Note:
This review contains very mild spoilers for seasonal events, end-game
content, and unlocked gameplay systems, but does not spoil any major
character arcs or story events. I don't consider anything in this review
to be a major spoiler, but if you're someone who wants to discover
everything yourself then you should exercise caution with this review.
(And probably shouldn't be reading/watching 45-minute deep-dive reviews
in the first place, if so.) It is based on vanilla version 1.6.
Stardew
Valley is an "open-ended country-life RPG" in which you create your own
character and inherit your departed grandfather's dilapidated old farm
on the outskirts of Pelican Town, a small rural town in the greater
region of Stardew Valley. The core gameplay systems revolve around
typical farming activities (which includes planting, watering, and
harvesting crops, and tending to various livestock to process their
produce, among other things); foraging for natural resources that will
be used in various cooking and crafting recipes; fishing the local
ocean, river, and lakes to catch assorted fish and treasures with rods
or traps; mining for minerals and ore necessary to upgrade your tools
and farming equipment while fighting the various monsters that inhabit
the mines in an effort to survive its deeper and more dangerous depths;
building your relationship with the local townsfolk by talking to them,
giving them gifts, completing their requests, and making choices in
their various cutscenes; and just in general exploring the town and its
surrounding areas as you unlock new areas by advancing through the game,
which in turn unlock new gameplay options, with lots of hidden secrets
to discover.
There's no clear-cut "goal" you're striving to accomplish in the game, except for a few general suggestions, like restoring the Community Center as a cumulative symbol of your positive influence on the town, or earning your grandfather's blessing by achieving enough success in different aspects of your farm, or the various goals you set for yourself, like setting up your perfect farm layout that maximizes every square space on the map or achieving Perfection by having done literally everything possible in the game. None of these are exactly end-game goals, however, as each one unlocks some new avenue of gameplay possibilities, with the idea being that you can continue playing indefinitely, for as long as you desire to continue playing that save file.
As the introductory cutscenes establish, the point of your character moving to Stardew Valley and beginning a new life as a farmer (and perhaps, by extension, why you as a player choose to play Stardew Valley), is simply a means to escape from the pressing burdens of modern life while seeking out a more peaceful, fulfilling, "down-to-earth" sort of lifestyle. That, I feel, is where Stardew Valley really shines. Although it has many compelling aspects working in its favor (like lots of engaging gameplay mechanics with tons of depth and variety to experience and a really satisfying progression system), the real reason I suspect it has such strong appeal with so many people is likely just its charming, immersive premise, and its relaxing vibes and atmosphere. After all, it's a wonderfully idealized version of a wholesome life/setting that I think many of us yearn for, where you're able to live self-sufficiently with no bosses to report to, where hard work and dedication are guaranteed to pay off, with a tight-knit small-town community who come together for all kinds of special events and contribute to society in different ways, with just a hint of magical elements to make it feel fantastical and thus a little more exciting than real life.
There's no clear-cut "goal" you're striving to accomplish in the game, except for a few general suggestions, like restoring the Community Center as a cumulative symbol of your positive influence on the town, or earning your grandfather's blessing by achieving enough success in different aspects of your farm, or the various goals you set for yourself, like setting up your perfect farm layout that maximizes every square space on the map or achieving Perfection by having done literally everything possible in the game. None of these are exactly end-game goals, however, as each one unlocks some new avenue of gameplay possibilities, with the idea being that you can continue playing indefinitely, for as long as you desire to continue playing that save file.
As the introductory cutscenes establish, the point of your character moving to Stardew Valley and beginning a new life as a farmer (and perhaps, by extension, why you as a player choose to play Stardew Valley), is simply a means to escape from the pressing burdens of modern life while seeking out a more peaceful, fulfilling, "down-to-earth" sort of lifestyle. That, I feel, is where Stardew Valley really shines. Although it has many compelling aspects working in its favor (like lots of engaging gameplay mechanics with tons of depth and variety to experience and a really satisfying progression system), the real reason I suspect it has such strong appeal with so many people is likely just its charming, immersive premise, and its relaxing vibes and atmosphere. After all, it's a wonderfully idealized version of a wholesome life/setting that I think many of us yearn for, where you're able to live self-sufficiently with no bosses to report to, where hard work and dedication are guaranteed to pay off, with a tight-knit small-town community who come together for all kinds of special events and contribute to society in different ways, with just a hint of magical elements to make it feel fantastical and thus a little more exciting than real life.