Why I played Stardew Valley for 100+ hours in 2018
Stardew Valley title screen, taken 2019 by the author.
Are award ceremonies useful? At the Game Developer Conference (GDC) in San Francisco this year, as the lights were dimming for the Independent Games Festival and GDC awards, a friend argued with me that award ceremonies are dumb because they are fundamentally subjective and have to do with personal taste and opinion. I countered in favor of awards because I value criticism and often make decisions based on the judgments of people and organizations I trust, often checking Rotten Tomatoes before watching Netflix movies or checking out google reviews of restaurants (I don’t trust yelp for this reason). And plus, awards give a chance to draw attention to games that weren’t commercial successes and apply value judgments to them that are nuanced. Then I began thinking of what a truly objective award ceremony would be like, and what measures can be applied to games: most copies sold or played, longest game, biggest file size, most written about, most youtube gameplay videos or twitch streams, most hours played? For me, that last one, most hours played, really stuck with me. Almost everyone has an addictive game they play as a guilty pleasure or otherwise, even connoisseurs and critics who only publicly admit to playing high-minded titles. For me, that addictive title in 2018, was Stardew Valley by Eric Barone, aka ConcernedApe.
Typical farm scene from Stardew Valley, taken in 2019 by the author.
Stardew launched in 2016 and a friend suffering from work/life stuff said the game’s flow and infectious sound, simple plot, bright visuals, and low stakes was the perfect antidote to a stressful life and hooked him for long hours. Intrigued, I downloaded it for the Switch in 2018 for a mere $15 and proceeded to suck 100+ hours into the game.
Stardew Valley intro sequence
The plot is simple and compelling. Your dying grandpa tells you: “There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burden of modern life. And your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness.” When that time comes you are to open an envelope. Years later you are working for the massive Jojo corporation. After tearfully experiencing the grind, you open the envelope to reveal a deed to your grandpa’s farm in Stardew Valley and off you go. Who can’t relate to the idea of giving up the rat race for a new venture? Ostensibly you start the game as a simple farmer but the game has multiple layers, including a social ecosystem, an adventurers mine, and magic and mysteries that unveil over time including a plotline that pits the presence of the Jojo corporation, your former employer, expanding into Stardew, making the case for civic and simple small town community living.
Game within a game in Stardew Valley, taken by the author in 2019.
One of the game’s layers is the arcade within a game, which is a surprising addition to an indie game made by a single developer, who already had the outsized task of creating one game, let alone the three with the addition of these two minigames. It also spurs a moment of meta reflection, not only of the Stardew, but on the role of games in one’s own real life, as the character is kept from other pressing tasks at hand. Further, it encourages awareness of Stardew as being a game of minigames, ranging from farming, to relationship management and development, to fishing.
PC Gamer interviewed Harvest Moon’s Yasuhiro Wada (left) and Stardew creator Eric Barone (Right)
It begs disbelief but, Stardew Valley seems to be made by just one person, Eric Barone, a Seattle-based independent game developer. Like the game’s premise, Barone’s decision to make Stardew seems to be free and independent and avoid getting sucked into a cubicle job in the tech industry, chronicled by Video Game Story Time here.
The Verge’s art comparison of Harvest Moon (Left) and Stardew Valley (Right)
To help make a successful game, Stardew owes a big debt to the classic SNES game Harvest Moon (1996) by Amcuss. PC Gamer had the great idea to connect Barone and Harvest Moon producer and designer Yasuhiro Wada in a sit down conversation about their games and the 16-bit anime art style of Stardew is very close to Harvest Moon. After four years of development, Stardew was released and sold millions of copies. It is now ported to nearly every console and multiplayer is under development, a massive financial success.
In conversation with one of Stardew’s residents, taken in 2019 by the author.
Why was Stardew so popular and so appealing? I think it was the right game at the right time, coming onto the scene during the divisive 2016 election. The calm, escapist gameplay particularly resonated. You could take a break from politics and violence and online vitriol and go to a relaxing, gentle challenge. Escapism is a good thing -- not all the time -- but is excellent for diversions from important responsibilities after a long day. I’ve even heard the term “Stardew and chill” replacing :”Netflix and chill” as a pasttime. Stardew is a peaceful place with a gentle pace. While it offers a significant challenge for those so inclined, it may also be enjoyed without exploring to the ends of the caverns or catching the biggest fish in the sea. You determine how deeply you want to engage with the game. Watering and growing plants to maturity and reaping the financial benefits is rewarding. You reap what you sow and there is a sense of accomplishment in that. Stardew Valley didn’t win any critical awards in IGF or GDC awards, though it received several nominations. But it was my most played game in recent memory and I suspect I’m far from the only one and there is something to be said for games that don’t reap critical validation, yet box out the competition for time in our days.
Heading to the saloon for a night on the town, taken by the author in 2019.
