Stardew Valley is one of gaming’s brightest stars. Years after its initial release in 2016, this little-farming-sim-that-could has dominated the world, releasing on virtually every modern platform and enchanting millions of players all across the globe. And its popularity shows no indication of waning.
Still, for those who have never dipped their toes into that crisp ocean outside of Pelican Town, one question burns bright: is this beloved farming sim worth it? We’re here to help answer this eternal question by guiding you through cost, time investment, and our personal opinions about Stardew Valley.
Review
While TheGamer has no formal review of Stardew Valley, plenty of our writers, past and present, have created thoughtful commentaries on the game. In Cian Maher’s feature piece, Stardew Valley Is My Favourite Game I Never Play, he highlights the best aspects of Stardew Valley, stressing its gratifying gameplay loop and surprisingly rich lore.
It is exemplary of what video games across the board should strive to be: focused, fair, and fulfilling.
When even those who never engaged with the game beyond its initial stages praise its undeniable qualities, you know you’ve found something special. Stardew Valley has this way of making labour feel fun - a far cry from the reality of most farmwork - somehow making even the most repetitive actions into something satisfying, as Maher notes.
There’s a reason Stardew Valley reignited the love of farming sims, after all. What was once a niche genre has become a mainstay for so many people - so much so that we may be fast approaching a fatigue point in the genre. Still, Stardew Valley thrives.
It offers more than just a relaxing farm or a cute spouse - there’s much beneath the surface. Maher pays particular attention to how intriguing and deep the game is, with special mention to how solo developer Eric Barone aka ConcernedApe, has managed to keep his whimsical, absurd world coherent after so many years.
Stardew Valley is a game built on small joys and quiet achievements. Diving further into his appreciation of the game, Maher adds, “It is courageous and ambitious and sincerely true to itself at all times.”
Time Commitment
There is no true end to Stardew Valley - you stop when you’re satisfied. That isn’t to say that there isn’t any story conclusion to strive toward, far from it; the ghost of your dearly departed grandfather is watching over you… mainly to render judgment on how you’ve conducted your farm.
Thankfully, he’s given you a rather generous time limit of two in-game years, which translates to anywhere between 30 and 50 hours, with 50 being the most common.
As you work towards your farm judgment day, you will engage with the secondary main story quest - bringing the old community centre back to its former glory. Fortunately, this has no time limit and revolves around creating “bundles” of materials that you harvest, mine, fish, forage and craft.
If that seems like a lot of work, you can always choose to convert the community center into a Joja Mart warehouse. This can shave significant time off your playthrough - though it will provide a much slimmer story experience.
Once you complete the story portions of the game, the world becomes your oyster. If there's a limit to what you can do, it's one that you set for yourself. You have all the time in the world to do whatever you want, be it to reach full friendship with every villager or to grind through the notoriously difficult Skull Cavern, or explore Ginger Island. The game is only done when you feel it's done.
And, if that's not your style, you can always restart - Stardew Valley is a highly replayable experience, and not just because of the different farm layouts you can experiment with. You can marry someone different (or just experience the same romance again), choose a cat instead of a dog, focus on different skills. There are so many options, and you'll want to see them all.
With the updates and additions that ConcernedApe has made over the years, there’s more content to engage with than ever. That's not even to mention the amount of community mods that can change the story and gameplay in subtle, or significant, ways. So don’t be surprised if your eventual time with the game exceeds a hundred (or two) hours of playtime - especially if you aim for 100% completion.
Cost
Stardew Valley’s price varies, but generally, it is anywhere from $15 to $20 on Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and Vita. It is significantly less on iOS and Android, retailing for $6 with the full Pelican Town experience intact. However, the mobile version generally lags behind in terms of updates. Still, no matter your chosen platform, you get hundreds of hours of gameplay for a reasonable price.
If even the low cost feels less than enticing to you, but you’re still curious about what everyone has been talking about for more than half a decade, fear not - Stardew Valley is also available on Xbox Game Pass for free.
Stardew Valley has no paid DLC that affects gameplay - every update has been free for everyone. And they’re pretty expansive, including new areas to explore, a co-op mode, and additional story content. Its only DLC is the game’s soundtrack, which you can purchase for $5 on Steam.
What People Are Saying
Who Knew Farming Was So Fun? - Hilton Webster
I remember picking up Stardew Valley years ago, fresh into farming sim games and came away completely engrossed. Pelican Town is filled with loveable characters, endless customisation to your farm, and a wonderfully active community and modding scene. It has an incredibly low barrier to entry and respects your time. There's not enough words to describe just how delightful Stardew Valley honestly is. It's the cosy little farming life you've always envisioned.
One Of The Best Games Of Recent Years - Ryan Bamsey
There's something inherently satisfying about Stardew Valley. The farming simulation is refined, Pelican Town is filled with compelling NPCs, and there's a surprising amount of depth to what initially feels like a basic experience. It's incredibly easy to get absorbed by the gameplay cycle, and I personally have not regretted a single hour of the hundreds I've put into it.
If You're Even Remotely Curious, Then It's Worth It - Branden Lizardi
Stardew Valley is a culmination of everything that fans of the slice of life farming RPG love. From farming to mining to romancing to decorating, it goes pretty deep in every direction offered. If this is a style of game you like, then you will absolutely get your money's worth.