I've loved Stardew Valley for years, but the community for this game loves gaslighting you. It's always "Stardew Valley is one of the most relaxing games ever!" until you have to unlock and craft every item, reach max friendship with every NPC, sell every type of crop and catch every fish, all of which require incredible memorization and knowledge of what exact time every single item you need can spawn, punishing you with a huge waiting period if you miss anything.

Playing Stardew Valley casually and learning the optimal Minmax Perfection playthrough are two different beasts. If you read what I just typed above and thought "That sounds extremely obnoxious, why do you like this", honestly, I don't blame you. But based on this and my Super Metroid review, I guess sometimes I like it when a game has more unconventional design, as long as that design harmonizes with everything else that the game is trying to achieve. And Stardew Valley pulls this off incredibly.

I've attempted and failed to reach the Perfection Ending in Stardew several times. Until now, I've always either gotten frustrated or gotten too busy to keep playing it. But in spite of this, it's the one game that I've always come back to. The incredible spritework and soundtrack create an absolutely incredible atmosphere. The rewarding gameplay loop created from the farming mechanics has had me consistently hooked during every playthrough. I don't really want to spoil too much about these though, as not knowing the mechanics in depth will make a first playthrough much more interesting. All you really have to know is that this game has attached itself to my life since I first played it back in 2017.

So as a fan, and as someone who has spent the last 6 years on-and-off trying to complete this game, when I finally got to see that final cutscene, it felt so much more fucking satisfying than if the game had just been handed to me. It was a brilliant sendoff.

I guess this isn't much of a review, is it? I've not really analyzed the game in depth here, this is really just the incoherent rambles of someone replaying (probably) the best life sim game of all time. But I deserve this rambling, I feel. I hope I'll be coming back home to the valley again soon.


Extra note: I said earlier that this game has amazing sprites, but there's one exception. I'm so glad that despite the substantial updates this game has gotten over the years, ConcernedApe has never changed Grandpa's fucked up bed

Stardew Valley feels like coming home.

I can't remember which playthrough I'm on, which is a rarity for me. I've revisited childhood favorites like Zelda and Mario countless times, cherishing each experience. However, as an adult, this happens less frequently. Maybe it's because modern games don't resonate with me as deeply, or maybe my gaming habits have simply changed over time. Yet, whenever I boot up Stardew Valley, it hits all the right notes. Whether I've talked with the residents of Pelican Town dozens of times or played through its events repeatedly, the game retains its magical allure. It feels like a nostalgic return to childhood gaming, a comforting experience I can enjoy every time of the year.

What's truly remarkable is the developer's commitment to continually expanding the game with substantial updates and expansions, all provided for free. Stardew Valley brims with passion and love. Despite its status as one of the most successful indie games of all time, the developer continues to pour his heart into it, enriching the experience for players. I deeply respect and appreciate this dedication, which unfortunately is no longer a given in today's gaming industry.

I could honestly ramble endlessly about this masterpiece of a game. Nearly a decade after my first playthrough, it still holds a special place in my heart and it probably always will.