After a long four years of development time, Eric Barone revealed the launch date of Stardew Valley during a Chucklefish Games live stream today. If you’re a fan of Starbound, then you are probably quite familiar with Chucklefish Games. Eric Barone said that the game took so long to complete because his game development skills were “really bad” when he started working on the project. He is also the only one who worked on the game, doing all of the coding, composing of music, and art himself! The game is set to launch on Steam on February 26th.
In Stardew Valley “you play as a character who moves to a small town in the country, and have to start a new life for yourself and learn to live off the land, start a farm, get to know the townspeople”. The game may look a bit like a sort of farming simulator, but the developer says “the gameplay is essentially kind of an RPG.” In essence, the game is a Story of Seasons-esque RPG.
There is tons of additional information on the game to be found at the Stardew Valley website. For example, as you progress in the game, you will level up in five major skills: farming, mining, combat, fishing, and foraging. Additionally, you will unlock new cooking and crafting recipes, new places to explore, and customize your skills by choosing from a range of possible professions. There are also over 30 characters living in Stardew Valley, and each one has their own schedule, and birthday. As you make friends with them and get closer, they may tell you about their problems or even about their secrets!
A vast and mysterious cave also lies within the bounds of Stardew Valley. As you delve deeper to uncover its mysteries, you will find powerful weapons and new environments. You can also find the raw materials you need for crafting and upgrading your tools, but as you descend deeper into the bowels of the cave, you will encounter more dangerous monsters that threaten your life. Artifacts and minerals can also be donated to the local museum.
When not risking your life in the deep, you can work on your farm and woo a partner and get married. You may even have kids. There are 10 bachelors and bachelorettes to choose from. Once you get married, your partner will live with you on your farm.
Stardew Valley also has other activities for you to partake in, such as various festivals, fishing, and breathing new life into the valley (or joining with Joja Corporation instead). You can customize the look of your character and your house, and Stardew Valley has two hours of original music. The game is already listed on Steam, but you can’t purchase it yet. Here is the game’s trailer, and below that you can check out a handful of additional screenshots.
