Game: Stardew Valley
Genre: RPG, Simulation
System: Nintendo Switch (Also on Steam (Windows, macOS and Linux), iOS, Android, Xbox One/X/S and PS4)
Developer | Publisher: ConcernedApe
Age Rating: US 10+ | EU 12+
Price: US $14.99 | UK £10.99 | EU € 13,99
Release Date: October 5th, 2017
No review code was used; I purchased the game myself.
November 2024 sees the next chapter of Stardew Valley, 7 years after its release on the Switch. Version 1.6 will be the last major update for some time, as Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone concentrates on his new game, Haunted Chocolatier.
It has to be said that Stardew Valley is a firm favourite in my household, whether it’s because of the local co-op play or the numerous late-night discussions into the economics of ancient fruit artisan goods. And I’m not the only one who is enchanted by Stardew Valley. The community is very active, and the Stardew Valley Wiki is one of the best-kept up-to-date wikis I know of.
So grab your hoe, and let’s get down to Stardew Valley.
Who Are You?
First of all, you have to create your character and select the farm. The customisation window for Stardew Valley is small and quite busy compared to the multi-tab options of more recent games. However, there is plenty of choice: 24 skin tones, 74 hairstyles, and 112 shirt patterns. The eye, hair and pants colours are done via RGB colour slide bars, which is not the easiest to fine-tune with a controller. You also get to select an animal preference; there are 5 cat and dog types to choose from. You will find plenty of other clothes and hats during the game, and if required, it is possible to change appearance once you are friends with the Wizard.
One of the stand-out points of Stardew Valley is being able to select the farm type. Very few games give the player this choice. Everafter Falls has 3 options, but in Stardew Valley, there are an amazing 8 to choose from, each one offering something slightly different. If you like fishing, you could have the Riverland Farm layout, which is dominated by water, causing the land to be split into islands. If you prefer night-time danger, maybe the Wilderness Farm, with good land to farm, but monsters appearing after dark. The latest addition is the Meadowlands Farm, which has blue grass to please your animals but not as much arable space. (For the full list, check out the wiki).
Apart from being able to skip the intro, there are a few other advanced settings. This includes being able to remix the community centre bundles and mine rewards. If you are looking for a really big challenge, you could alter the profit margins.
Pack Your Bags, We’re Off to Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley starts with a cutscene showing dear, old grandpa giving you a letter, with the instruction that it should be opened at some point in the future – you know when!?
The cutscene moves to the grey office buildings of Joja Corporation, with people sitting in rows at computer desks. You open Grandpa’s letter, which you had all those years ago, and discover that nestled in Stardew Valley is a farm which now belongs to you. So off you head.
You are met by Robin, the local carpenter, who leads you to the farm. After a brief conversation with Robin and Mayor Lewis, who suggested that you explore the town and meet everyone, you are left to start your new life in Stardew Valley.
Starting in Stardew Valley
Armed with the standard tools for farming simulations, you can start clearing some land and plant the gifted parsnip seeds you find in your house. If you selected the meadowlands farm, you will receive hay instead, as you will have inherited 2 chickens. Farming is easy: hoe, plant, water. Water is needed every day, else the crops will not grow, and it’s in these kind of games that we hope for rain! Luckily, the TV in your house will tell you tomorrow’s forecast, and eventually, you will be able to make sprinklers. Until you can make a scarecrow, don’t plant too many crops, or else you’ll be feeding the crows.
Clearing away the weeds gives fibre and maybe the bonus of some mixed seeds. These have the ability of growing into any seasonal crop (except those grown on canes). However, with your starting wallet of 500 gold, you can also purchase a few extra crops from Pierre’s General Store. One thing to refrain from is clearing too much grass. Once you have Robin build a silo, then cutting the grass will produce hay to feed your animals.
There are several different animals in Stardew Valley, including chickens and cows. The other animals will need the coop or barn to be upgraded. You can also ask Robin to build a stable, which comes complete with a horse!
Crops and animal products can be sold, but by making them into artisan goods (cheese, wine, jam, etc.), the profit will be greater. There is a wide range of items to craft, not only to create artisan goods but also to decorate your farm.
Stamina is limited in the early days of Stardew Valley, so it’s wise not to go too big with your fields (although Clint, the blacksmith, offers tool upgrades). So once you’ve tended your fields, you might venture into town to explore and meet the locals. The residents of Stardew Valley are wonderful. There is a backstory to each one, and as you become friends with them, you will hear more of their story through short cutscenes. ConcernedApe has added more NPC dialogue into Stardew Valley v1.6, as well as a few more treats for gamers returning to Pelican Town. Twelve of the villagers are eligible for marriage once you’ve got 10 friendship hearts and a bigger house.
What Next in Stardew Valley?
One of the things I love about Stardew Valley is the balanced approach to the game. More and more content becomes available as the days progress. For example, on your second morning, you will receive a letter from Willy asking you to meet him at the beach, where you will receive a fishing rod.
