I look for Stardew Valley in every new game i want to play.

*SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD*
Sandbox games get dull quite fast, even if there's a end goal you're working towards. In Minecraft, although the game technically ends when you defeat the dragon, the journey along the way is what most casual players enjoy the most, and that's where Stardew Valley shines. At the beginning, you are constantly frustrated at the fact that your energy and gold is too low to do anything productive, but somehow, every little bit of progress inches your further towards success. All of a sudden, you're in the midgame phase with around 10k profit every night, incubating void eggs to hatch cool chickens, and working to finish the community center. The game just feels very rewarding with every milestone you complete. It feels good that when you complete a difficult task, you're rewarded with a helpful item or sparkly sounds and a new star badge. I completed the 1000 slimes quest and was rewarded with the Slime Charmer ring, one of the most game changing rings for the Skull Cavern and combat in general.

The small dev notes when you cheat are hilarious too. You want to glitch the game? Go ahead! Just know that CA is going to give you a snarky little message for abusing Clint's telephone line. Speaking of, ConcernedApe's story is amazing. Coming from someone who grew up on mobile and classic games such as Farmville, Penguin Diner, and Cooking Mama, this is the perfect implementation of nostalgia and modern gaming technology. There are videos up on his Youtube showcasing early previews of the game and it's just inspiring to see how he's reworked many of the games graphics and animations to what it is today. It's also just nice to see game devs interact with their community- CA hosted a Stardew Valley Cup not too long ago. I think the community surrounding the game is what caught me and kept me compelled. All the different metas creators have created and many people use in their games today and all the dedicated modders that work hard to build onto an already incredible base game.


At time of review, I only have 2 save files and one co-op save file that we abandoned in year one, but I truly just find a getaway in this game. There's just the right mix of RNG elements that makes the game alive. Waiting for lucky days to go out and do anything is another reason why I thiink I've lost so many hours to this game. The "oh, I'll just do my mundane tasks until my Skull Cavern run," makes you get a lot done, imo. All in all, if you're seeking a slow-paced getaway game, Stardew Valley is for you. There are so many surprises and easter eggs that just cannot be covered in a Steam review, you just have to play it out! Worth every penny.

I look for Stardew Valley in every new game i want to play. *SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD* Sandbox games get dull quite fast, even if there's a end goal you're working towards. In Minecraft, although the game technically ends when you defeat the dragon, the journey along the way is what most casual players enjoy the most, and that's where Stardew Valley shines. At the beginning, you are constantly frustrated at the fact that your energy and gold is too low to do anything productive, but somehow, every little bit of progress inches your further towards success. All of a sudden, you're in the midgame phase with around 10k profit every night, incubating void eggs to hatch cool chickens, and working to finish the community center. The game just feels very rewarding with every milestone you complete. It feels good that when you complete a difficult task, you're rewarded with a helpful item or sparkly sounds and a new star badge. I completed the 1000 slimes quest and was rewarded with the Slime Charmer ring, one of the most game changing rings for the Skull Cavern and combat in general. The small dev notes when you cheat are hilarious too. You want to glitch the game? Go ahead! Just know that CA is going to give you a snarky little message for abusing Clint's telephone line. Speaking of, ConcernedApe's story is amazing. Coming from someone who grew up on mobile and classic games such as Farmville, Penguin Diner, and Cooking Mama, this is the perfect implementation of nostalgia and modern gaming technology. There are videos up on his Youtube showcasing early previews of the game and it's just inspiring to see how he's reworked many of the games graphics and animations to what it is today. It's also just nice to see game devs interact with their community- CA hosted a Stardew Valley Cup not too long ago. I think the community surrounding the game is what caught me and kept me compelled. All the different metas creators have created and many people use in their games today and all the dedicated modders that work hard to build onto an already incredible base game. At time of review, I only have 2 save files and one co-op save file that we abandoned in year one, but I truly just find a getaway in this game. There's just the right mix of RNG elements that makes the game alive. Waiting for lucky days to go out and do anything is another reason why I thiink I've lost so many hours to this game. The "oh, I'll just do my mundane tasks until my Skull Cavern run," makes you get a lot done, imo. All in all, if you're seeking a slow-paced getaway game, Stardew Valley is for you. There are so many surprises and easter eggs that just cannot be covered in a Steam review, you just have to play it out! Worth every penny.