Why Is Stardew Valley So Good?

Even though it came out in 2016, Stardew Valley still has cozy gamers in a vise grip. Why? What makes this game so freaking good? Why do we love it? Why is the Stardew Valley 1.6 update so exciting? Why do we keep coming back?

In an attempt to answer these questions, I gathered four other Stardew fans to discuss the game. I highly recommend you listen to this lo-fi mix of the original soundtrack while you read our conversation below.

Note: There are minor plot spoilers and discussion of gameplay mechanics in Stardew Valley.

Why Has Stardew Valley Endured and Stayed in the Cultural Zeitgeist?

Amanda Tien: I played the Harvest Moon games religiously growing up. Stardew Valley is explicit in its inspiration from that series. When I started playing Stardew, I honestly kind of rolled my eyes at it—I was like, yo this guy is just lifting the blueprint of the OG farming game a little too exactly. But then, I got to the Community Center. And that was the first sign to me that what the game’s solo creator Eric Barone (also known as ConcernedApe) was doing was going to be really different.

In many ways, the first 30 hours of Stardew Valley play out exactly the same way the Harvest Moon games always did. You get this farm from your dead grandpa. You clear out your farm of a bunch of sticks and weeds. You save up for some chickens. You flirt with strangers in town.

Stardew Valley (Left) and Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town (Right)

But in Stardew, you’re also told immediately that there’s this greater purpose in improving the town by collecting special items and contributing them to the community center (a concept which may have been inspired by the museum in the other most famous cozy game series, Animal Crossing). But it’s this deceptively simple choice that makes the game instantly feel like more of an investment than Harvest Moon. When you contribute to the Community Center, you get rewards, which is exciting in and of itself. But the fact that it actually unlocks further areas of gameplay… it essentially builds quests into the game, while still maintaining that feeling of “no rush and no pressure” to do anything. It’s so smart.

Ben, Allison, Alexia, and Gary—why do you think this game is still so popular?

Ben Rashkovich: There are a billion reasons. I think Stardew Valley is just 10/10 in basically every category—but I think a big part of its continued relevance is the mystique of its creator, ConcernedApe. I put Stardew Valley in the same category as games like Spelunky, which launched Derek Yu, and to a slightly different degree Cave Story, which is critically under-discussed. That is, these indies came out of nowhere to redefine and reinvigorate a genre with a kind of awe-inspiring level of homegrown auteur-ship. So it’s easy to look to ConcernedApe as this almost mythical figure, and his kindness, humor, and diligence in responding to the community actually elevate that status. It’s like, dang, what did we do to deserve Stardew Valley?

Amanda: That’s such a good point regarding him as a creator, and how his specific choices and personality inform the game and the community around it. Because there are other auteurs who kind of are famously assholes. But by all accounts, Barone seems great. I really enjoyed the chapter about his journey making Stardew Valley in Jason Schreier’s Blood, Sweat, and Pixels; highly recommend reading it if y’all haven’t yet.

Allison McDaniel: Amanda, that chapter in Jason Schreier’s book was so informative, and the deepest dive into the making of Stardew Valley that we’ve ever seen. There are also some YouTube videos about Eric Barone saying he was inspired by his dad’s technical skills and his mom’s artistry while making the game. I think learning the backstory behind Stardew Valley is so intriguing for fans of farming sims, that we just can’t help but support ConcernedApe’s creation.

Another reason why I think it’s stayed so relevant is that the game is absolutely loaded with content for a low price. For no more than $15, Stardew Valley packs a minimum of 100 hours of gameplay. Once you feel like you’ve seen it all, you’re probably wrong as there are likely more NPCs to romance, a Joja run to do, new farm types to try, and so on. And with massive free updates every few years, the game packs hundreds of hours (or more) of gameplay in total. I’ve played over 1,100 hours so far, and I still have more to try!

