This article comes fromDen of Geek UK.
I havent played video games since I owned a Sega Mega Drive back in the 90s.
Video games had never really entered into my adult life.
I had other things to worry about, like I cant have eaten all those biscuits already!?
and Why are my teeth doing that weird thing?
Thats not to say I didnt want to be a gamer.
I always envied people who were able to become so utterly absorbed in game worlds.
Id had various unsuccessful attempts at mastering controllers with more than three buttons.
Id always get bored and go eat a Pot Noodle instead.
And then my boyfriend bought meStardew Valley, and everything changed.
I started the game up.
Even with no objectives, just hanging out in the game was enough for me.
Stardewwas a revelation: it made me fall in love with video games again.
Take my current love interest Shane.
Similarly, when you first meet Haley, shes a shallow valley girl throw in.
But like Shane, Haley has hidden depths.
Could her spoiled princess facade be hiding a warm, nature-loving side?
Not all character arcs are of the misunderstood soul bang out.
For a bunch of pixels, they get up to a hell of a lot of stuff.
No one can possibly restore it to its former glory, can they?
Both story options have benefits for the player, but lead to very different outcomes.
You have to decide whether to side with big business, or with the little guy.
And let me tell you this isnt always as clear cut as it sounds.
Ho ho, excuse me while I piss myself.
It is no such thing.
This is the most difficult part to keep spoiler-free, but Ill try my best by keeping it short.
So much hidden stuff.
So many unlockables.Stardew Valleyis a Pass the Parcel prize wrapped in at least 70 layers of wrapping paper.
Some of the games secrets are so obscure that fans had to explore the games code to uncover them.
And, maddeningly, there are stillunexplained thingsin the game to this day.
These may or may not be explained in the next update, due early this year.
You wont be disappointed.Stardew ValleymakesThe Da Vinci Codelook like the Screwfix Direct catalog.
Press any key (wheres the any key?)
I mentioned above that I havent played video games since I was a small, snot-filled child.
This is because Im bad at them.
Stardews controls are, well, easy.
We just dont want to waste time and patience trying to get the hang of the most basic moves.
And if one particular aspect of gameplay isnt your thing, there are always ways around it.
The focus of the game is on having fun and playing at your own pace.
Its one of the most inclusive games around, with something for everyone.
Want to spend your time murdering monsters?
Want to spend all your time following Shane around?
Thats groovy, too.
(I do not do that.)
The joy ofStardewis that it doesnt really matter.
Dont be fooled by the rocks that I eat…
I rarely playStardewfor more than five minutes without something making me giggle.
For players, this is part of the games charm.
Best do it when shes out of bed.
This is not a comedy game by any means.
Where everybody knows your username…
When people loveStardew Valley, they LOVEStardew Valley.
People post their cosplay photos and hand-knitted characters, always greeted with hearty congratulations from the other players.
As wonderful as the game is, its made twice as wonderful by the fan community.
A special mention here must go to the theStardew ValleyReddit.
Of course we take the piss, but always in a nice way.
While he was working a part time job.
And you thought finding a crisp that looked a bit like Jeff Stelling was an achievement.
A free update is being released this year, featuring multiplayer and new single player content.
And not a loot box in sight.
One last thing:Stardew Valleyseems to appeal to those of us with depression and anxiety.
Its a calming, whimsical world, where hard work is rewarded, and life is fair.
Eric, if you ever read this thank you for making this game.
If you havent started your farm yet, what are you waiting for?
And hands off Shane, hes my husband.
