Stardew Valley is similar to many other indies in its particular category, but it certainly stands apart from the others. I own the game on Xbox, Switch, and Steam, and it is one of my favorite games to just pick up and play for hours on end.

The storytelling is a bit of a crawl and pretty childish at some points, but if you can get past that then you have a wonderful farming simulator game on your hands. The art style and basic aspects of the game coupled with all the side adventures and relationship system makes for a well-rounded game that ties the entire game world together. At first it might seem pretty wonky and out-of-touch, but it will grow on you.

Highly recommend this game to anyone who appreciates the colorful art style and chill playthroughs.

UPDATE 1.6:
*I wanted to add an addition to my review at just a day of playtime now that I am over 300 hours and update 1.6 has released.

I adore Stardew Valley, and ever since I started up my first farm back in 2016, I've spent hundreds of hours playing it across various platforms over the years. With every update we've gotten since it first launched, I've returned time and time again, so naturally I am back and absolutely loving ConcernedApe's work and additions to the game with update 1.6. Still cannot believe that this entire game, including every single sprite, is created and managed by one person.

I love that the game has so many different things you can do and quests you can complete without having strict timelines or deadlines. I can do what I want to do at my own pace without feeling rushed. Playing on a new save file alongside the new Meadowlands Farm layout has made for a wonderful start again and has gotten me hooked. The update is a good excuse to start a new save and make different choices than in your previous playthroughs.

Compared to what I said years ago in my initial review, I should have been more specific regarding the crawl. It's not "slow paced", it's set your own pace. I personally set goals up, often going for efficiency whilst also trying to maintain style and aesthetic at the same time. Your farm grows and so does your farmer. Focus on those things, enjoy how much better you are as each season progresses. Finish the bundles in the community center. Eventually you will clear your whole farm but don't rush it. Clear what you use and then do it bit by bit. You can ignore the social aspect all together but each character has a life that can be interesting to learn about, and I highly recommend putting some amount of focus on gift-giving, birthdays, festivals and heart-events; they are truly the heart of the game!

Stardew Valley is similar to many other indies in its particular category, but it certainly stands apart from the others. I own the game on Xbox, Switch, and Steam, and it is one of my favorite games to just pick up and play for hours on end. The storytelling is a bit of a crawl and pretty childish at some points, but if you can get past that then you have a wonderful farming simulator game on your hands. The art style and basic aspects of the game coupled with all the side adventures and relationship system makes for a well-rounded game that ties the entire game world together. At first it might seem pretty wonky and out-of-touch, but it will grow on you. Highly recommend this game to anyone who appreciates the colorful art style and chill playthroughs. UPDATE 1.6: *I wanted to add an addition to my review at just a day of playtime now that I am over 300 hours and update 1.6 has released. I adore Stardew Valley, and ever since I started up my first farm back in 2016, I've spent hundreds of hours playing it across various platforms over the years. With every update we've gotten since it first launched, I've returned time and time again, so naturally I am back and absolutely loving ConcernedApe's work and additions to the game with update 1.6. Still cannot believe that this entire game, including every single sprite, is created and managed by one person. I love that the game has so many different things you can do and quests you can complete without having strict timelines or deadlines. I can do what I want to do at my own pace without feeling rushed. Playing on a new save file alongside the new Meadowlands Farm layout has made for a wonderful start again and has gotten me hooked. The update is a good excuse to start a new save and make different choices than in your previous playthroughs. Compared to what I said years ago in my initial review, I should have been more specific regarding the crawl. It's not "slow paced", it's set your own pace. I personally set goals up, often going for efficiency whilst also trying to maintain style and aesthetic at the same time. Your farm grows and so does your farmer. Focus on those things, enjoy how much better you are as each season progresses. Finish the bundles in the community center. Eventually you will clear your whole farm but don't rush it. Clear what you use and then do it bit by bit. You can ignore the social aspect all together but each character has a life that can be interesting to learn about, and I highly recommend putting some amount of focus on gift-giving, birthdays, festivals and heart-events; they are truly the heart of the game!