7 Reasons FarmVille Rules ...

Photo Credit: keepinitcheap

No matter how stressed or unhappy I am, just seeing my neat rows of trees and my cute little sheep are all I need to calm me down and cheer me up. It’s remarkably relaxing to harvest my fantasy crops… almost as relaxing as actual garden work, only without the bugs, humidity, and dirt.

Come on! Who out there doesn’t think these sheep are completely adorable! The one is dressed up in a pumpkin costume! And just wait until you see all the different kinds of cows… and ponies… and cats… and puppies… and pigs… and don’t even get me started on the ducks!

That’s right — unlike a lot of popular video games, FarmVille is totally free. There are some bonus items, or rare and exotic trees and animals that will cost you real dollars to have, but you do get one FarmVille dollar every time you level up or participate in a special promotion. See all of those trees and things with the little FV dollars next to them? That’s how much they cost… and you can get 25 FV dollars for 5 REAL dollars. Most items are free, but these special ones cost money.

In the past year, FarmVille has had several promotions to collect money for Haiti, first to help farmers there, then to give emergency aid after the devastating earthquake, and then to help build a school. So far, FarmVille players have donated $3,000,000 — one dollar at a time.

One quick peek at my farm and you’ll know I suffer from a mild form of OCD. All of my trees and animals are lined up in tidy rows, grouped together by type and color. Even my crops are done in a checkerboard pattern. FarmVille gives me a much-needed outlet for my OCD, so I don’t bring it into my real life.

There are a few FarmVille addicts who have nothing on their farm, no animals or crops. They use their farm as a palette, and arrange pretend hay bales or trees in various colors to create incredibly detailed, wonderful art. Amazing!

Photo Credit: Carenet Healthcare Services

Kids love FarmVille, and it’s perfectly clean, so there’s no reason they can’t play, too! There are so many games they can’t play, but this one is free of anything questionable — even their winery doesn’t sell actual alcohol, it sells juices.

Those are the reasons I like to play FarmVille, and I’m not ashamed to admit it! It’s a lot of fun, and it’s so relaxing! Do you a fellow FarmVille player? If so, add me! If not, why? How can you resist those adorable animals?

Top Photo Credit: JennKstep