Stardrew valley is a farming simulator game that gives people a different world to live in, full of friendly faces and mystery. If you’ve played the game “Harvest Moon” then you will find the games to be similar. The game is set in a small town named Stardrew Valley where you as the player take up the role as a farmer. As the player you find yourself exploring the new town and meeting all the characters and their role in this small town. As for my personal experience for the game I’ve only made it through the first year; however, I still have a constant interest in the game and a good understanding of its features, characters, items, etc. Stardrew Valley provides an element that makes you want to keep playing—new seeds to purchase. Every year there are new fruit and vegetables added to the game, with this in mind players keep playing to purchase and grow more diverse produce.

This game provides a laid back experience of running a farm. However, there are other ways to play other than farming such as fishing, mining, and foraging. Knowing all of this the game gives me a satisfying experience of compound growth in monetary value. So by the end of the game, you're selling the highest price fruits and veggies while purchasing animals to your farm to create more money to buy more animals. The element of fishing is my favorite activity to do in the game. When you catch a fish a small window will appear showcasing a minigame, when the minigame is a success you can catch the fish. I find this idea to be quirky and fun.

The new online mode is fun and effective. With this, you can play with friends and run a farm together. I’ve experienced this new mode recently and it was fun for someone like me (who just finished their first year which is about sixty-eight hours of game time ) and someone with four hundred and eighteen hours of playing, get together to create a farm. With us playing together it was fun to see the difference in our play styles and experience level. It provided a few disagreements but was still considered an enjoyment. Stardrew Valley also includes an element to the game that creates a sense of urgency. Time, with this the player has to plan accordingly of what plants to buy when to plant them, how to obtain them, all of this has to be accounted for when playing this game in order to not run out of time for the day. I consider this element to be effective and needed in a farming game like this.

However not every game is perfect. First, there has been a lack of big updates recently. It’s never too late to add a small feature into the game that has never been there before. It can spark new interest in players that used this game to their max. Following this, there is an interactive element in the game—marriage. This is a fun upside in this game however, there are only twelve characters to choose from. The spread of twelve different spouses gives the player a more realistic feel. However, this would deviate from the games original identity a farming game. Overall, this game needs an update or a sequel.

This game may have some flaws but I am still enjoying my experience. And if things do get boring you can always look up some fun and interesting mods to spice the game yourself. With all of this in mind, I give the game a five out of five! It has really proven to be a solid and interesting game with fun ideas, cool concepts, and loveable characters. If you are ever interested in purchasing this game it can be bought on Steam for $14.99.  In the end, I think anyone who picks up this game will surely enjoy it.