Gary Wilson: All great points! Another strong reason I believe Stardew has lasted this long is just how many different ways you can play it. Between the original PC release, Switch version, every modern console, and even mobile, you can pick up Stardew from any angle. It helps keep the conversation alive, and makes it a very easy recommendation for folks. Anyone who wants a peaceful, cozy game can dive in at a low barrier to entry. Couple that with the volume of content, and you have a powder keg for a lasting legacy.

Amanda: Agreed! That’s a good point on the longevity and accessibility. I played Stardew when it came out in 2016 on Mac, thought it was fun, but didn’t like playing on my computer and I dropped off. Fast forward to a few months ago—Allison joined the site, and she kept saying such good things, plus my mom and sister are super into it. So, I got a copy of the Switch, and it just plays so well on that platform. It reminds me of playing my beloved Harvest Moon games on my Game Boy Advance. And it’s wild to me that there’s still new stuff being added.

Alexia Dahlin: I totally agree that the sheer magnitude of content available in Stardew Valley makes it hard to justify putting it down for long. Similarly to huge open-world games like Skyrim, there’s always something new to find in Stardew Valley. With the release of the 1.6 update, Barone suggested playing through the game without reading the patch notes. Stardew Valley wouldn’t have been able to maintain its popularity with such a dedicated fan base without its ability to capture the excitement of not knowing. Yes, there’s the cute and deep lore as well as fun gameplay and customization, but above all, I think Stardew Valley makes it easy to remember a time when games felt unpredictable and silly.

Amanda: Yeah! The game is full of little details that communicate that sensation. When you complete a Community Center room and a Junimo happily dances around you… that’s, like, the best feeling in the world. I’ve never completed a Community Center before, and I just find myself so motivated to keep going.

What Keeps You Coming Back To Play Stardew Valley? What’s Your Favorite Part of the Gaming Loop?

Ben: My favorite part of the loop was feeling out how free the loop actually was. Waking up each day and deciding whether I wanted to vibe out in the mines or catch a fish was the pull for me, because all the obligations I had in-game (like watering crops and all) were minor and ultimately optional. Bit of a bleak reflection on the lack of agency I feel in the real world, I guess… lol.

Amanda: LOL too real but also agreed, totally. Aside from special events, there’s no urgency to have to do anything. And there’s this sense, too, that even if you don’t get to it this winter, you’ll get to it next winter. It has that sandbox feeling of there being room to play in safety. I have a really hard time making my brain stop whirring/overthinking, and because of that, I like to play Stardew right before bed because it lulls me into this sense of focused relaxation. I often fall asleep playing it, and I mean that with the highest compliments.

Alexia: I love playing Stardew Valley with my friends. We get up to lots of shenanigans and can progress much quicker that way. Everyone gets to play the game their own favorite way without worrying much about progression. I love becoming friends with the villagers and being an observer and active participant in some of their lives! One of my favorite parts is collecting all the secret notes and getting the cute cut scenes (my favorite so far is still the bear in the Secret Woods).

Amanda: I LOVE THAT BEAR. I had no idea it was coming, and I giggled out loud.

Allison: I keep coming back to Stardew Valley because of how familiar I am with it at this point. I often game while watching TV, so I don’t want something that requires too much of my attention. Similar to what Ben said, I love being able to vibe and do whatever I want, especially when I’m on my save file that I hit perfection on. It’s so easy to get lost for a while with the smooth music in the background and talk to NPCs who feel like family. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but my favorite part is going to the Skull Caverns in the Calico Desert. After playing it so often, It’s now just mindless work and I get LOADS of useful materials from each run.

Gary: I have nothing to add, just +1 to all of that haha.

What Brought You to Stardew Valley, and Why Do You Stay?

Amanda: And, along with that question, I’m curious—did any of y’all play the Harvest Moon games? Like do you know what I’m talking about when I say all this Harvest Moon stuff? I’ve never talked to anyone else who has played those games, and I feel like, if there was going to be anybody, it’d be y’all.

