Stardew Valley, independentfarming simulation androle-playing video game created byAmerican developer Eric Barone (screen name: ConcernedApe), released on February 26, 2016. Designed as a digital replication of agricultural life, it is a role-playing game, agenre in which players assume the roles of characters and develop various skills through gameplay.Stardew Valley has sold more than 41 million copies worldwide as of December 2024, maintaining popularity with growing yearly sales and a vibrant playercommunity. The game is notably inspired byHarvest Moon, aJapanesevideo game series that involvescropcultivation,animal husbandry, and community interactions (one of its franchises is now calledStory of Seasons). Stardew Valley partly resembles contemporary titles such as Animal Crossing, which also involves social simulation, and sandbox games such as Minecraft and Terraria, which feature exploration and crafting.

Story

The game begins with the player inheriting their late grandfather’s neglected farm in the fictional rural community of Pelican Town, located in Stardew Valley. The overarching theme is renewal: the player restores the farm, builds relationships with townspeople, and chooses whether to support the town’s crumbling traditional community center or the expansion of the fictional JojaMart, a large retail chain depicted as a symbol of impersonal modern commerce.

Stardew Valley features an open-ended story with no definitive ending. Players may pursuediverse goals such as agricultural success,mine exploration, marriage, or community development.

Gameplay

Stardew Valley is presented in a top-down perspective—a viewpoint in which players can see the action from above. Its retro, pixel-artaesthetic is reminiscent of the 16-bit games of the 1990s. The game world progresses through an internal clock system, with days, seasons, and years affecting farming cycles and social events.

Core activities involve farming—tilling soil, planting, watering, and harvesting crops—along with animal husbandry such as feeding and caring for chickens and cows.

Players can mine underground caverns inhabited by creatures, gather resources such as ore and gems,fish in varied waterways, and forage for wild plants.

Energy management is crucial; performing actions consumes energy, which can be replenished by eating food or sleeping.

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Progression happens as players build skills through repeated actions in farming, mining, fishing, foraging, and combat.

Social interaction with more than 30 unique townspeople involves conversation, gifting, and relationship building, resulting in possibilities such asmarriage andfamily life.

• Choose one out of eight layouts to build and design a farm.
• Raiselivestock,cultivate crops, and grow orchards.
• Date one of 12 villagers; potentially marry and raise a family.
• Customize appearances of characters, homes, and surroundings.
• Cook meals and craft items.
• Invite up to eight other players tocollaborate on farming, resource sharing, and town relationships on multiplayer mode.
• Get single-player content onmobile phones, with touch or tap movement.

Platforms and system requirements

Stardew Valley: The Board Game

A cooperative board game based onStardew Valley (for one to four players) adapts the video game’s farming, exploration, and community themes to tabletop play. Developed by Eric Barone and Cole Medeiros, it features community center goals, Grandpa’s challenges, and artwork styled after the digital version. Manufactured in theUnited States, it is the primary item in the officialStardew Valley shop besides merchandise and toys.

Originally released forMicrosoft Windows,Stardew Valley has since been adapted for multiple platforms, includingmacOS,Linux,PlayStation 4 and Vita,Xbox One, Steam, andNintendo Switch. Mobile versions foriOS andAndroid were also launched.

Its modest system requirements contribute to its accessibility: Even computers with limited processing power can run the game smoothly.

Stardew Valley supports multiple languages includingRussian,English,Japanese,French, andItalian.