Stardew Valley is a game uniquely suited for the Switch, and has probably consumed more hours of my life than any other title on the platform except for Breath of the Wild. Stardew Valley is Civilization’s cousin, in that the idea of “just one more day” is alive and well—even if it means you’re awake three hours past the point you should have turned off the console and gone to sleep.
The game has been praised as a spiritual successor to Harvest Moon. No other title has come as close to capturing the magic I felt with my first Harvest Moon game than Stardew Valley, and that includes more recent Harvest Moon titles. Of course, that’s because the Harvest Moon I grew up playing is now known as Story of Seasons, but that’s a matter for another post.
The Good: Graphics, Gameplay, Music, Story
Stardew Valley’s graphics feel right at home on the Switch. The vibrant colors pop off the screen and the sprites hearken back to the days of the Super Nintendo, when gamers made do with little more than a handful of pixels to depict their favorite characters. Despite this more retro look, Stardew Valley is an absolutely gorgeous game that depicts the village and surrounding area in crisp, clear detail.
The sound design is fantastic. The background music becomes as much a part of the landscape as the trees themselves, and each tune is perfectly suited for the season it accompanies. Every strike of the axe comes with a heavy thud. The hoe breaks ground with a thump, and a light ting follows the swing of the pickaxe. I learned to fear the cries of certain monsters, as it always meant a tough battle to find an exit before their swarms overwhelmed me.
The gameplay has consumed countless hours of my life. The pick-up-and-go portability of the Switch makes quick sessions a breeze, and I found myself sinking hours at a time into advancing my farm. The easy routine of “wake up, water the plants, feed the animals, give Penny a gift, and spend the rest of the day in the mines” sucked me into a trance that only the low battery warning of the Switch could break me from.
Like its predecessor, Stardew Valley encourages the player to seek out a partner and start a family. It offers twelve options among the villagers, and learning what my prospective partner liked, disliked, and flat-out hated was a game in itself. So was finding my partner. The characters have realistic schedules that keep them on the move, and these schedules change with the seasons and the weather.
I started the game and was presented with my grandfather’s farm—a run-down, overgrown mess of fields that I had to clear before I could grow any crops. I carved out a small area to plant two plots of bok choy and worked until I ran out of energy each day. Over time, I found enough Starfruit, a special item that increases overall stamina, to work until midnight.
There are multiple farm and village layouts, but I have only played the standard one so far. The gameplay is simple and relaxing, but there is no better game for relaxing at the end of a long day.
The Bad: Nothing
Seriously. I have no complaints about Stardew Valley. I can find nothing wrong with it. Some critics have said the lack of action and the repetitive nature of the gameplay causes the game to lose appeal quickly, and that may be true for some. On the other hand, if you love Harvest Moon and that style of gameplay, then Stardew Valley is just about perfect.
The upcoming multiplayer update will allow you to play together with friends. Farm, clear the mine, and even compete for marriage candidates. For a game that started out as a passion project from a developer with a love of the old-school Harvest Moon, there can be no better legacy than what Stardew Valley has created.
Final Score: 10 out of 10.
Patrick is a long-time gamer and diehard fan of the classics: Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, Halo, etc. He collects SNES games and once dove into a dumpster for a copy of Earthbound.
