I can conceptually understand why people like this game. From my perspective, Stardew Valley is a matrix of progression bars from top to bottom. Every aspect of the game feels like you're accomplishing something, from raising your profits, to completing bundles, to raising friendship meters, to getting through the mines, filling up the museum, even harvesting a single crop, it's all Something meaningful, something to make you feel both like you're getting valuable work done but also that there's always more work to be done.
What I can't comprehend at all is how people find this game "cozy". The second you wake up the clock is ticking, NPCs, stores, even the fish are on their schedules, you have to manage your crops, and make sure you set up automation so that you don't spend TOO much time on your crops, and try to get as much of a season's exclusive items as possible so that you can get the community center going without having to wait an extra year, and get back from the mines to Clint's Forge before 4:00, and make sure your energy doesn't get too low too early in the day (and have food ready if you think it will), and...
When I play this game I feel like I need to have a spreadsheet open just to track what things are worth doing, but the thing is, everything is worth doing, and I have no time at all to do it, so this relaxing, comfy, chill game is more akin to the experience of eternally feeling like I'm not accomplishing enough with the limited time I have available in a given day, season, year, play session.
I'm not saying the game is bad. I would ordinarily consider it a good thing to have a game with this much content, to make it feel like everything you're doing is relevant, all while maintaining a comfy atmosphere. It's just that when the game, journalists, and fans all act as if this is a relaxing farming game it drives me a little bit insane, because I think it failed completely in this regard and is at best a game that satirically presents itself with that aesthetic when that couldn't be further from the truth.