The title screen for Stardew Valley is one that sets the mood for the rest of the game; Relaxing, full of nature, and rejuvenating. When you click ‘New’ to start a new game, your adventure as a farmer truly begins.

After designing your pixelated character that will adventure with you, choosing a cat or a dog, and starting your game, Stardew Valley begins. The player is told of their grandpa, who is on his deathbed, and gives you a letter to be opened when “you feel crushed by the burden of modern life.” Years later, The player is working in an office, tired and exhausted from, presumably, overwork, at Joja Mart Corporation, the biggest corporation in the game. The Player opens the letter from their grandfather, who reveals that once upon a time, he too felt exhausted and lost his connection with himself, nature and with other people. He knew it was only a matter of time before the player, his beloved grandchild, felt the same. That is why the letter tells the player that Grandpa’s old farm, which the player names before the game starts, is now theirs. After reading the letter, The farmer, or the player, but “Farmer” is what some townspeople call the player, gets on a bus and goes to the place that holds old memories of their grandfather, and your childhood. 

When you get to Stardew Valley, also known as Pelican Town, you are greeted by the town’s carpenter, Robin, and the mayor, Lewis. You quickly settle in and the next day, You’re given two tasks: greet all the townspeople, and plant fifteen parsnip seeds. 

There are many ways to play Stardew Valley, depending on what you enjoy doing. You can focus on bigger picture tasks, or you can focus on day-to-day tasks. You can give gifts to your favorite townspeople, catch fish, go into the mines, or just farm all day. The Game’s creator, known on the internet as ‘ConcernedApe’, designed his game so that anyone could enjoy it, and so that there were no real rules that you have to follow if you don’t want to. 

The way Stardew Valley is designed makes it a game anyone could get into, depending on how they want to play. Since its initial release in 2017, the reviews of Stardew Valley have been positively glowing. The game has many different routes and storylines to play, all with it’s own unique ending. You can restore the town’s community center, or run errands for various different characters. Overall, Stardew Valley is a fun game, designed to fit anyone’s play style. Stardew Valley is available on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PC, Playstation, and there’s even a mobile version of the game. 

If you get tired of the game, there’s always different sorts of challenges to remake the game for you. Start a new save file, and try your best. Enjoy the game, and don’t forget to water your crops, Farmers!