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As someone who’s generally not into farm-based games with dating sim elements, like Harvest Moon or even Animal Crossing, the fact that I like Stardew Valley so much was a huge surprise to me.
On the surface, it seems like an indie version of games like Harvest Moon, where you micromanage a farm, talk to villagers, pursue a love interest, and so on. I mostly got this game because people hyped it up, and I had some online friends playing it. For some reason, unlike many others I’ve tried in this genre, this one just blew me away.
I think I can pin down a few reasons why I like this game more than other farming sims, especially as someone who loves single-player games with actual plot and goals.
The fact that the game gives you a clear goal right from the start—building up your farm well enough to impress your dying Grandpa within two in-game years—is great motivation. I’m generally not into games that don’t have some kind of end goal beyond your personal ambitions. What’s nice is that you can ignore this goal and do whatever you want, but for people like me, having an actual single-player end goal adds a lot of motivation to keep playing.
This is an indie game made with a ton of love and care, and it shows in the surprising amount of detail. The way ConcernedApe crafted each character, with their own side quests, romantic dialogue, and daily schedules, is impressive. I actually found most of the romantic interests pretty interesting. The fact that whichever player character you choose is bisexual is a huge plus—it lets people roleplay their own interests without being limited by gender-based restrictions like in Harvest Moon.
One thing that really hit for me personally was the 2D Legend of Zelda-style dungeon mode. Farming slimes, leveling up combat abilities, and collecting resources in the mines were easily the most fun parts of the “grinding” in this game. It made the game stand out from the usual farm sims.
Even the core farming elements—like chopping trees, fishing, planting crops, and taking care of your pet—were addicting and fun.
What really pushed me to fully complete the main story, though, was the co-op feature. In most farming games with multiplayer, it’s usually just a casual “visit each other’s island” thing, like in Animal Crossing. But in Stardew Valley, you and another player can fully share a farm, split the chores, and work together to complete tasks. This made the goal of finishing everything by Year Two feel way less stressful and way more fun.
For example, I focused more on monster hunting, chopping wood, and fishing, while my friend preferred farming, planting, and interacting with villagers. We worked as a team to tackle all the necessary tasks and pursue our own love interests—mine was Abigail, by the way.
Overall, I can totally see why this is one of the most popular farming simulation games out there. It feels like a true modern refinement of Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, with a ton of options for players. It balances giving a clear single-player goal for those who want structure while also catering to players who just want to do their own thing. The addition of Zelda-style dungeon crawling, co-op, and the freedom to be bisexual all come together to make this game an absolute gem.