Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley has a little bit of everything for everyone and does it all well. It's well-designed, well-polished, and encompasses everything I love about this style of game and more. A modern masterpiece in every way.

Harvest Moon fans and folks who live under rocks alike will find themselves in love with this new indie farming sim.

Stardew Valley holds up to the test of time superbly. It is everything you want in a classic cozy game: farming, relationships, dungeon diving, fishing—you name it, this game has it and masters it to perfection. I have loved playing this game; it’s definitely in my top 10 of all time.

Developed by one man—ONE—Stardew Valley is everything I had always wished Harvest Moon would be when I was growing up with it.

Stardew Valley is a beautiful, fun game that, when all of its parts are pulled together, make for a wonderful countryside adventure. Whether it’s rainy, sunny, snowy, or dusted with pollen drifts through the air, each day offers an abundance of great activities ready to be collected or mastered and new friendships waiting to be made. Even 100 hours in with three in-game years in the books, I still feel like I have so many mysteries to discover, and plenty of items to collect. New items, goals, and events from all the updates since its launch make Stardew Valley more welcoming for new players a...

Reap what you sow.

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Stardew Valley isn't only about what you do, because ultimately you'll do a lot. It emphasizes what you do with what you're given: How you choose to build your community and relationships, and the power of a simple hello, said every day. Building a farm isn't just a physical task, but an emotional one, too. No simulation or game is an exact copy of what it’s trying to emulate, but Stardew Valley, above all, expertly explores the connection that someone can have with their environment, their work and the people around them.

Stardew Valley is the rare kind of imitation that breaks free of the boundaries of its inspiration, becoming more than just a clone but an experience that thrives independent of its origins. I suspect some of these feelings come from a deep familiarity with Harvest Moon, thus an appreciation for the subtle ways Stardew Valley differs. But that doesn't stand in the way of the fact that Stardew Valley is a great game in its own right; one that might very well steal the floral crown Harvest Moon has been wearing for so long.

The constant churn of daily activities may prove thankless and repetitive for those impatient and unwilling to immerse themselves, but if you surrender yourself to Stardew Valley and dig deeper beneath the surface you’ll find one of the best, most impactful games you’ll play this year, homage or not.

So it was the holidays recently, a time in the year where everyone relaxes and I stuff my face with Ferrero Rocher and Baileys.  During this chocolate binge however, I tend to play something super laid back to help me wind down from the stressful year that is soon to be behind us, and this year I picked up Stardew Valley… and didn’t put it down.