Stardew Valley - The Quintessential Farming Sim
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\This article was translated by AI.*
KotoriHmm, I'm in the mood for a farming sim — Doctor, what do you think about Stardew Valley?
Dr. ScalaOh, you're going to play Stardew Valley? Great choice. It's amazing. One of those masterpiece cozy games where time just melts away.
KotoriOh?
Multiplayer Support
Dr. ScalaAnd guess what — they added multiplayer later on. You can play with friends.
Dr. ScalaAnd it's not just some mini-game or guest mode — you can play through the entire main game together.
Dr. ScalaAt some point they even added the ability to marry other players. Incredible.
KotoriIt's like an online game!
Dr. ScalaWell, the catch with multiplayer is that it gets awkward if you and your friends aren't progressing at the same pace. That's just the nature of online play.
Dr. ScalaAlso, multiplayer can be laggy and buggy... but I've never hit a data-corrupting bug, so I'll let it slide.
Dr. ScalaThe multiplayer was added as a free update, after all.
Who It's For
KotoriWhat kind of person would enjoy this?
Dr. ScalaIf you like farming sims, you can't go wrong.
Dr. ScalaFarm management, mine diving, marriage, fishing... You can do pretty much everything you'd want in a game like this.
KotoriDoctor, you do love games where you can get married, don't you?
Dr. ScalaFun fact — if you date every available person in the game at the same time, there's actually a confrontation event. And apparently there are reactions after divorce, too.
KotoriOh wow.
Western Game Vibes
Dr. ScalaOne thing to note — the game does have a Western indie game feel.
KotoriWestern game vibes, huh.
Dr. ScalaIt's nothing extremely graphic, but... for example, when you defeat bugs, you get bug meat. And the sound effect for killing slimes is very... squelch.
KotoriHmm. There are slimes?
Dr. ScalaYeah. There are wizards, spirits called Junimos, and such. But it's not full-on fantasy either... What would you call it? Magical realism, maybe?
Dr. ScalaThe protagonist is an exhausted office worker who moves back to the countryside — and there are even military veterans among the characters.
Dr. ScalaIt's a grounded world.
Dr. ScalaThe characters living their real, life-sized lives in a realistic society add both good and bitter flavors. Personally, I like that bitterness, but...
KotoriHm?
Dr. ScalaPersonally, the protagonist's backstory isn't quite to my taste.
KotoriWhat do you mean?
Dr. ScalaThe game opens with "the protagonist, burned out from city life, inherits their grandfather's farm." That's the setup, but... since you get to customize your character, don't you want to decide that for yourself?!
Dr. ScalaWhen I'm playing a game, I don't want to be reminded of work!!
Kotori???
Dr. ScalaI mean, I want the option to play as a bright-eyed, excited girl arriving at the farm full of dreams! It's a game, come on!
KotoriUm, but it's not like that backstory comes up in daily life or anything, right? You can pick whatever dialogue options you want in events...
KotoriCan't you just ignore it and do whatever you want?
Dr. ScalaNo, that's different — that's not the point!! Oh, you don't understand, Kotori...
Dr. ScalaThat said, this is a game that even I looked past that issue and played for over 100 hours. I can vouch for how fun it is.
Dr. ScalaThe volume of content is incredible, and more updates have been announced...
About Pet Safety
KotoriBy the way, do animals die?
Dr. ScalaYou can pretty much assume they don't. There are pigs, but they just dig up truffles — there's no butchering or dealing with the weight of life.
Dr. Scala(There is meat sauce spaghetti, though.)