Looking for a game to indulge in and help relax and stimulate your mind? Look no further. Read my My Stardew Valley review here.
If you follow me on any of my socials, you’ll know that I’ve instantly become obsessed with Stardew Valley. It’s got everything I’ve ever wanted in a game (except maybe zombies..). It’s neverending, really relaxing to play and genuinely really bloody cute.
My boyfriend introduced me to Stardew Valley after I mentioned everyone going on about Animal Crossing all the time. Now I am the same as everyone, just in regards to Stardew Valley instead! I purchased it from the app store for a one-time purchase of £7.99. And this definitely isn’t a pay-to-play game so there are no options to spend more money on expansions or special items, which I love.
I’ll say right off the bat that my boyfriend also purchased it on PC/laptop as he’s a PC gamer, and I also tried it on the laptop. Out of the two, I much prefer playing it on my phone. I’m more used to the controls and love that I can just pick it up and play whenever I want.
What I liked about playing on laptop/PC is that it’s cool playing on a bigger screen. Some of the controls are slightly easier (like chopping down wood, although you soon get used to this on phone). Plus, when playing on laptop/PC, you have an adorable little menu in the top right-hand corner that shows you what time of day it is, what the weather is like and what season it is. I’m really sad this isn’t available on the mobile version, but maybe one day! Overall, I much prefer the mobile version though. There aren’t many differences between platforms at all, except that you can add mods on laptop/PC. This might be something I’ll look into for a later game! As far as I’m aware, it’s on every platform though.
About Stardew Valley
But back to the point. The general premise of the game is that your Grandpa passes away and leaves you with deeds to his farm. This is when you get fed up with your office life working for a big corporation. You pack up and move to Stardew Valley. From here, you grow your farm and make a life for yourself.
Of course, farming is just a very small part of the game. You can explore the town and interact with different characters, becoming their friends, helping them with quests and eventually marrying them and having children if you so wish. There are mines to explore, rivers to fish in and things to craft.
So far, this is really all I’ve participated in – just enjoying the game slowly. But there is so much more within the game as the developer constantly updates it. I’ve been playing for around a week now and I haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s available in this sweet little game.
My Stardew Valley Review
What I really enjoy about it is that it goes through seasons – each season provides a different setting with new quests, different crops to plant and even festivals. You can take part in town festivals to buy rare items, take part in cooking competitions and even participate in an Easter egg hunt.
It’s so visually stunning – which is no surprise considering it was heavily inspired by Harvest Moon.
You can also play with your friends – although my boyfriend and I haven’t yet tried multiplayer.
It’s challenging and stimulating in just the right way. I particularly enjoy trying to make my farm look pretty and the crops symmetric (haha). But there’s also the small challenge of making sure all your crops grow before the end of the season and foraging and selling them on to earn more money. You can collect items to open up different areas of town, so there is always something to do.
I find it really relaxing and therapeutic, especially during the lockdown. It’s my own little escapism world. I feel I can play for a few hours each day without getting overwhelmed. Or put it down for a couple of nights and easily pick up from where I left off. I don’t believe there’s any way to actually get bored of this game. I’m pretty sure there’s no way to finish it. Because even if you grow an amazing farm, tackle the entire mine, unlock every part of the town, marry and settle down…it’ll just get updated again with new things to do.
I will say, however, it’s not overwhelming. At first, I was afraid I’d feel pretty lost with so much to do. I definitely spent my first couple of days rushing through trying to do everything. But now I’ve learned to enjoy it at a nicer pace. I particularly love walking through the town in each season and speaking to the different characters. As well as seeing how they decorate their houses for Halloween or Christmas or whatever.
If you are looking for a game to indulge in and help relax and stimulate your mind, look no further than Stardew Valley.
P.S – I set up a Twitter for my account, lol. Follow it @lunarwoodfarm!
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