I think the genius of this game lies in its lack of rigid restrictions. I say this in comparison to similar games such as the Animal Crossing games (While I understand the flaw in this comparison, it's what I have personally to go off of, as I tend to play both for similar reasons). In Animal Crossing, despite it being a game where creative choice and individuality is promoted, there's a strict progression order in the first days. You steadily unlock parts of the map you can access and items you can use over real life days, or even weeks, blocking off parts of the game for long stretches of time. Stardew Valley, on the other hand, essentially throws you into the deep end, offering every single one of its main gameplay loops to you within the first steps into its world. Even today, as I start my 10th+ farm, I don't do the same things. There's no pattern that works, little way to optimize the fun out of it. This review is incoherent by the way, if you haven't noticed yet. I follow the belief that, if given the chance, I'll optimize any aspect of a game I can because it's just what the human mind wants to do. Stardew Valley is one of the few games I feel doesn't have this issue, as optimizing rarely gets you anything tangible. The game is endless, money is never a major issue, and there's so much to do that it's improbable to feel as though you aren't playing right, or missing something. All this and more make it my go-to comfort game.