Stardew Valley is an amazing game created by a single developer, reminiscent of the old Harvest Moon games. Has a great story which is primarily driven and created by the player themself. The only real large problem other than multiplayer with most people is replayability which can most likely be fixed with mods, or it might not bother you. The game is an absolute gem and the pricing is amazing, getting it on sale is pretty much highway robbery. It get's a glowing recommendation from this random stranger on the internet. Metacritic also gave this game an 89 if you care about that at all.


No, seriously, it's one of the best games I've ever played. In fact I felt it was good enough to throw it in for an award for the steam awards this year. I nominated it for the "The World is Grim Enough Lets Just All Get Along" award. Which the game pretty much meets all criteria except for despite killing slimes and monsters, although that is hardly the focus of the game.

Stardew Valley at it's core is a farming game, that is what it is if you'd stripped all other aspects of the game away, and the game does it very well. With everything from seasons, to seasonal produce, sprinklers, fruits, vegitables, fertilizer, livestock, and everything necessary to make processed goods (mayo, wine, jam, etc.)

While one may initially buy, download, and play the game for it's nostalgia ticklers in reference to the Harvest Moon series (or Story of Seasons it's "offical name") of games. After playing for awhile you'll find it's much more than just a farming game. It's an experience that never ceases to amaze me, from everything to the farming itself, to the stories you uncover from the townspeople intentionally or unintentionally. Honestly, it is incredibly impressive that one dude managed to make this entire game.

Now a serious disclaimer, I have not "finished" the game, I haven't even come remotely close. Even so, the game lacks any concrete story because you as the player are the center of your own story. You're the one who decides what crops to plant, which townsfolk you like and don't like, who you care about more as a romantic partner, are you gay or not, whatever it is you do in this game, you're the one driving the story forward.

Stardew Valley, is the epitome of a chilled out game, it's focus isn't on slaying vast waves of enemy drones with aim to match a stormtroopers. It's to farm, take in the sights, slow down a bit and notice the smaller things in life, and value interaction with people. It's such a nice change of pace that it kinda just unwinds you from the constant bombardment of violence and gun play that you find so often in modern media. Whenever I'm burnt out on FPS's or even just feel overwhelmed from life itself, I'll play some Stardew Valley, because to me, the gameplay is almost theraputic.

Onto some pro's and con's of the game.

Pro's

The game has a ton of great things about it here are some of those in generic list format.

• Great Price range for the game, even better if you get it on sale
  
• The dev seems to keep supporting the game
  
• Excellent pixel graphics and visuals
  
• Great writing, and some well thought out characters
  
• Gameplay is simple to grasp and has almost no learning curve
  
• From what I understand, the modding community is amazing

Con's

Here are some con's without having to get incredibly nitpicky (there aren't much), same generic list format.

• No multiplayer (in progress)
  
• One developer means relatively sparse new content
  
• Replayability can be pretty low (better with mods), but it depends on what kind of person you are

Stardew Valley is an absolute gem, and an instant classic in my books. Very rarely does a game come out this polished and complete. This game get's a resounding yes from me, it is absolutely worth your time and money to get this game. I never played any of the old Harvest Moon games, but from what I can gather, this game is pretty similar so I'd imagine if you liked the old Harvest Moon games, then you'll absoluetly love this game.

[h1] TL:DR [/h1] Stardew Valley is an amazing game created by a single developer, reminiscent of the old Harvest Moon games. Has a great story which is primarily driven and created by the player themself. The only real large problem other than multiplayer with most people is replayability which can most likely be fixed with mods, or it might not bother you. The game is an absolute gem and the pricing is amazing, getting it on sale is pretty much highway robbery. It get's a glowing recommendation from this random stranger on the internet. Metacritic also gave this game an 89 if you care about that at all. [h1] One of The Best Games I've Ever Played [/h1] No, seriously, it's one of the best games I've ever played. In fact I felt it was good enough to throw it in for an award for the steam awards this year. I nominated it for the "The World is Grim Enough Lets Just All Get Along" award. Which the game pretty much meets all criteria except for despite killing slimes and monsters, although that is hardly the focus of the game. Stardew Valley at it's core is a farming game, that is what it is if you'd stripped all other aspects of the game away, and the game does it very well. With everything from seasons, to seasonal produce, sprinklers, fruits, vegitables, fertilizer, livestock, and everything necessary to make processed goods (mayo, wine, jam, etc.) While one may initially buy, download, and play the game for it's nostalgia ticklers in reference to the Harvest Moon series (or Story of Seasons it's "offical name") of games. After playing for awhile you'll find it's much more than just a farming game. It's an experience that never ceases to amaze me, from everything to the farming itself, to the stories you uncover from the townspeople intentionally or unintentionally. Honestly, it is incredibly impressive that one dude managed to make this entire game. Now a serious disclaimer, I have not "finished" the game, I haven't even come remotely close. Even so, the game lacks any concrete story because you as the player are the center of your own story. You're the one who decides what crops to plant, which townsfolk you like and don't like, who you care about more as a romantic partner, are you gay or not, whatever it is you do in this game, you're the one driving the story forward. Stardew Valley, is the epitome of a chilled out game, it's focus isn't on slaying vast waves of enemy drones with aim to match a stormtroopers. It's to farm, take in the sights, slow down a bit and notice the smaller things in life, and value interaction with people. It's such a nice change of pace that it kinda just unwinds you from the constant bombardment of violence and gun play that you find so often in modern media. Whenever I'm burnt out on FPS's or even just feel overwhelmed from life itself, I'll play some Stardew Valley, because to me, the gameplay is almost theraputic. Onto some pro's and con's of the game. [u][b] Pro's [/b][/u] The game has a ton of great things about it here are some of those in generic list format. [list] [*]Great Price range for the game, even better if you get it on sale [*]The dev seems to keep supporting the game [*]Excellent pixel graphics and visuals [*]Great writing, and some well thought out characters [*]Gameplay is simple to grasp and has almost no learning curve [*]From what I understand, the modding community is amazing [/list] [u][b] Con's [/b][/u] Here are some con's without having to get incredibly nitpicky (there aren't much), same generic list format. [list] [*]No multiplayer (in progress) [*]One developer means relatively sparse new content [*]Replayability can be pretty low (better with mods), but it depends on what kind of person you are [/list] [h1] Conclusion [/h1] Stardew Valley is an absolute gem, and an instant classic in my books. Very rarely does a game come out this polished and complete. This game get's a resounding yes from me, it is absolutely worth your time and money to get this game. I never played any of the old Harvest Moon games, but from what I can gather, this game is pretty similar so I'd imagine if you liked the old Harvest Moon games, then you'll absoluetly love this game.