Editor’s Word: This evaluate takes a recent take a look at Stardew Valley after its 1.6 replace on PC, changing our earlier evaluate from 2018. You possibly can learn extra about our review policies and philosophy here.
Each time I return to Stardew Valley after a brand new patch drops, I ask myself: why is the pull nonetheless so sturdy? Newer farming video games have improved on most of the mechanics its developer, ConcernedApe, launched manner again in 2016, including attention-grabbing twists to the outdated-college blueprint it repopularized – so in 2024, why is Stardew Valley nonetheless my favourite? However that’s simply it: Stardew Valley is the mannequin for farming video games now. It will not be fairly as refined or as streamlined as among the sims it impressed, however none have managed to seize the uncooked lightning in a bottle that makes it so enduring, both. That’s partly as a result of Stardew Valley could be a “cozy” pixel artwork haven, nevertheless it’s additionally powerful. Managing your time and juggling dozens of competing priorities is an limitless problem, and it’s on this beautifully balanced dance that I discover an intense satisfaction that merely can’t be beat. Pair that with an almost decade-lengthy parade of recent quirky particulars to find each time I begin up a recent farm, and Stardew Valley turns into really timeless.
There isn’t any small measure of irony to the truth that the beginning of Stardew Valley plucks you from a soul-crushing desk job and plops you right into a quaint little farming city… the place you will need to then develop into a tireless, individuals-pleasing perfectionist. Oh, you thought you had been simply going to be pleasantly plucking weeds and planting parsnips in your late grandpa’s deserted farm? No, you aren’t only a farmer after your transfer to Pelican City. Like all typical entry-stage intern, you’re anticipated to put on many hats. Restoring the Neighborhood Middle to its former glory could also be fulfilling labor, however you’ll additionally must stage up your expertise throughout the board, from foraging to fishing to mining, and even monster preventing. Don’t overlook to smoodge your manner into the hearts of the lovable townspeople by showering them with items on daily basis. How else are you supposed to seek out your life associate?
I’m a returning fan, so I do know what I need to accomplish on every new run, however for these new to this sensation you may discover that, at first, Stardew Valley offers you a lot freedom and so many choices that it could actually really feel type of aimless. Moreover the odd request out of your neighbors arriving within the mail, you’re given no bigger goal – simply this broad rags-to-riches objective of fixing up your grandpa’s farm and the city by delivering bundles of products. It’s solely as you begin to progress by the seasons that you simply understand what’s at stake. Certain, you may play at your individual leisure and nonetheless discover loads of pleasure in a extra relaxed, unoptimized tempo. However you’ll quickly come to know that forgetting to present Jodi that cauliflower she wished in spring may imply ready a entire 12 months earlier than you get again to the season the place you’ll be able to develop that crop once more, and thus study to find time for the issues that matter most.
This makes Stardew Valley a deceptively tense balancing act of managing your time and multitasking effectively. There are many issues to unlock that may make that simpler, be they cooking recipes for meals that enhance your stamina so you’ll be able to accomplish extra every day or upgraded instruments that will help you until the earth and water your crops faster. However the price of unlocking these issues often comes within the type of grinding for expertise factors within the ability you are attempting to enhance or gathering a sure variety of required gadgets. Do you need to unlock the greenhouse earlier than the top of 12 months 1? Properly, then you definitely’d higher ensure you develop sufficient gold-high quality melons that summer season to finish the Pantry Bundle within the Neighborhood Middle, in any other case you’ll have to attend till 12 months 2.
That is why taking part in Stardew Valley alongside a very good sport information could be day and night time. Like many “outdated-college” video games, Stardew Valley doesn’t at all times inform you every little thing you want to know. Not each quest has hints to comply with, and relating to discovering some seasonal gadgets comparable to particular fish, you’re getting in utterly blind. There’s positively pleasure to be present in figuring one thing out for your self, however I solely discovered myself really thriving as soon as I noticed that there was an limitless dirge of technique guides and group sources to be discovered on-line.
Whereas this may sound like an excessively inflexible slog, it definitely doesn’t really feel like one. Seasons are so fleeting and the time you need to accomplish your objectives is so restricted that you simply’re at all times incentivized to discover areas you won’t have in any other case with a view to accomplish them faster. For instance, if you wish to unlock the minecarts (a helpful mode of quick journey), you’ll must push your self to discover the mines. Every flooring is randomly generated, and breaking open rocks to seek out supplies whereas slicing down slimes and different monsters rapidly evolves right into a harrowing dungeon crawl. As you delve deeper, you’ll encounter harmful and unusual new enemies with totally different assaults and more durable hits, and it’s enjoyable to organize the suitable weapons and stat-boosting meals to outlive. Lose all of your well being (or run out of power and fail to make it house in time) and also you’ll cross out, costing you money and even your treasured treasure relying on which character randomly finds you and brings you again to the floor, making every journey down into the mines really feel recent and probably nerve-racking.
If fight isn’t your pace, there are such a lot of different issues to do this you may simply delay exploring the mines for a bit in favor of farming, foraging, and even socializing – and don’t even get me began on fishing. (Okay, if you happen to insist!) Stardew Valley’s notorious fishing minigame is each the bane of my existence and my best obsession. It’s such a easy exercise: forged in your line, snag a fish, after which hold a inexperienced bar overlapped with a bouncing fish icon till you’ve efficiently reeled it in. And but, nothing is extra devastating than fastidiously tapping my left mouse button for a complete minute to maintain a Pufferfish on the road, solely to interrupt focus for a second and watch my progress crash into the purple. However, nothing is kind of as elating as lastly catching an elusive Catfish on a wet day. Each fish has totally different behaviors and motion patterns that dictate how they wiggle round on the hook, including an attention-grabbing layer of technique to recognizing them; some are simpler to foretell and others may have you on the verge of pissed off tears. It’s fairly actually my favourite exercise.
