Stardew Valley: Perfect For Any Stage of Life, Including College

By Desiree Vosburgh

Stardew Valley came out in 2016 labeled as a cozy farming sim and now a decade later it still holds strong. No matter what system you have you can play this game, whether it be PC, the Switch, Playstation, Phone or XBox, the game is available for it. You can play it Solo or Co-op. The original developer Eric Barone (Concerned Ape) spent 4.5 years working on it alone before releasing it in February 2016.

That is an amazing inspiration for the average college student, even for just the average person. Showing with perseverance you can do things you thought weren’t possible before. He created the artwork, music, gameplay, all of it, by himself. After reading that it inspired me to push forward on my own projects. It took him a while to put it out there but still continues to add updates, whether they be small, like changing the married couple’s beds from a single bed to a double or larger ones such as adding another whole island to explore. He now works with a small team but the gameplay and content is still what every player has loved over the years.

There are small tiny aspects that show a small part of real life mixed in with the game. If you are a college student or just a regular person, because really this game is perfect for any age and lifestage, if you don’t get enough sleep you feel tired the next day. Stardew Valley Wiki website states, “The longer past midnight the player stays awake, the less energy they wake up with, about 75% is restored if they sleep by 1 am, and 50% if they sleep right before 2am”.

There are many real world life skills that you use in the game, sometimes without even realizing it. Planning ahead, organizational skills, time management, investing in the future, and setting goals to complete. There are even multiple farm set ups to choose from, your gameplay is what you make it.

Stardew Valley Wiki includes so much information, that any player new or experienced, will find the information that they need should they utilize the website. There is a huge supportive community behind the game, whether you want to show off your in-game screenshots, your fan art or ask questions you will always have kind people willing to help you out.

One Reddit user said, “It’s an easy game to relax while playing. I like that there is no “wrong” way to play it and I can go at my own pace.” and another “Honestly, it’s the perfect relaxing game. No pressure, no stakes – just vibes.” Many more people have said similar things. It’s a relaxing game to play. There are achievements to strive for if you are that type of player, and if not it doesn’t force you to. Many players, including myself, set up mini personal goals for themselves. Some include utilizing certain equipment, upgrading every tool, or even things like making sure to give each NPC a gift on their birthdays throughout the year. There is no time limit to finish everything (unless that is a personal goal you made for yourself) and there is no ending to the game, so you can take as long as you need to.
Only want to play one Stardew Day per day? Each one takes approximately 15 minutes. There is so much to explore. It is not just a farming game. You can befriend the villagers, who each have a rich backstory, you can mine, fish, explore, travel, spend the day at the casino, make clothes, raise farm animals, get pets, ride horses and if you are feeling a little extra add hats to your pets and horses, and so much more.

There is even an option for you to marry certain villagers. If you are LGBTQ you do not have to worry as you can date and marry the same sex in this game. There are so many great things to mention about this game and I don’t want to give it all away. Even if you are on a budget the game has a great price that won’t break the bank. What do you think, time to start a new game?