Stardew Valley: The Most Calming Game 

Serene, addictive. These words are the ones I would use to describe my most played game lately. Stardew Valley is made single handedly by one man who calls himself ConcernedApe. Stardew Valley is a game that portrays the peaceful farming life; but even though the game is peaceful, it brought the competitiveness out of me. When you first start the game you’re a busy and tiresome city boy or girl and you inherit your grandfather’s farm who passed away of old age. When I started my first playthrough of the game I followed the path the game was telling me to do: play as a hard working farmer that befriended everyone in town, and work to unite the community to take out the evil corporation. On my second playthrough I went the opposite way, a farmer girl who didn’t bother so much about farming, but spent her time making easy money by fishing and mining and siding with the evil corporations of the town called the Joja Mart. Both ways of playing were very satisfying and did not lock me out of any features by playing a different way.

Stardew Valley allows the player to have a lot of freedom. You are not forced to do any certain goals in the game. On my first character I tried a bit of everything and on my second one I focused on one certain goal. Since the first release ConcernedApe has provided free updates for the game which improves the game each time. One thing I love the most is that the game encourages you to be creative; there are very few limits to how you can design your farm and house. You could have a plan of how you want everything or could simply have a free spirit. Even though this game is wonderful there are some downsides: the horrible combat in the mining system is terrible it is very clunky and stiff. Another downside is the interactions with the villages. They get repetitive after a while, they have very little dialogue, so sometimes it’s the same thing over and over again. If you pursue a romantic relationship with any of the possible characters it is like you took their personality away from them, your spouse becomes the equivalent of a mockingbird.

Despite all of the few flaws, Stardew Valley is an amazing game that I have spent countless hours on. I love the soothing nature and how the game makes you feel less stressed. Just working on my farm, watching it grow, having a family. It is such a nice way to escape the modern world.