It’s been a hot minute since 2016. The year that gave usOverwatch,Dark Souls 3, andUncharted 4; it was no joke for fantastic video games, with the majority still holding up almost a decade later. But when I think aboutStardew Valleyin particular, there’s just something about it. Something special.
I think Stardew Valley istheperfect video game.
Stardew Valley Does So Much With So Little
While there could be plenty of arguments for the ‘Perfect Video Game™’ title going to something likeTetris,Skyrim, or Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie, I’m drawn to Stardew Valley for the sheer number of things it achieves, and continues to achieve.
It doesn’t offer the biggest open world, the most gripping narrative, the highest fidelity graphics, or even the widest variety of gameplay - but what makes it such a good video gameis that it’sso goodat being a video game. It’s visually appealing, its repetitive gameplay loop requires as much or as little effort and strategy as you wish to pursue, and whether you’re farming, customising, socialising, adventuring, fishing, or just living out a quiet life, each day is your own.
Other games do this too, of course; Stardew Valley itself is ConcernedApe’s own take on theHarvest Moonformula, replicating many of the elements that were made tradition throughout those games. EvenAnimal Crossingis a worldwide treasure for giving us a cute, cozy slice of life to escape our own. But nothing ever quite checked all the boxes in the same way that Stardew Valley does, which is why this was the game to truly kick off the cozy farming genre over the last ten years, all while remaining just as relevant as ever.
My Junimo tattoo means it will forever be relevant. Legally.
Haunted Chocolatier Might Not Be Perfect, And That’s Okay
We can’t really expect perfection from any game. Despite the whole premise of this article, Stardew isn’t objectively ‘perfect’. Still, it’s safe to assume that ConcernedApe’s next game,Haunted Chocolatier, will be good, but it probably won’t carry the weight of Stardew Valley. An influential game isn’t something that can be achieved entirely with intention - often it’s passion, timing, reception, and luck, only three of which are within the developer’s control.
It’s also worth noting that ConcernedApe has consistently provided updates and new content for Stardew Valley over the last nine years, free of charge - something that most studios don’t bother to do.
But Haunted Chocolatier doesn’t need to be perfect; if it were, it would nullify much of what makes Stardew Valley so special.I even have high hopes for Chucklefish’s Witchbrook, which brings its own magical life-simulation, but I still have my expectations in check - it just won’t be Stardew Valley, because nothing will.
We may see more for Stardew in the future,as well as a possible sequel someday, but almost a decade on, Stardew Valley remains as special as it was the day it launched. The one-man indie game skyrocketed to success and has grown exponentially in the years since, without ever charging more for it, while never losing the heart or soul that we first connected with back in 2016. Stardew Valley is a perfect video game in many ways, and will remain as special as the years go on.
