Sparky Reviews Stardew Valley
- Sparky
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
The Video Game Industry Offers A Lot of Genres
Within the gaming industry, there are countless genres. From first person shooters like Call of Duty, to Role Playing Games like Baldurs Gate 3, and even mobile games gatcha games like Love and Deepspace. Then, there’s one game genre that seems to bring everyone in from all walks of life in the gaming community. These games are cozy games.
Cozy games are games that are either life simulation or games that bring warm and comfortable vibes. Some of these games include Animal Crossing, The Sims, Tomodachi Life, and Harvest Moon. However, there’s one game that has taken the gaming community by storm after its initial release in 2016. This game is the global sensation known as Stardew Valley.
Stardew Valley is a farming game where the player inherits a farm from their grandfather in a place called Stardew Valley in a small city named Pelican Town. Created by ConcernedApe over the span of four and a half years, Stardew Valley became an instant hit. With an ever-growing community with even more growing updates to expand the game to an incredibly supportive creator who listens to his community, it’s no wonder how this game continues to grow so much.
With the tenth anniversary, I wanted to talk about why I adore this game so much. What makes it so different from other cozy games? Why does it keep bringing me back even after periodic breaks? Let’s find out. In this episode of Sparky Reviews, I’m going to be discussing the ever growing, cozy game of Stardew Valley.
Stardew Valley is Incredibly Laid Back While Offering Something for Every Time of Gamer
One of the things that makes Stardew Valley so special is that this game offers so much for so many gamers. Yes, this game is considered a cozy game. However, Stardew Valley offers fishing, mining, and farming. The farming is very intricate. Depending on the season, the player will be able to plant various fruit, vegetables, flowers, and other items. Then, the player has the option to gain coups, fishing ponds, barns, and eventually a horse.
Depending on the type of farm a player wants to establish, the player has the option to decide how to focus on the farm’s resources to make the farm most profitable. Many players make wine farms and other types of farms to ensure the greatest profitability imaginable. However, making money, especially in the early part of the game, can be challenging. This is where fishing comes into play.
Fishing is done through one of the villagers in town, Willy. Willy is the town’s fisherman and the one who gives the player access to fishing rods and other accessories. Through a battle of wits and sometimes determination through a capture meter, fishing is an incredibly challenging feature. Especially if the player is going after very aggressive types of fish. This is one of the features that many players find the most challenging as the bar of the progression of capturing the fish can lower incredibly fast. Then, there’s mining.
On days during the game when it’s raining/snowing or the Fortune Teller says it’s a good luck day on your television; it’s time to go to the mines. The mines are areas where players can find minerals like bronze, iron, and gold. These ores are designed to build better tools but also to build better structures for your farm. The problem is that mines have monsters. So, you must prepare to go to the mines accordingly or suffer the rath of the mines.
Just from these things alone, you might look at me and think…really? Stardew Valley is a cozy game? This doesn’t seem like a typical cozy game. While yes at first glance from what I described Stardew Valley doesn’t seem like the typical cozy game. However, there are some elements that this game provides that give it that cozy vibe. Stardew Valley has an incredible cast of colorful characters.
Stardew Valley Offers a Wide Colorful Cast of Characters with Romance Options
One of the best things about Stardew Valley is the cast of characters. As you first play the game, you become incredibly familiar with the routines of the villagers in Pelican Town. Sure, at first, the player might not have time to interact with all the characters at one time. However, as you get more established in making money and growing your farm, you can give gifts to villagers.
As you become friends with the villagers, you learn so much more about them. All the characters have super intricate backstories and backgrounds that make them incredibly three dimensional. Depending on how you want to play the game, you can have the option to talk to everyone or no one at all. If you decide to pursue a particular villager, you can have the option to romance them.
Stardew Valley offers romance options for those who want that option. One of the best things about this game is that it does not matter who you are when it comes to the romance options. All the marriage candidates are canonically bisexual so they will romance you regardless of your gender identity. Furthermore, if you choose not to romance anyone, you can have Krobus as your roommate. This is amazing for people who either might not want to romance anyone OR for those who identify themselves as asexual and aromantic.
Giving this amount of thought and planning for Stardew Valley gives this game even more of a cozy game feel while also being a game with incredible story and characters. One of the other avenues that makes Stardew Valley a cozy, fun adventure is the music.
Music in Stardew Valley Offers a Calm and Engaging Experience
One of the things that make this game so incredibly fun is the music. Oh. My. GOD. The music in Stardew Valley is some of the most relaxing, most tranquil music I’ve heard in the game in a very long time. If you asked one person what they liked most about Stardew Valley, a good portion of them would say, the music.
From the upbeat style in the town festivals, to the twangy music on the new game menu, to the creepy music of the skull cavern, Stardew Valley’s soundtrack has everything to offer. There’s just something so pure and simple that the soundtrack has that it just brings such a wave of calmness. Even as I’m writing this article, I’m listening to the soundtrack. I adore absolutely everything about the soundtrack of Stardew Valley.
Even now, there’s a traveling Stardew Valley Symphony of Seasons. Which is an orchestra that goes around various countries to play the entire soundtrack of Stardew Valley. This is because Stardew Valley’s music has had such a profound impact that people want to see and hear it live. This is why Stardew Valley means so much to gamers including myself.
Stardew Valley is a Beautiful Masterpiece
So, safe to say, I adore Stardew Valley. What do you think of Stardew Valley? Have you played it or do you constantly play it? Let's talk about what you love the best about Stardew Valley.
If you have yet to play this game, please play Stardew Valley. With it being a game from 2016, the number of ways to play this game is vast. Stardew Valley can be played on Steam, Humble Store, Gog Com, X-Box One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, iOS, and Google Play.
If you'd like to follow any news regarding Stardew Valley, feel free to follow ConcernedApe's YouTube, X/Twitter account, Facebook, and the official website.
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