Stardew Valley is a pleasant, charming and addicting video game. Before going any further, I must say that I have not 'finished' the game yet. I am not even sure if there is an endgame. All I know, is that for the past few days I have sank thirty very comfortable hours into losing myself in the world created by one man, the developer (and composer and just about everything else), Eric Barone. This is his first commercial game, or so he says. The game is essentially a farming/dating simulation very similar to the Harvest Moon games that you may be familiar with. My experience with Harvest Moon is somewhat brief and I have only played a few hours of its SNES counterpart so I will be keeping the references similarly brief.
Anyway, Stardew Valley starts out simple enough. You are left a farm by your grandfather in Pelican Town. Sick of your daily hectic life working for Joja Mart (the evil corporation) you decide to travel there and start a new life. Thus, the game, and your newest addiction, swiftly takes foot. You learn the basics and you grow crops, then you raise animals, then you turn your cave into a fruit hut, then you make mayonnaise, then you do some fishing, then you explore caves filled with monsters and diamonds and exciting things. The game is filled with things to do. I am thirty hours in and I am not even finished the first year of the game (I am somewhat confident the 'endgame,' if you want to call it that comes at around the three year mark). There really is just so much to be doing and so, so much to be remembering.
Thus, the game becomes a daily grind of farming, building relationships and exploring the wonderful world of Stardew Valley. Did I mention there is a whimsical cat in the forest who sells you hats? Well, there definitely is. There are also sea monsters... I think. That's the thing with this game, it is filled to the brim with wonderful and exciting secrets that tantalize your tongue only for you to want more. You build friendships with the townsfolk that works on a day to day system. If you talk to someone, their friendship points go up. If you give them a gift, they go up more. Therefore, there is a management aspect to the game because the more you become friends with a town member, the more chunks of story you get and the writing in the game is just about as charming as everything else present.
If you have any interest in the Harvest Moon series or farming games similar to this vein, I implore you to go and spend the £11 this game cost me. I am thirty hours in and there is miles and miles of content I feel like is yet to be explored. I am overwhelmed that a game could hold my interest for this long and still offer new and exciting insights. Even the changing of the seasons is enough to make you play for just that couple more in day games. Fabulous.