Ranch Simulator hands you a run down family homestead in a forested valley and a blueprint book, then leaves you to rebuild it board by board. You raise chickens, cattle, pigs and horses, grow crops, sell milk and eggs at the General Store, and take an axe or a rifle into the woods for deer, bears and wolves. PCGamesN called it House Flipper meets Red Dead Redemption 2, which is a fair description of a game where you can spend an hour nailing planks and the next hour dragging a deer carcass to a truck.
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary equipment | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your build's key combinations |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary equipment | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Your Homestead
Key resources: Starter handgun, build space, animal pens Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Crowbar upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
General Store
Key resources: Animals, feed, ammo, all produce sales Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Crowbar upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Hardware Store
Key resources: Axe, crowbar, table saw, planks, paint Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Crowbar upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Gas Station
Key resources: Fuel, jerry can refills, wolf encounters Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Axe max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
The Lake
Key resources: Bear hunting, high value meat, pelts Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Axe max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Your Homestead to General Store)
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials, since you'll need them later
- Focus on Crowbar once accessible
Mid Game (Hardware Store)
- Push Crowbar to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Axe
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Gas Station to The Lake)
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment: Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials: Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear: Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring Hardware Store farming: This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early: Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- Buy the axe, crowbar and table saw from the Hardware Store before anything else, because cutting your own planks removes the biggest early cash drain.
- Farm Hardware Store during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build. Some classes farm faster in certain areas
More Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Guides
- Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Overview
- Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Best Builds
- Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Tier List
- Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Walkthrough
- Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Beginner's Guide
- Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Tips & Tricks
- Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Weapons Guide
- Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Combat Guide
- Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Boss Guide
- Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Maps & Locations
- Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Ranch Simulator: Build, Hunt, Farm, check out these related guides:
- Stardew Valley Crafting Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- Satisfactory Crafting Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- The Sims 4 Crafting Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
