Stardew Valleyarrived in 2016 and was one of the year’s biggest surprises. Among a plethora of great games likeUncharted 4,DOOM,Dark Souls 3,andOverwatch,the small pixel-art farming sim was extremely pleasant, with an initial launch on PC followed by console versions anda Switch port doing well to make it mainstream. The exploits of the player character when they move into an abandoned farm offer compelling freedom of choice, and it’s a format that has since been replicated.
WhileHarvest Moonoriginally carried the load for farming simulators,Stardew Valleyhas quickly become the most beloved game in the niche genre, with fans already excited about the developer’s follow-upHaunted Chocolatier. It borrows much from the Natsume-published franchise, but since its releaseStardew Valleyhas soared beyond the series that inspired it. There were plenty of great farming sims in previous years and on older hardware, but the success of ConcernedApe’s achievement has ushered in the genre’s golden age.
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Stardew Valley is the Farming Simulator Benchmark
Stardew Valleyis the only game developed by ConcernedApe thus far.Games made by a single person aren’t anything new, as Mike Bithelland Toby Fox have proven with titles likeUndertaleandThomas Was Aloneamong others. However, the sheer depth ofStardew Valleyis a marvel, and shows that innovation is more important than huge worlds developed by massive teams. Tending to crops is only the beginning, as wandering the streets of Pelican Town and interacting with compelling, down-to-earth characters will take up a lot of the player’s time. It’s proof that the farming simulator genre is fertile ground for fresh ideas inspired by old ones, and that the feat can be achieved with restrictions.
The influence of one game can make all the difference, as titles likeOverwatch, Super Metroid, Halo,andFinal Fantasyhave defined genres, and have provoked other companies to fill out a specific space with similar games.Stardew Valleyis young compared to the aforementioned titles, but may prove to demand an equal amount of credit, as it has inspired other studios and gotten people talking about farming simulator games that share nothing in common with the Chucklefish-published project.
Stardew Valley-Inspired Games Proliferate Online
The Washington-based developer looked toHarvest Moonfor guidance and inspiration forStardew Valley, but whereas the former franchise is struggling to rekindle the magic of old under company disputes, the latter is everything thatHarvest Moonshould be in 2022. The results are hard to ignore, as games likeMy Time at Portia,Moonlighter, andPotion Permitoffer similar gameplay loops, design formulas, and aesthetic flourishes thatStardew Valleyprovoked.
There are a litany of farming simulators available in 2022, from realistic offerings to pretty pixel art experiences, and it’s hard to believe that the slew of games available in the rapidly expanding genre would have gained anywhere near the traction they have without ConcernedApe. Like the player tending to livestock ontheir Pelican Town farm,Stardew Valleyis shepherding an entire genre to new horizons, and will surely continue to herald in a truly special time for farming simulator fans everywhere.
Stardew Valleyis available on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
