FarmVille Farms

Rolf’s Double-Decker Farm

Name: Rolf Seyferth

Age: 43

Location: Des Plains, Ill.

Interviewees’ responses have been condensed.

I wanted to do something with a cliff top and a beach below. When FarmVille released the summer theme with beach and sand, it hit me that I would be able to do something close to what I had originally pictured in my mind. I had so many items in storage I wanted to use that I decided to use more than one theme. I ended up creating a divided area—a boardwalk beachfront that leads up to a country setting with a fright-fest at the top.

Photograph courtesy Rolf Seyferth, via Zynga.
Close-Up of Rolf’s Double-Decker Farm

I love FarmVille because of the optical illusions I can perform with the game. I was always good at math, and the geometry involved in the game somehow flows in me.
Photograph courtesy Rolf Seyferth, via Zynga.
Lyn’s English Countryside

Name: Lyn Donavan

Age: 43

Location: Mackinaw, Ill.

I was hooked on FarmVille from day one. After playing for two years, I realized that FarmVille is a great way to meet people from all around the world. I think that my neighbors on FarmVille are the greatest and that they have made the game even more enjoyable.
Photograph courtesy Lyn Donavan, via Zynga.
Close-Up of Lyn’s English Countryside

I see my farm as a work of art. While some players try to earn coins and advance to the next level, I put my heart and soul into the placement of trees, ponds, animals, and other cute things Zynga provides. I try to create a beautiful, serene place that anyone would enjoy visiting.
Photograph courtesy Rolf Lyn Donovan, via Zynga.
Kyra’s Fairytale Farm

Name: Kyra Wilson

Age: 36

Location: New Haven, Vt.

I'm a professional artist and photographer, and up until I started playing Farmville, I really didn't have any hobbies. Farmville engages the artistic side of me, through the design process in creating a nice layout, as well as the fun and fanciful side, with the ever-changing themes that are released. The holidays are my favorite time of year. Decorating my farm has become a part of decorating my own house.

Photograph courtesy Kyra Wilson, via Zynga.
Close-Up of Kyra’s Fairytale Farm

I can honestly say that I have made real friends through this game. The closest of the bunch lives in Maryland. While we've never met in person, we have spoken on the phone and chat with one another almost daily.
Photograph courtesy Kyra Wilson, via Zynga.
Rowena’s Relaxing Paradise

Name: Rowena Fuentes

Age: 32

Location: Wanchai, Hong Kong

My goal is to have anybody who views my farm to feel relaxed after a tiring day; to think of cool waters, fresh air, beautiful flowers, and the sound of animals.

Photograph courtesy Rowena Fuentes, via Zynga.
Close-Up of Rowena’s Relaxing Paradise

I have always loved playing games, though I mostly stopped once I became a mother. But this one is different—there’s always something new, and I can’t help but play all over again.
Photograph courtesy Rowena Fuentes, via Zynga.
Shannon’s Parisian Farm

Name: Shannon Ledford

Age: 34

Location: Eaton, Ohio

My farm is based mostly around the Parisian theme that was recently released. When I saw the items in the market, it threw me into an entire farm makeover! I have everything including the Eiffel Tower and French Quarters. My favorite part of my farm at the moment though is the Vineyard area.

FarmVille gives me something to do after working all day. I can let my creative juices flow. I’m constantly redecorating and moving things around. I love the challenge of mastering crops and trees. I also have so many fantastic neighbors and friends that I’ve met from all over the world.

Photograph courtesy Shannon Ledford, via Zynga.
Christine’s Home Farm

Name: Christine Palmer

Age: 41

Location: Berkshire, U.K.

I loved the French Maison and English countryside decorations, and wanted to create a little haven for my animals. I also wanted to create a natural looking river from all the water features I had acquired. I’d never played a game like [FarmVille] in the past. Tetris and Bejeweled were more my thing. I never saw the attraction of games like Simms or Yoville. FarmVille just hit a chord with me.

Meeting new people is one of the best aspects of the game. I am not very artistic in the real world, so it's been really fun being able to make something that everyone seems to find so attractive to the eye.

Photograph courtesy Christine Palmer, via Zynga.
Ricardo’s Colorful Wonder

Name: Ricardo Silva

Age: 34

Location: Gaia, Portugal

My farm is based on color. My goal was to combine every color possible in one place, adding fairies and gnomes in order to create mystery and beauty.

I like that I don’t have to play FarmVille by myself and instead play with people from all over the world. I have met new people, made new friends, and learned new customs and languages. FarmVille also differs from any other game in that it demonstrates the beauty of agriculture and nature in an age ruled by machines.
Photograph courtesy Ricardo Silva, via Zynga.