Let’s start with the number that matters most: Farming Simulator 20 sits at 3.7 stars, the lowest rating of any game on this list. That’s not a knock we’re going to bury — it’s the honest starting point for this review. The interesting part is why the rating is lower, and whether those reasons still matter to you in 2026.
This pick is featured in our 5 Best Offline Farming Simulation Games for Android roundup — see how it stacks up against the rest of the list.
Quick Verdict:
– Best for: Farming Simulator series fans who want to compare entries, or players specifically wary of FS23’s smaller install base
– Skip if: you’re choosing your first Farming Simulator mobile game — go with Farming Simulator 23 Mobile instead
– Rating: 3.7/5 on Google Play (48,600+ reviews, 1M+ downloads)
What is Farming Simulator 20?
Farming Simulator 20 is GIANTS Software’s earlier mobile entry in the acclaimed farming simulation series, released in December 2019, three and a half years before Farming Simulator 23 Mobile. Like FS23, it’s a genuine single-player campaign with no social layer or live economy — Google Play itself tags it under the “Offline” category, and it even includes a Google Play Pass badge for subscribers.
You take on over 100 vehicles and tools from real manufacturers, including — notably, for the first time on mobile — John Deere, the world’s largest agricultural machinery company, alongside Case IH, New Holland, Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra, Krone, and Deutz-Fahr. FS20 introduced a new North American map, added rideable horses for the first time in the mobile series, and expanded crops to include cotton and oats.
It’s a paid app at $4.99, and it’s rated 3.7 stars from over 48,600 reviews — lower than every other pick on this list, and the reasons why are specific and worth understanding rather than glossing over.
Gameplay & Core Mechanics
The core loop mirrors FS23’s approach — plow, plant, harvest, feed livestock, sell goods, expand your operation — with the addition of horses you can ride to explore your farm and its surroundings in a way earlier mobile entries didn’t allow. Several reviewers genuinely enjoy this addition, and the John Deere licensing was a notable series first that longtime fans appreciated.
Where FS20 runs into real trouble is a set of specific, repeatable regressions compared to its predecessor, FS18. Multiple independent reviewers flag the same issues: you can only hire up to four AI helpers at a time (down from previous games), those helpers can no longer transport goods to market on their own, and the “horn” feature that let you summon an empty trailer was removed entirely. One reviewer’s assessment captures the frustration well: “The game is a huge step-up from FS18… [but] I miss the ‘honk’ feature from 18, it is easier on phone.” These aren’t vague complaints — they’re specific, functional losses that affected how efficiently you could run a farm.
Camera and control issues compound the problem. Michael Seigler’s review (1,143 likes) is direct: “the camera angle is a big downfall of this game. It moves all over the place making it even harder to control speed and steering.” A Reddit comment independently confirms the same frustration with the gyroscope controls specifically.
Why the Rating Is Lower: Real Issues from FS18 Regressions to Memory Leaks
Beyond the feature regressions and camera complaints, there’s a specific, confirmed technical issue worth flagging clearly. A Reddit thread from around FS20’s launch states plainly: “Farming Simulator 20 released today! And a lot of people complaining about lags and frame drops in game.” That alone could be dismissed as launch-day teething problems, but a separate, more concerning Reddit comment identifies an ongoing cause: “This is a bug that Giants introduced several patches ago. Basically it’s a memory leak with your RAM that just sucks it all up.” That means the lag issue for some players isn’t just a first-impression problem — it can compound the longer a session runs, which is a meaningfully different (and more serious) kind of issue than typical launch jank.
Looking at the actual rating breakdown adds useful context: 10,484 of the roughly 45,000 total star-ratings are 1-star — the single largest band — while 24,980 are 5-star. That’s not a game everyone dislikes; it’s a genuinely divisive one, where a majority of raters are satisfied but a substantial, specific minority ran into real problems that soured the experience. That pattern tracks with what the written reviews describe: it’s not incompetence across the board, it’s a set of identifiable regressions and one confirmed performance bug.
To be fair to GIANTS Software, the app is still being updated as of March 2026 — over six years after launch — which suggests ongoing, if slow, maintenance rather than abandonment.
Is Farming Simulator 20 Worth Playing in 2026?
Honestly, for most people, Farming Simulator 23 Mobile is the better choice — it’s the newer entry, rated nearly a full star higher, and doesn’t carry FS20’s specific AI-helper and camera regressions. We’re not going to pretend otherwise just because FS20 is on this list.
Where FS20 still makes sense: if you’re a series veteran who wants to see how the mobile entries evolved, if FS23’s smaller install base (100K+ versus FS20’s 1M+) gives you pause about longevity, or if you specifically want the horse-riding feature and North American map that FS20 introduced. It still shares the same genuinely offline, single-player design as every other pick on this list, and a majority of its reviewers do rate it positively. Just go in with your eyes open about why its overall rating trails the rest.
Tips for New Players
- Manually route goods to market rather than relying on helpers. Since AI helpers can’t transport goods automatically in FS20 (unlike FS18), plan your logistics around driving trucks yourself.
- Lower graphics settings proactively, not just when lag appears. Given the confirmed memory-leak bug, starting on a lower setting may help sessions stay stable longer, especially on mid-range devices.
- Restart the app periodically during long sessions. Since the reported lag issue is memory-related and can compound over time, a fresh restart every hour or so may help performance.
- Try the horses early — it’s a genuinely well-liked feature. Riding out to explore your land is one of the more consistently praised additions in this specific entry.
- Keep camera sensitivity settings low. Multiple reviewers found reducing camera/gyroscope sensitivity in settings meaningfully improved steering control.
- Check whether Google Play Pass already covers you. FS20 carries a Play Pass badge — if you’re already a Play Pass subscriber, you may be able to play it at no extra cost.
FAQ
Is Farming Simulator 20 or Farming Simulator 23 the better choice?
For most players, FS23 Mobile is the better default — it’s newer, rated higher (4.4★ vs. 3.7★), and doesn’t carry FS20’s specific AI-helper and camera regressions. See our separate Farming Simulator 23 Mobile review for the full breakdown. FS20 is worth it mainly for series fans or those specifically drawn to its horse-riding feature.
Why is Farming Simulator 20’s rating lower than the other games on this list?
Concrete, repeatable reasons: several features present in the earlier FS18 were removed (fewer AI helpers, no automatic goods transport, no horn feature), camera/steering controls draw consistent complaints, and Reddit discussion confirms a memory-leak bug that can cause lag to worsen during longer sessions.
Does Farming Simulator 20 work offline?
Yes — Google Play tags it under the “Offline” category, and like FS23, it’s a genuine single-player campaign with no social or live-economy features.
Is Farming Simulator 20 still getting updates?
Yes, as of March 2026 — over six years after its December 2019 launch, which suggests GIANTS Software still maintains it, even if updates are infrequent.
Final Verdict
Farming Simulator 20 earns its place on this list for sharing the same genuinely offline, single-player design as its higher-rated successor, and its horse-riding and North American map additions have real fans. But its 3.7-star rating reflects real, specific issues — feature regressions from FS18, camera control complaints, and a confirmed memory-leak lag bug — that we’re not going to paper over. For most players in 2026, Farming Simulator 23 Mobile is the smarter first pick; FS20 is for series completionists and people specifically wary of FS23’s smaller footprint.
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