Farming Simulator 15 is the 2015 edition of the farming simulation series. It largely continues the gameplay from the previous games in a sandbox environment. Players start with a small farm and by managing it efficiently the scope can be expanded while profits bring in new and better gear such as powerful tractors, harvesters and high capacity trailers. As in the previous games almost every action, such as connecting attachments, sowing, fertilization, plowing, harvesting, taking produce to the market and feeding animals need to be done manually. Two new types of activities for this release are animal husbandry and forestry, but at a high starting cost. For forestry players can plant and cut down trees. The wood can be sold to a lumber mill and wood chippings to a heating plant. Many new types of vehicles and machines are introduced for this activity.

This time there are two types of settlements to choose from to build a farm. There is the village Bjornholm with Scandinavian influences and Westbridge Hills with a US-influence. The general gameplay is identical for both settlements with similar delivery points such as train stations and windmills, but the American town has larger fields, making it more challenging. This game adds 20 new licensed manufacturers for equipment, such as New Holland tractors, MAN trucks, Ponsse, Case IH, Deutz-Fahr etc. with 140 vehicles and farming tools in total. Also new is the ability to control washing equipment from a first-person perspective to clean machinery and implements. Even though there is a sandbox environment, there are many types of missions and objectives that are rewarded with cash for completing them.

All versions except PS3 and Xbox 360 support cooperative online games. Several players (up to six for PS4/Xbox One) can work together and the host can bring his single-player game online for others to participate, while at the same time carefully managing them, for instance by not making all cash available to everyone, but providing sums where needed along with several other limitations the host can define.