Gary: No Harvest Moon for me; plenty of other sim-life games carved my path. The biggest influence was Terraria, which I consumed with vigor at launch. Its blend of combat and basic building was a ton of fun, and the multiplayer aspects really enhanced the experience. I never really got into Harvest Moon because it was single-player. So, when I was told I could mess around a farm with some action elements and friends, I immediately installed Stardew. It actually took a try or two to stick; I just couldn’t wrap my head around the farming space!

Ben: No Harvest Moon for me either! And I’m actually not a perennial Stardew player. I played it a bunch in 2017 and 2018, and haven’t revisited. I haven’t even seen the island! So I’m very excited to check everything new out when the 1.6 update drops for consoles. I love the idea that the world unfolds as you grow to know the town and its environs better.

Allison: I don’t know why, but I never played Harvest Moon growing up. As a fan of The Sims franchise, it was something I know my friends and I would have loved. I picked up Stardew Valley in early 2021 on sale after seeing Animal Crossing: New Horizons streamers play it occasionally. I didn’t actually like the game at first. Being new to farming sims, I had no idea what to do and the pixel art style was hard for me to adjust to. After a few months of not playing Stardew, I gave it another chance and did lots of research. 1,100 hours later, it’s safe to say that I love it!

I love the Calico Desert and Ginger Island as they bring so much more content to the game. My favorite thing to do is just chill out and do Skull Cavern runs, each time trying to get as much iridium as possible. I also love Ginger Island because it lets me have two farms!

Alexia: I do want to play Harvest Moon, since it’s one of the main precursors in the cozy games genre (which I’m in love with), but I haven’t gotten around to it yet! I was in high school when Stardew Valley came out. I played it first on my brother’s Steam account and racked up over a hundred hours by the time it came out for Switch in 2017. I scooped it up pretty quick and played it whenever I had a chance. Somehow, I only finished the Community Center for the first time last year. Most of my time was spent just maintaining my farm and befriending everyone. I haven’t done much in the desert, but I love Ginger Island! I’m currently trying to find all the walnuts and having the time of my life.

Amanda: I love hearing y’alls thoughts about this! Yeah, if you ever try a Harvest Moon game, you’ll see just how much Stardew is born from that DNA. I just found this interview between Barone and the creator of Harvest Moon, Yasuhiro Wada, where they talk about farming and cozy games. BRB, gotta go watch it.

Okay, I’m back.

One thing that was rough with Harvest Moon titles was that the endgame was always a bit lackluster. The games, with very few exceptions, slow down and stall out once you’re married. You have two kids that never grow up past the toddler stage, which Stardew also does. However, I think Stardew’s big differentiating strength in the late game is that there are all these other lands you can unlock; that exploration and setting design seem to be a big part of Barone’s passion. I was looking up YouTube videos recently when editing Allison’s review of the Stardew Valley 1.6 update, and I couldn’t believe all the stuff that was in the game.

The fact that ConcernedApe has continued to invest in this game and keeps adding more content, FOR FREE, is incredible. It really shows his love for the project, and it inspires me as a creative.

What’s Something You’d Like To See ConcernedApe Add in a Future Stardew Valley Update?

Amanda: In the old Harvest Moon games, you could do activities with your animals, like a frisbee contest on the beach with your dog. You could also pet your horse and build a relationship with him/her, which you can’t do right now. I’d love to see more animal interactivity.

Ben: Really tough question! I think there’s a hard balance to strike between adding new content to the world and keeping it feeling cozy and comfortable. Some of my favorite moments in the game are events that mark the passage of time and change the map temporarily, like the seasonal holidays and the Night Market. So maybe I’d like to see more one-off events and such? Like Alex inviting the town to play a game of gridball, or Abigail and Vincent inviting you over to play Dungeons & Dragons (Skeletons & Sorcerers?), or Leah and Haley setting up a pop-up art show on the beach. Sort of random mini-festivals that can shake things up and add more reason for the townsfolk to mill about without taking over your entire day.

