Stardew Valley (2016)
Stardew Valley is a 2016 role-playing (rpg) video game made by ConcernedApe and Chucklefish Games.
A grandfather's will arrives with a plot of overgrown land and a note about slowing down. You leave a cubicle at the Joja Corporation and pick up a scythe instead. Days fill with planting, fishing, mining, and getting to know the people of Pelican Town, each with their own routines and quiet griefs. The community center stands in ruins, and rebuilding it becomes a small act of resistance against the big-box store on the edge of town. No clock forces you forward. The valley simply waits, season after season, for whatever you decide to make of it.
Quick answers
What is Stardew Valley about?
A grandfather's will arrives with a plot of overgrown land and a note about slowing down. You leave a cubicle at the Joja Corporation and pick up a scythe instead. Days fill with planting, fishing, mining, and getting to know the people of Pelican Town, each with their own routines and quiet griefs. The community center stands in ruins, and rebuilding it becomes a small act of resistance against the big-box store on the edge of town. No clock forces you forward. The valley simply waits, season after season, for whatever you decide to make of it.
When was Stardew Valley released?
Stardew Valley was released on 26 February 2016.
Who made Stardew Valley?
Stardew Valley was made by ConcernedApe and Chucklefish Games.
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Explore Stardew Valley guides
Stardew Valley in our writing
- Companion guide: Cozy & Wholesome: The Complete Comfort Guide
- Companion guide: Cozy Fantasy: The Complete Guide to Gentle Magic
- Companion guide: Cozy Games: The Complete Guide to Wholesome Play
- Companion guide: Food & Cooking
A few thoughts on Stardew Valley
The gentle pastoral rhythm echoes Studio Ghibli's My Neighbor Totoro, where the countryside itself feels like a character. For the same warmth in print, the manga Yotsuba&! finds wonder in ordinary days, one small errand at a time. Both understand that quiet can be its own reward.
Small, unhurried stories where affection builds slowly
Stardew Valley never rushes: seasons turn, crops grow, and friendships in Pelican Town deepen only if you show up day after day. My Neighbor Totoro moves at that same unhurried pace through a quiet countryside, Yotsuba&! finds wonder in ordinary neighborhood routines, Guess How Much I Love You measures affection in small gestures, and Call Me by Your Name lets a summer romance build slowly instead of all at once.