| Stardew Valley | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | DLC & Pre-Order | Review |
| Release Date | |
|---|---|
|
February 26, 2016
More Details | |
| Genre | |
| RPG, Simulation, Indie | |
| Platforms | Price (MSRP) |
 |
$14.99, $4.99 (Mobile) |
| Developer | Publisher |
| ConcernedApe | ConcernedApe |
| Number of Players | Age Rating |
| 1-8 | ESRB E 10+ |
| Time to Finish | Cross Platform |
| 150-200 Hours | No |
| Official Website | Stardew Valley Website |
Stardew Valley Latest News
⚫︎ Stardew Valley Update Makes Chickens Disappear
⚫︎ Stardew Valley DLC and Updates Free Forever, Promises Creator
⚫︎ Stardew Valley Cookbook Out Now
⚫︎ Stardew Valley Creator Shares His Secret to A Successful Music Career
⚫︎ Stardew Valley “Festival of Seasons” Concert Tour Adds More Tour Dates and Locations
Stardew Valley Overview
Stardew Valley (also known as just Stardew) is a farm and life simulation game that was released back on February 26, 2016. The game was made by ConcernedApe, real name Eric Barone, over the course of 4 years. It was his first title as a game developer, and he took heavy inspiration from the classic Harvest Moon games as they were his favorite growing up. Barone took it upon himself to create Stardew so he could add in any missing quality he felt the Harvest Moon series lacked. A month after its launch, the game reached 1 million copies sold, and has accumulated to over 30 million as of February 2024.
Stardew Valley stars the player, as they move into the town of Stardew Valley. Inheriting an unkept farm from their deceased grandfather, they are tasked to refurbish and restore the plot of land to its former glory. Players can cut the weeds, chop down overgrown trees, and break apart the rubble and make space for their crops and farm animals. Going into town and meeting the villagers will provide them with their own services, such as advice or quests. By giving them gifts and by engaging in frequent conversations, players will be able to grow a bond deeper than friendship that may lead to marriage.
The town community center is also a vital part of the players’ main questline, as they can donate goods to restore the building to what it once was, making the villagers happy and hailing them as a hero.
| Steam |
GoG |
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| PlayStation |
Xbox |
Switch |
|||
| Price | $14.99 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App Store |
Google Play |
||||
| Price | $4.99 | ||||
Stardew Valley Gameplay
Stardew Valley is a 2D pixel top-down life and farm simulation RPG where you play as a farmer living out their life in Stardew Valley. The game is immensely open-ended with countless features available, meaning players can choose to only progress on specific quests, mechanics, and skills as they wish, either individually or simultaneously.
Players can farm by tilling the soil, planting seeds, watering them daily, and harvesting them when grown. Farm animals can be brought in to be taken care of, and once raised enough, will yield animal products such as eggs, milk, or wool. One can also fish by the rivers, lakes, or oceanside. Mining is also a big part of the game, where gamers can venture into the mines to collect ores and battle monsters as they get further and further down. Players can then walk into town or all over Stardew Valley to talk to different characters and form significant bonds with them villagers by gifting them items.
Players are limited by the always-ticking clock of the day, where they start the day at 6am and can keep going until they are forced to pass out from exhaustion at 2am. They have an energy meter that is spent from various farm actions, making players prioritize which actions to perform before they run out of energy for the day. Energy can be restored through various means such as eating food, resting at the sauna, or sleeping.
Organize tasks for each day, prioritize what to do, and live off the land in Stardew Valley.
Stardew Valley Reviews
Beloved Indie Darling All Over the World
Stardew Valley has gained critical and fan acclaim since its release in 2016, where gamers still revere and partake in the game as it continues to get updates since its launch, amounting to over 30 million copies sold since 2024.
IGN back in 2016 gave it a ‘Great’ at 8.8/10 during its initial launch, citing how it manages to seamlessly connect every system with one another, proving itself to become an intricate game compared to how it might seem to be at the start. The game later on became nominated for IGN’s Game of The Year Award during that year. Afterwards, IGN once again reviewed it in 2024 for its 1.6 Update and granted it a ‘Masterpiece’ at 10/10. They cite how the continuous updates over the years have further refined the farming and life simulation game at every aspect, affirming its status as a genre defining game, a genre that it spearheaded to reinvigorate.
Pocket Tactics gave a very introspective review where the reviewer, Connor Christie, goes into detail how it was the game that altered their brain chemistry for the better during times of instability. They were granted an outlet, something to focus and latch onto, during their life’s turbulent times as they battled and overcame their hardships.
This pattern of coping and healing is apparent for countless users across different platforms. Metacritic lists the title as Generally Favorable at 89/100, while its user rating is nearly the same at 8.9/10. Steam’s Overall and Recent Reviews (as of writing) has held an Overwhelmingly Positive rating since its launch.
Stardew Valley Announcement Trailer
Announcement Trailer
The official Stardew Valley Trailer introduces viewers to the premise of inheriting a new farmland. It primarily shows off how players can live off the land by planting and harvesting crops, tending to their animals, going mining for ores, and all the while building relationships with nature and the Stardew Valley community.
Stardew Valley Trivia
⚫︎ Stardew Valley was made by ConcernedApe, real name Eric Barone, alone for four years. His girlfriend supported him financially while he worked part-time jobs on the side while developing the game.
⚫︎ The game was originally titled Sprout Valley, before ‘Stardew’ came to ConcernedApe and "just clicked."
⚫︎ Stardew is said to everything ConcernedApe wanted from the Harvest Moon series, of which it took heavy inspiration from.
⚫︎ The game reached 1 million copies sold within its first month of release.
⚫︎ Eight years later as of February 2024, the game has sold over 30 million copies.
⚫︎ The game has received constant updates throughout its lifespan, all of which ConcernedApe has released for free.
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