PC icon because Valve built community, dev says
Astarian looking pensive with his hand resting on his chin in Baldur's Gate 3
Games The 25 best Steam games to play in 2026
Portal 2
Puzzle Games Portal 2 devs went through "nasty crunch" to get Valve's all-time classic out, partly because they kept "adding stuff"
Starsand Island
Simulation Games My biggest problem with Stardew Valley is fixed in the hottest new life sim RPG on Steam
Key art for Atomfall showing a character in the English countryside looking at a nuclear plant some distance away
Survival Games The 10 best survival games to play in 2026
Cities Skylines screenshot of a cityscape showing buildings framing roads, with skyscrapers opposite a river in the background
Strategy Games The 15 best city building games to play in 2026
Cozy Stickerville box on a wooden surface
Board Games This cozy board game feels just like Stardew Valley, and it's my favorite of 2026 so far
Two Point Museum - a dinosaur bone display
Simulation Games The 15 best simulator games to play in 2026
In Half-Life 2, Alyx Vance gestures towards the player who's viewing the scene from a first-person perspective while Dr Eli Vance looks on next to Judith Mossman
Games The 20 best classic PC games everyone needs to try in 2026
A parade rolls down the street in the Race Day DLC for Cities: Skylines
City Builder Games Steam reviewer spends 30,000 hours playing Cities: Skylines, decides it sucks: "BY FAR most frustrating, enraging game"
  1. Games
  2. Simulation Games

Stardew Valley is now Steam's top-rated game, with the farming sim dethroning Portal 2 after 14 years at the top

News
By Scott McCrae published 8 July 2025

Terraria hangs strong at number 3, while Schedule 1 has already appeared in the top 10 above the original Portal

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Stardew Valley
(Image credit: ConcernedApe)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Portal 2 has been unseated from its throne as the best-rated game on Steam after 14 years, with Stardew Valley taking the crown.

Ever since Portal 2 was first released back in 2011, it's been heralded as a classic. Valve's first person puzzle game would turn out to be the last single-player focused release until Half-Life: Alyx released almost a decade later. Naturally, being arguably the best Valve game would make you a contender for the best game on Valve's own storefront, and Portal 2 held the title of the best rated Steam game from June 2, 2011 – around a month and a half after it launched.

However, 14 years later, Portal 2 has finally been dethroned as the best Steam game when it comes to player ratings, as ConcernedApe's Stardew Valley – probably the best farming game of all time – has taken down Valve's own game.

Article continues below
You may like
  • Fields of Mistria screenshot shows a farm with some cows and crops and a homestead The 15 best farming games to help you reap what you sow
  • Best games like Stardew Valley: a screenshot of a Stardew Valley farm during spring. 10 Games like Stardew Valley that'll keep you working on the farm until the cows come home
  • Portal 2 Portal 2 devs went through "nasty crunch" to get Valve's all-time classic out, partly because they kept "adding stuff"

According to Steam250 which curates the ranking (highlighted by LambdaGeneration on Twitter), Stardew Valley has a score of 8.87 with a 98% positive rating across 889,309 reviews, while Portal 2 is sitting at 8.85 with a 99% positive rating across 436,510 reviews. Considering Stardew Valley is among the best-selling games ever made, sitting at 41 million copies sold, it's pretty impressive that it's so overwhelmingly beloved by that many players.

Rounding out the top five is the ever-enduring Terraria (which has almost one million more reviews than Portal 2), People Playground, and Valve's Left 4 Dead 2. Plus the original Portal isn't too far behind, being the 10th best rated Steam game of all time. Perhaps the most impressive stat is Schedule 1, which is mere months old and has already cracked the top 10 at number nine.

Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe says the "world of Haunted Chocolatier" will somehow be even "larger" than his farming sim – the same one I already have over 1,000 hours in.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
TOPICS
Valve
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Platforms
PRODUCTS
Stardew Valley Portal 2
Scott McCrae
Scott McCrae
Social Links Navigation
Contributor

Scott has been freelancing for over three years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on GamesRadar+ in 2024. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, VG247, Play, TechRadar, and others. He's typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that rarely (if ever) get sequels.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Fields of Mistria screenshot shows a farm with some cows and crops and a homestead
Games The 15 best farming games to help you reap what you sow
 
 
Best games like Stardew Valley: a screenshot of a Stardew Valley farm during spring.
Simulation Games 10 Games like Stardew Valley that'll keep you working on the farm until the cows come home
 
 
Portal 2
Puzzle Games Portal 2 devs went through "nasty crunch" to get Valve's all-time classic out, partly because they kept "adding stuff"
 
 
Starsand Island
Simulation Games My biggest problem with Stardew Valley is fixed in the hottest new life sim RPG on Steam
 
 
Astarian looking pensive with his hand resting on his chin in Baldur's Gate 3
Games The 25 best Steam games to play in 2026
 
 
Wonderer heads to the Spire in a screenshot from Slay the Spire 2's animated reveal trailer
Roguelike Games "Slay the Spire but better": Slay the Spire 2 continues Steam domination with 6,000 Overwhelmingly Positive reviews
 
 
Latest in Simulation Games
Kerbal Space Program
Simulation Games Artemis II hype sees Kerbal Space Program beat all-time Steam player record 11 years after launch
 
 
Starsand Island
Simulation Games Popular Stardew Valley-like game removed from Steam for using "visual elements from a classic title" without permission
 
 
Bearded man raises shovel in one hand and holds skull in the other as zombie army backs him
Simulation Games Stardew Valley-like with dead people Graveyard Keeper is free for a few days as dev announces sequel
 
 
A shocked-looking astronaut in Kerbal Space Program
Simulation Games Artemis II launch sends Kerbal Space Program rocketing to its biggest Steam player peak in 10 years
 
 
Witchbrook trailer screenshot of people chatting at a cafe
Simulation Games Witchbrook was delayed because "Harry Potter meets Stardew Valley" got old
 
 
inZOI
Simulation Games InZOI boss says success of Korean games like Crimson Desert is "really nice," but Asian devs "still have a lot to learn"
 
 
Latest in News
Bloodborne screenshot of The Hunter player-character with their back to us, wielding a bladed in their right hand and an a ranged weapon in their left
Animated Movies Bloodborne is getting an official R-Rated animated movie produced by a YouTuber superfan
 
 
A parade rolls down the street in the Race Day DLC for Cities: Skylines
City Builder Games Steam reviewer spends 30,000 hours playing Cities: Skylines, decides it sucks: "BY FAR most frustrating, enraging game"
 
 
Low-poly Final Fantasy 7 characters stand facing camera amid HD environments
Final Fantasy Final Fantasy modder is bringing the OG character designs to Final Fantasy Rebirth because "them polygons got that aura"
 
 
Ascendance of a Bookworm heroine Myne on blue sky background
Animated Shows My favorite isekai anime is back after 4 years, and Ascendance of A Bookworm season 4 is an upgrade
 
 
Gears of War E-Day release date: A close-up of Marcus Fenix with his face covered in blood during the Gears of War E-Day trailer.
Games Xbox Game Pass "has become too expensive for players," new CEO reportedly admits in leaked memo
 
 
Chucky TV Show
Horror Movies 2 years after the Chucky TV show was cancelled, franchise creator is making a new Chucky movie for theatrical release
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Bloodborne screenshot of The Hunter player-character with their back to us, wielding a bladed in their right hand and an a ranged weapon in their left
    1
    Bloodborne is getting an official R-Rated animated movie produced by a YouTuber superfan
  2. 2
    Steam reviewer spends 30,000 hours playing Cities: Skylines, decides it sucks: "BY FAR most frustrating, enraging game"
  3. 3
    Final Fantasy modder is bringing the OG character designs to Final Fantasy Rebirth because "them polygons got that aura"
  4. 4
    My favorite isekai anime is back after 4 years, and Ascendance of A Bookworm season 4 is an upgrade
  5. 5
    Xbox Game Pass "has become too expensive for players," new CEO reportedly admits in leaked memo

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...