There is no denying that fishing in Stardew Valley is hard… very hard. Yvonne shared her thoughts on fishing a few years back. Not only do you have to press the action button when the exclamation mark appears, but you also have to mash or hold, or both, to keep the fish inside the green bar. Some fish are definitely easier than others to catch, and with upgraded rods, special bobbers, and cooking food, which gives buffs, it gets easier. Also, as you improve your skill, the green bar gets larger. Fish are a great source of income, so it’s worth persevering.
You’re given a few days to practise fishing, as well as managing your farm before the next area opens up. Marlon, head of the Adventurer’s Guild, meets you in the mine and explains the benefits and dangers of mining. With a gift of a rusty sword, it’s your choice whether you venture below.
I enjoy the mining, even with the monsters. If the Fortune Teller (on the TV) tells you the spirits are happy, then the ladder to the lower floor might already be visible or under a rock near the entrance. If they are displeased, then expect to clear nearly every rock in the level to find the ladder. It’s possible to break all rocks, ores or gems with the starting pickaxe, but the lower you get, the more hits are required, and the more stamina is used. Luckily, fighting doesn’t use stamina, and defeating a monster sometimes reveals a ladder.
The Big Decision in Stardew Valley
If you’ve wondered why you can’t buy a Joja Co. Membership, then you haven’t triggered the cutscene regarding the community centre. It happens in early Spring as you head into town one morning. Mayor Lewis will show you the derelict community centre and explain how it was once the heart of the Pelican Town. He believes there is a rat problem and asks if you could help out.
There are various rooms to complete within the community centre, focusing on different aspects of life within Stardew Valley; farming; foraging; fishing; mining; friendship and making money. Each room will have multiple bundles to complete, each giving a small gift on completion. Once all bundles for the room are complete, you will receive a reward, maybe a new area or new skill. The bundles are designed so that you will develop your skills in order to complete them and that it will generally take at least a year or two as some items are seasonal.
Stardew Valley is not over once the community centre is restored, but I’ll leave you to find out what adventure unfolds.
However, even after the plea from the Mayor, you may still choose to get a Joja Co. Membership. If you do, then you’ll have to pay large lump sums to gain access to the other areas.
Life in Stardew Valley
Pelican Town is a busy place. There are two major festivals each season, with various other little events to fill your day, and that’s excluding helping Gunther restore the local library and museum. There are locked doors to become master of, a giant tree which holds a surprise, and secret woods to get lost in – no wonder you need a spa to relax in (once you find it!)
Why not share your Stardew Valley farm with someone? The local co-op works via a split screen, but you can also host or join via online co-op. One of the farm layouts, Four Corners, is designed so that each player can have their own area to farm and manage. Cabins can be added when creating a new farm, or also be brought during the game if needed, so any additional player has somewhere to sleep and call their own!
Sharing the game has some advantages: double the money for some of the quests, halving the effort in finding a mine ladder, and sharing the workload on the farm. However, all players need to buy backpack upgrades, crafting recipes, and time doesn’t stop (except in split-screen, if both players are in a menu or cutscene). Each player is considered separately for experience points and skills, so some activities need to be shared, e.g. harvesting, else only one player will benefit.
Gameplay
The controls for farming, mining and fighting are straightforward. However, the vast crafting menu was clearly designed for a mouse, as navigating through it takes several attempts of moving the stick to get to the item you actually want.
I encountered a few frame rate issues in single-player mode, but only once, whilst fishing. Did it really impact me? However, in local co-op, the juddering is amplified, which results in fishing being a little glitchy and any mine levels with the pepper rex monsters being unplayable as a team, so one player leaves the mine. Unfortunately, in Stardew Valley v1.6, my gaming buddy and I experienced an occasional issue where items could not be collected in a mining level, although the next level was fine. We did not encounter this in the previous version, nor in single-player mode, and hopefully, it will be resolved.
Saving happens overnight in Stardew Valley. You will collapse at 2 am, losing gold and items. Sleeping after 1 am will result in reduced stamina for the next day. You are not limited to the number of concurrent games.
You can encounter lightning storms, but there is an option to remove the flashing. The soundtrack for Stardew Valley is incredible. There are different tracks for different areas of the valley and for the festivals. The sound of your footsteps varies depending on the ground type. There are even global concerts performing the iconic music.
It takes around 20 minutes to play through a Stardew Valley day, but it depends on how many times you access the menu or chests when time is paused. For this review, I’ve spent 30+ hours completing three of the four 28-day seasons, although I’ve clocked up over 200+ hours on the previous version, attaining ‘perfection’.
Conclusion
Stardew Valley has it all: farming, crafting, cooking, mining, combat, exploration, quest fulfilment, collecting, friendship, mysteries, and so much more. It’s a game that keeps on giving, and with concerts, a board game, and a cookbook, it offers an all-encompassing experience.
The different farm layouts and the ability to have different community centre bundles mean there is a lot of re-playability. Yes, you still have to grow crops and raise animals, but where to locate the fields and buildings? Which order do you complete quests in? There are so many variables.
Although Stardew Valley v1.6 has a few frame rate issues, the extra content is a delight to find and I have truly been inspired with revisiting the valley.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up 
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