A complete guide to farming in Hytale – from your first seeds to farm automation

Survival in the world of Hytale requires a constant supply of provisions. Death threatens the loss of some loot, so embarking on dangerous expeditions without food is a recipe for disaster. Gathering berries and mushrooms from the ground only works in the very early stages, and a stable supply of varied food requires a well-thought-out farming system with farming, livestock farming, and crop processing.

The farmer’s workbench is the foundation of agriculture

Building a fully-fledged farm begins with a farmer’s workbench, which is crafted on a standard workbench near the base. This specialized tool provides access to seeds, seedlings, planters, tillage tools, and a host of other items needed for farming. All seeds are crafted here, tilling the land requires tools from here, and processing harvested crops into other products also occurs through this workbench.

To plant, you’ll need a hoe made of stone, copper, or iron. This tool plows the soil for future garden beds directly in open fields. An alternative approach is to use planters, special containers for growing crops anywhere. Planters are unlocked by upgrading the Farmer’s Workbench, so continually upgrading your workbench unlocks new possibilities as you progress.

Growing and harvesting

Each planted seed requires watering—either manually with a watering can or naturally during rain. Plants mature within a few in-game days, after which they become available for harvesting. Once a ripened crop is reached, you can either chop it down or interact with it to harvest it.

Harvested fruits and vegetables can be eaten raw, cooked in the Chef’s Stove to create full-fledged meals, or converted into Life Essences through a dedicated tab. The latter option is especially useful when this key resource is in short supply while exploring the open world. Life Essences are at the core of all farming operations in Hytale and are required for virtually every farming recipe.

Access to new seed types is unlocked in two ways. The first is by upgrading the Farmer’s Workbench, which gradually adds more advanced crops to the list of available recipes. The second path is through progressing through the storyline, which involves restoring memories in the Forgotten Temple. In Exploration Mode, players slowly but surely uncover the game’s story, available in Early Access, while simultaneously gaining new farming capabilities.

Many farming recipes unlock other recipes as you level up your workbench. The combination of crop farming and limited animal taming, available in early access, creates a self-sufficient resource supply system.

The farmer’s workbench is divided into six categories: farming, seeds, saplings, essences of life, planters, and decorative elements. Each category contains an extensive crafting menu related to crops and plants.

Farming tools

A bag of food is crafted from 10 wheat, 5 vegetables of any kind, 5 fruits of any kind, and 10 essences of life. A primitive hoe requires 2 trunks of any tree and 1 stone. An empty watering can is crafted from 3 iron ingots. A wooden bucket is assembled from 3 blocks of any wood and 1 iron ingot. Primitive shears are crafted from 1 iron ingot.

More advanced tools are unlocked at higher workbench levels. The Copper Hoe is available at level 4 and requires 2 tree trunks and 1 copper ingot. The Iron Hoe unlocks at level 8 with similar requirements, but with iron replacing copper.

All farming recipes:

Seeds and seedlings

The first level of the workbench unlocks sunflower seeds (5 Life Essences and 1 sunflower), wheat, and lettuce (2 Life Essences each). The second level adds carrots and corn (3 Life Essences). The third level yields cauliflower and turnips (5 Life Essences). The fourth level yields eggplants (6 Life Essences). The fifth level yields pumpkins and tomatoes. The sixth level yields chili and cotton (8 Life Essences). The seventh level yields rice and onion bulbs (10 Life Essences). Potato sprouts also require 10 Life Essences.

All seeds:

All seedlings:

Life essence system

A Greater Life Essence is created from 100 Regular Essences. The reverse conversion is also possible – 1 Greater Life Essence becomes 100 Regular Essences.

Cultures that give Life Essence:

Planters:

Decorative elements