Amanda: Ooh, that’s a really good answer.

Allison: There’s so many small things that I would love, but one thing in particular would be to prevent yourself from accidentally blowing up decor, crops, fences, etc. with bombs. It makes for a fun challenge but I don’t need it, lol. Nothing in this game is scarier than when you have a bomb in your bag and accidentally drop it where it shouldn’t be. I know you can just restart the day but sometimes I don’t want to if I’ve been productive! The bomb anxiety is real.

Amanda: Haha that is SO REAL! You’re lucky—in Harvest Moon games, your scythe to cut down dead crops could accidentally cut down still-living multi-seasonal crops. It was a nightmare.

Oh, another thing from some of the Harvest Moon games (I’ll stop talking about them soon, I promise lol): The Harvest Moon bachelors or bachelorettes that you don’t marry will eventually move on and marry the “rivals.” That was really nice because they got to have their own lives, and it felt like a more lived-in world. Rather than this idea that everyone is just sitting around, stuck in this permanent state of waiting for you. I’d love to see this happen for the Stardew villagers… like a lot of the bachelors/ettes want to leave the Valley; like let Sebastian go move to the city and come back every winter or something! And then maybe also just a better life for your spouse once they move in with you. Apparently most of them just kinda mope around the farm and it’s a bit miserable.

Alexia: I totally agree with Amanda about the marriage candidates. I also wish each of them had specific decor items that they could randomly gift you or leave around the house. It would make their presence in your home a little more pervasive and add a nice personal touch! I could totally see Shane bringing a picture of his blue chicken to hang on the wall, or Emily with a cute knick-knack tray as a table decoration.

Gary: Honestly, it’s tough to say. There’s so much content already. I truly would love a more extracted mode that allows you to tweak the rhythms and timings of the game. Many people have been playing Stardew now for almost eight years, and starting from scratch can be a grind after seeing the early game. A mode that allows a player to change when seasons arrive, when crops come up, or when villagers are in certain places to help accelerate that early experience would be awesome.

Amanda: I love all of these ideas. Hard not to put too big a wishlist on Barone though; when will he have time to make Haunted Chocolatier?!

Lightning Round Questions!

Favorite Stardew Valley Bachelor/Bachelorette?

Ben: Leah. Low-key the closest to my actual real-life wife!

Allison: Easiest question—Shane for sure! In each save I’ve played, I tend to earn all his hearts first because he’s easy to gift with peppers and beer. I also feel like out of all the NPCs, Shane grows the most as a character and I absolutely love being there to witness it.

Amanda: I think Leah or Maru? I love a maker girl. But I actually haven’t married anyone yet in my play-through. Trying to decide. I’ve always brushed off Elliot because his dramatic groans about not finishing his novel sound too much like me IRL, but I might give him a shot.

Gary: The correct answer is Maru: hands-on, energetic, a little sarcastic. I love her to death.

Alexia: Shane, probably. He’s got a great arc and… what can I say? I’m a sucker for a cute chicken. I do wish his room wasn’t so gross (covered with empty beer cans) when he moves in because I feel like it negates a lot of the work he put in during his heart events though.

Least Favorite Stardew Bachelor/Bachelorette?

Amanda: Haley. I want to punch her so bad. Such a brat. Abigail also gets on my nerves.

Ben: Haley is actually GOATed when you get to know her. Harvey, Alex, and Sam feel a little one-note to me, so… a tie.

Amanda: In 2016, I first romanced Harvey (prob because he was closest to my actual partner lol) but concur that Harvey remains a bit boring. I think Alex gets a bit better the longer you know him. I guess that’s the trick/point to all of them, that there’s something to love, look beyond the surface stereotypes, blah blah blah?

Allison: Sorry Amanda and Ben, but it’s Leah. I liked her 14-heart cutscene but that’s it. I married her once and she was so boring! She’s otherwise great though.

