Stardew Valleyis a role-playing game crossed with a farming simulator that has attracted many players over the years for a relaxing farming experience. Many players would argue thatStardew Valleyis one of thegreatest farming simulatorsthat has been published in recent years, setting up an example that all future titles should aim for.
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Some players may wonder how the game has managed to make a difference and why this farming simulator is enjoyed more than others in the genre. With so many reasons to pick upStardew Valley,these are by far the best features that put the pixel title above the rest.
8Better Dialogue And Relationships
Due to the RPG mechanics ofStardew Valley, players are able to meet and interact with the various residents in Pelican Town. All of these characters have their own likes and dislikes as well as heaps of dialogue for the player to interact with when meeting them in town.
Some of these residents caneven be romanced by the playerand therefore achieving certain heart ratings with them will cause a scene to play where the player can learn more about them. While other games have implemented these features,Stardew Valleyfeels the most like a living, breathing town where the residents all have their own issues like the average person.
7Worthwhile Tool Upgrades
Some farming simulator games provide the player with various farming tools theycan purchase or craft, though it doesn’t make a difference to the speed or efficiency of the player’s farming workday.Stardew Valleytasks the player with earning various ores, so they should purchase better upgrades for their tools that make a difference when harvesting them.
A better hoe can be used to dig up a larger grid of dirt to grow crops, or a better watering can is used to water a larger field. All these upgrades make changing a player’s tools worthwhile, especially as many will not want to return to the basics.
6Expansive And Interesting Gameplay
Stardew Valleydoes a good job of covering all fields in a captivating farming simulator, as it does so much more than simply introduce farming. Players can search for challenging combat to farm other resources, go mining to find ores or spend their rainy days fishing.
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These activities are varied, and therefore players are less likely to get burnt out by the daily grind of the farmer lifestyle. If that doesn’t interest players then there is still the feature to keep animals, which includes a lot more than the usual cow, chicken, or sheep, as players can even purchase rabbits, goats, or pigs.
5Introduction Of Technology
Many farming simulator titles tend to force players to do everything by hand. This tends to make players limit their amount of farming space, so they are able to avoid spending the majority of the day watering all their crops which may waste a substantial amount of energy.
Thankfully,Stardew Valleyhas found a way around this. When a player levels up, their farming skill they will begin to unlock the crafting recipes for sprinklers. This introduction of technology in a farming simulator that rivalsStory of Seasonsmeans players with theright crop setupwill never need to worry about watering crops ever again.
4Simpler Farming Mechanics
What surprisingly putsStardew Valleyabove the rest when it comes to a farming simulator may be due to how unrealistic it is. Players enjoy how much simpler farming is inStardewas they don’t have to worry about seasonal pests or possible crops not making it through the season (provided the crop is grown during the right season, of course).
This allows for incredibly straightforward gameplay that lets farmers enjoyStardew Valleywith less stress. That being said, there are still some issues with occasional bad weather or forgetting to invest in a scarecrow, but other than it’s an incredibly simple game to learn.
3An Assortment of Crops
While many farming simulators allow players to grow various crops,Stardew Valleytakes it one step ahead with an even larger assortment of fruits, vegetables, and other plant types. Many of them realisticallymatch the seasonsthey would grow in, with a couple more unique crops such as the starfruit thrown in.
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Players that enjoy maximizing their profit will need to educate themselves on what the best crop to grow each season is, while also having enough of the other crop types to cook an assortment of recipes that can be gifted to the residents ofStardew Valley.
2An Interesting Story With A Goal
The average farming simulator tends to only task the player with taking on the role of the farmer, which can get quite boring after a while.Stardew Valley’srole-playing elements mean that even this cozy game provides the player with numerous goals that advance the story ofStardew Valley.
The main objective isrebuilding the Community Center(if players choose this path instead of the Joja Mart path), which requires completing different collections of items found within the game. Players will also unlock new residents in the second year, and alternative areas to explore like Ginger Island, meaning there is always something to do.
1Relaxing Above All Else
While many similar games are similarly relaxing, none of them seems to truly match the amount of relaxation players find inStardew Valley. Overlooking the goals to achieve and the farming to get done,Stardew Valleyis a staple cozy game for players to enjoy when winding down.
What makes the indie game even better is thatStardew Valleyis found on multiple platforms. This means that regardless of the player’s main source of gaming (whether it’s PC, handheld, or console), they will still likely have access toStardew Valley.
Stardew Valleyis available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, and PlayStation Vita.
