A creative Stardew Valley fan has combined their passion for the indie game and art by creating two impressive real-life dioramas: one of the Wizard’s Tower and the other of the Abandoned House of the “Hat Mouse.” Thanks to the popularity of Stardew Valley, fans create artwork based on Pelican Town and its residents regularly. However, these recently shared dioramas are notable for their immense detail packed into relatively small models.
Stardew Valley 1.6 is here to remind you why the game is here to stay
30.03.2024 - 14:05 / polygon.com
When Stardew Valley first came out in 2016, it was positioned as a Harvest Moon-like. The comparison was the only way at the time to describe a low-stakes farming simulator with a village of locals to meet and perhaps marry. It’s difficult to remember that now, in an era where “cozy gaming” has taken on a life of its own and “wholesome” games have their own showcases with hundreds of thousands of viewers, but Stardew was released into a different world. And then it made this one. Its latest major content release, the 1.6 update, is a testament to the game’s longevity in the genre that it shaped.
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Stardew Valley was a huge success when it launched; it sold a million copies in two months, and as of 2024, that number is 30 million. Reviewers at the time enjoyed the satisfaction of its tasks, and how they built toward something bigger: allowing you to escape the daily grind of life by putting your hands in the soft dirt and making connections with your community. Stardew was also somewhat ahead of its time when it came to depicting same-gender relationships, allowing players to date and marry any of the romanceable NPCs regardless of gender.
Each of these elements has been critiqued over the years — the game’s anti-capitalist framework belies a grinding chase for profit that doesn’t lift up anyone else in Pelican Town, and its playersexual NPCs only highlight a lack of diversity more broadly. But it is, to put it simply, nice to be able to feel as if you’re sticking it to Joja Corp. and its real-life equivalents by creating a satisfyingly clean and efficient wine production line and kissing your gay girlfriend (Leah, if you’re wondering), despite these imperfections.
This core to Stardew Valley has never changed, and neither has its appeal. In fact, its runaway success has only accelerated. As the niche it once filled alone became saturated with hundreds of other indie farming games and adjacent AAA titles like Harvestella, it began to loosely coalesce under the cozy gaming banner. Although the label is nebulous, and can cover games that don’t involve farming or other Stardew staples, they’re still included thanks to their popularity, and the typical overlap with an open-ended, low-stakes, outdoorsy vibe. And Stardew’s influence in the space never waned — it’s everywhere, from the cozy games
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gamerant.com
16.04.2024 / 22:33
Stardew Valley Fans Call for 1 Specific Change in a Hypothetical 1.7 Update
A Stardew Valley fan jokingly asked for Pelican Town's slightly off-center fountain to be the headlining improvement in a hypothetical 1.7 update. While the request could be included in a future Stardew Valley patch, it might be a while seeing that the game just received a major update.
polygon.com
15.04.2024 / 17:09
The Stardew Valley board game is very good if you have time to play it
I pre-ordered the Stardew Valley board game immediately after it was announced. One of my favorite video games in board game form? Sign me up.
gamerant.com
14.04.2024 / 10:49
Stardew Valley Player Makes Surprising Update 1.6 Discovery
The release of Stardew Valley Update 1.6 introduced a number of new crops, including carrots, which one player discovered could be used to feed horses for a speed boost. Developer Eric «ConcernedApe» Barone included a number of major changes and minor fixes in Stardew Valley Update 1.6, with more patches on the way, and fans have been sharing a number of surprise discoveries from the new content additions.
gamerant.com
12.04.2024 / 22:13
The Sims 4 Player Recreates 3 Stardew Valley Bachelorettes in the Game
A fan of Stardew Valley and The Sims has recreated three of the farming title's bachelorettes within The Sims 4. The recreations are impressive and are just one way that fans of Stardew Valley show appreciation for the game outside of the scope of it.
screenrant.com
11.04.2024 / 22:01
How To Get a Rabbit's Foot In Stardew Valley (& What It's For)
The Rabbit's Foot in can be acquired in a few ways and has many uses once you get your hands on it. You can give it as a gift to NPCs around the valley, submit it for a bundle in the Community Center, and trigger a secret cutscene. Getting a Rabbit's Foot is hard, though, as it is a Rare drop or requires you to progress several in-game months.
screenrant.com
11.04.2024 / 11:17
Another New Stardew Valley Update Launches Next Week
may have just received one of its biggest content drops in the form of the 1.6 Update but the fun isn't ending there as ConcernedApe announces that another patch is on the way. Having launched in 2016, has proven to be a resounding success for its creator in no small part due to his work in maintaining the game with extensive post-launch support. The dedication and love ConcernedApe has shown to the farming RPG and its massive community has prompted many to question whether he ever takes any time off.
screenrant.com
10.04.2024 / 12:51
Stardew Valley's Romances & Friendships Just Got Even Easier To Max
Given how many characters one can meet in , those who might struggle to make friends will want to check out a new mod that makes the process easier but no less rewarding. While it may not appear like it at first glance, ConcernedApe's farming RPG has some exceptional story moments that go a long way to grounding players within Pelican Town, bringing villages' denizens to life. These «Heart Events» take plenty of time and effort to see and only occur once in a playthrough, so players need to be confident in their responses.
screenrant.com
09.04.2024 / 20:59
New Stardew Valley 1.6 Dialogue Makes Hayley Even More Demanding
Haley may already be one of the most high-maintenance characters of butfollowing the launch of the 1.6 Update, players are discovering that she's even more persistent than usual. Over the course of their time in Pelican Town, Farmers have the opportunity to date and eventually marry several romanceable NPCs, a process that has been greatly expanded upon in the latest patch. While most of the characters are fairly relaxed about when players finally pop the question, Haley is apparently unpleased if the courting process takes too long.
gamerant.com
09.04.2024 / 19:47
Stardew Valley Mod Adds New Dialogue
Adding to the new content in Update 1.6, a dedicated Stardew Valley fan has created a mod that adds an extra 116 lines of dialogue for gift giving sequences. Stardew Valley Update 1.6 has already provided massive dialogue, cutscene, and gameplay additions, and players have been hard at work providing feedback for bug fixes while also updating and improving mods for the indie title.
screenrant.com
09.04.2024 / 17:09
Best Farm Layouts For All Farm Types In Stardew Valley
There are eight different farm types in . When you start a new game, you pick one of these eight types. Each one focuses on certain skills or play styles over others. Each one requires maximizing the amount of crop-land available. By catering to your farm's focus, you can dominate the economy of Pelican Town and use every available tile.
screenrant.com
09.04.2024 / 14:11
Stardew Valley 1.6 Update's Best Feature Just Got A Lot Better
The 1.6 Update for may have improved the game more than anyone ever expected but one of the most lauded features just got even better thanks to an excellent new mod. Gifting the NPCs of Pelican Town with their favorite items is one of the key aspects of the farming RPG as players are encouraged to really learn what the characters like and dislike. Previously, it always felt a little hollow since giving a gift was always met with a handful of repeated responses but fortunately, that's no longer the case.