Gary: Allison speaks the truth: Leah is just a little too one-note for me! She feels like a default answer when you don’t feel strongly toward someone else.

Alexia: I’m not a huge fan of Alex because he feels kind of basic? I don’t vibe well with people who are obsessed with sports. Please, Alex, don’t become the middle-aged dad who has a son just so he’ll play gridball in high school!

Best Stardew Valley Farm Type?

Allison: I’ve tried most of them, and I like the Forest Farm the most. It’s not the best for farming per se, but it’s extremely useful because it’s the only farm type with foraging opportunities. Not only can you find seasonal forageables, but you have four stumps that respawn daily where you can get a plentiful amount of hardwood. The Forest Farm type is the best, in my opinion, if you’re trying to quickly 100% the game.

Ben: Only ever tried the Standard and Forest Farms! Hill-top and Meadowlands look quite fun, and the Beach looks amazing but tough.

Amanda: I’ve only ever done Standard but I’d love to try Meadowlands once the 1.6 update is out on consoles. I love my lil’ animals.

Alexia: I really like the Forest Farm too. I feel like I’m always running out of forageables, especially leeks to give to George!

Gary: I mentioned previously that the farming part of Stardew throws me off sometimes, so I love the Beach! I can spend hours foraging and fishing, so it hits all my sweet spots!

Stardew Villager You’d Like To Marry, But Can’t?

Ben: SLIME.

Allison: I think Gus would be a great bachelor option because he’s a sort of comforting figure. He spends 12 hours a day running the saloon and creates a safe place for the Pelican Town community to relax after a long day. He’s also a sweetie, as you can tell by the fact that he lets Pam drink at the saloon every day, even when she isn’t paying her tab. I think Gus would be a supportive husband, and a good home chef too!

Amanda: Is it just me, or is Marlon kind of an adventurous pirate zaddy?

Allison: Marlon is definitely zaddy material.

Alexia: The wizard, of course!

Gary: Not necessary to even consider, because like I said, Maru is the best.

Most Useful Stardew Valley Upgrade?

Ben: Horse!!!

Gary: H. O. R. S. E.

Allison: Most useful upgrade is definitely the axe. Once you’re at iridium level, mining is so much faster and more efficient. But I do think Ben has a good point. The horse is a big help once you unlock it.

Amanda: Horse, 100%! They actually came free in the Harvest Moon games, so I was baffled when I had to spend so much time/resources to get one.

Alexia: Definitely the horse, but besides that I think getting a kitchen is so essential! It’s so hard for me to mine in Skull Cavern or the volcano without going through a whole stack of food.

Amanda: Once I get a hold of the 1.6 update, I’d probably also say the Tent that lets you do a one-use sleepover away from your house. I always think I can finish just one more thing (I have this same problem in real life), and I invariably can’t make it in time.

Best Stardew Valley Crop?

Ben: MAYO.

Amanda: LOL not a crop but okay. I love the ones that take a while to grow but then produce all season like Green Beans, Coffee, Hops… stuff like that. I love harvesting waterfalls of Blueberries.

Allison: Ancient Fruit because it makes me rich!

Alexia: The waterfalls of Blueberries are so real. I love the bloopy bloopy noises too. My favorite crop is probably Hot Pepper. Good for rubbing on achy knees!

Gary: I don’t have a strong opinion, but I do love that the Qi Fruit has its own sunglasses.

Do You Hate the (Famously Controversial) Fishing Mini-Game, Yes or No?

Gary: I plead the fifth (I think it’s great).

Ben: Actually no.

Allison: I have mixed feelings on the fishing mini-game. I actually like it more than Animal Crossing: New Horizons. However, I had a heck of a time getting used to it when I first started playing on the Nintendo Switch. Now, as a more seasoned player who’s been playing with a keyboard and mouse on Steam, I don’t mind it as much. In fact, I kind of like it.

Amanda: Yes.

Alexia: Yes, it makes me so angry.