Stardew Valley

[Gogan]

I noticed a whole bunch of streamers have been playing this game the last couple weeks, so decided to check it out myself. It was just released on Steam end of Feb for $15. What has surprised me is how many very notable streamers have been playing it day after day after day.

From what I understand, Stardew Valley is a modern-day clone of the Harvest Moon series, complete with pixelated art style. I never played HM before, but I understand it was hugely popular in its day.

In short, SV is a farming simulator. You own this plot of farmland in this small town of Stardew Valley, and you can do pretty much whatever the fuck you want with it. Plant crops, raise animals, craft artisanal products, whatever. You start with some basic tools (axe, watering can, hoe, pickaxe), a pack of seeds to get you started, and 500g.

The town is full of activity. A number of stores that will sell you a variety of seasonal seeds; a carpenter who can create silos for storing grass/hay, chicken coop, barn, etc; a blacksmith to upgrade your tools; a bar for nighttime adult entertaining. There's a beach, rivers, and ponds ripe for fishing. There's a mine which provides 100 levels of mining for ore and defending yourself against its inhabitants.

Then there's the people in the village -- about 30 in all. Each with their own likes and dislikes, their own personalities for you to learn. Befriend them to reap unique benefits. Or woo one long enough to marry and have kids.

There's so much to do in this game, and so little time. Each day flies by so that you can't do everything in a single day. Today you'll focus on your farm, but tomorrow will rain, so maybe you'll focus on fishing of diving into the mines.

Seriously, this game is super chill and a lot of fun. It pushes the same addiction buttons for me as World of Warcraft. It has that short positive feedback loop; a clear progression for your character and your farm. Each day is short enough that you'll always play "just 1 more day" until you look at the clock and it's 4am.

If you guys are looking for something a bit different, check out SV. The 10k steam reviews are all overwhelmingly positive, and it's well worth the $15.