The enjoyment of Stardew Valley isn’t simply in profiting from its jam-packed days, it’s in all of the little quirks and secrets and techniques you uncover alongside the way in which. From heartwarming cutscenes with villagers to weird one-off quests that might have you ever delivering maple syrup to a unusually cognizant bear, really, a lot character has been injected into this idyllic city. That is the one sport the place I can construct a pond on my farm solely to then get absurd calls for from the speaking fish inside it. What’s a fish going to do with three Omni Geodes anyway? Time to go mining within the Cranium Cavern, I suppose.
You’re not often doing the identical factor for very lengthy as a result of it takes lower than quarter-hour to play by an in-sport day, a tempo which solely additional entices me to stay round for “only one extra” each session. As a result of time is so tight, it usually feels such as you by no means fairly have sufficient to do every little thing you may need to – that will sound irritating initially, nevertheless it’s truly so absorbing. It forces you to strategize and plan out your duties prematurely, fueling that obsessive urge to maintain taking part in much more with a view to hold from leaving some objective solely half completed. On this manner, every morning seems like embarking on a brand new dungeon run. How far will you get in the present day? Will luck be in your facet or will it work in opposition to you?
Stardew Valley feels limitless, which is each thrilling and overwhelming. Sure, technically, there are two methods wherein you may see your self “beating” it. The primary is to totally restore the Neighborhood Middle by gifting the lovable little Junimo spirits particular bundles of native goodies, which you both need to develop or search out your self, and the second is to attain whole “Perfection,” Stardew Valley’s model of 100% completion. Both one may have you planting greens, rising fruit timber, and elevating animals in your farm, all of which comply with go well with with Stardew Valley as a complete by being pretty simple on the floor, however deviously deep if you wish to maximize each the amount and high quality of your produce. It is going to doubtless take you multiple in-sport 12 months simply to finish the Neighborhood Middle in your first playthrough; with 28 days in every of the 4 seasons, which means this problem alone can simply take dozens of hours, and I beloved each minute of it.
Listening to about that scale of time dedication may make it look like an intimidating job, however that is the true enchantment of Stardew Valley: It’s a collector’s paradise. Simply once you suppose you’re carried out, you’ll come across one other listing of duties to delightfully verify off. Full the Neighborhood Middle bundles and now the native fisherman, Willy, is asking you to assist restore his outdated boat. Subsequent factor you realize, you’re touring to a completely new island that’s largely inhabited by voracious parrots. After all, the one strategy to discover this solely separate space and unlock all of the cool issues launched there may be by feeding the parrots the Golden Walnuts discovered hidden all through the island. It offers you one other engaging objective to distract you from no matter you might have been doing earlier than, even when only for just a few days.
This deluge of choices is in no small half due to the entire glorious free updates Stardew Valley has sporadically acquired since its preliminary launch in 2016, tantalizingly pushing that end line additional and additional out of attain for its devoted gamers. ConcernedApe has added co-op multiplayer, cool new beginning farm layouts, tons of further crops and seasonal occasions, expanded publish-sport actions, and innumerable bug fixes – to not point out loads of foolish issues just like the current craze sweeping the valley: ingesting mayonnaise. I’ve misplaced depend of what number of farms I’ve began through the years, together with one on the distinctive new Meadowlands Farm format that was launched in the newest 1.6 replace (solely on PC as of this writing) and I nonetheless haven’t discovered these darn raccoons it added! It may fairly actually take you over 100 hours to find every little thing Stardew Valley has to supply… and by the point you do, there might have been one other patch.
And did I point out the lore scattered all through all of it? As a result of, sure, Stardew Valley is steeped within the stuff. At first, the individuals of Pelican City may come off as stand-offish and generally even chilly. However the extra you chat with every villager and provides items to extend your “friendship” stage with them, the extra you’ll unveil simply how messy these individuals are. The type however unusually useless mayor has a secret lover; we’re all fairly positive that Abigail, our resident video-sport loving goth woman, has a mysterious origin story to find. Heck, you don’t even get to fulfill one of many villagers till you’ve reached 12 months 2 as a result of he’s been away preventing in a struggle in opposition to some fantastical evil empire. I really like attending to really feel just like the city snoop, prying into the private particulars of everyone’s lives with none of the repercussions. If something, the messiness of those characters makes them really feel extra grounded and endearing.
As you get to know this group higher, you’ll make headway in one of many largest points of Stardew Valley: Romance. There are 12 eligible villagers residing in Pelican City, all of whom you may get to know by chatting them up as soon as a day and gifting their favourite issues. That is one space the place Stardew can, admittedly, fall a bit flat relative to the excessive factors of different video games with a give attention to relationship. Whereas it’s nice that you would be able to date any of those villagers no matter gender, it doesn’t fairly make up for the dearth of each attention-grabbing personalities and variety amongst your decisions for romantic companions.
If there’s romance accessible in a sport, I need to really feel torn by the choice of who to pursue. However right here, my indecision over who to marry initially has much less to do with being too smitten and extra to do with the truth that the entire choices are equally… unappealing. That being mentioned, I don’t suppose the entire villagers of Stardew Valley are essentially alleged to be instantly “likable” in a conventional sense. Simply because it usually is in actual life, it’s solely after taking the time to get to know them by particular conversations and unlockable occasions that a few of them begin to look extra enticing and complicated as individuals. However whereas their bigger tales are typically properly written, they don’t essentially make for probably the most thrilling romantic companions to woo proper out of the gate.