Arts & Culture
Stardew Valley: Pushing The Boundaries of Farming RPGs
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Imagine merging the game mechanics of Terraria and the flexibility of Harvest Moon, and you will come close to envisioning Eric Barone’s new “country-life RPG,” Stardew Valley, the culmination of four years of development. In the game, the player inherits his late grandfather’s farm — sound familiar, Harvest Moon fans? — and has the ability to bring the overgrown farm back to life, form relationships with Pelican Town residents, explore deep caves, improve various skills and make life-changing decisions in the community — among countless other opportunities. Moreover, the dynamic character dialogues, changing seasons and quests from the townspeople foster an altogether engaging and immersive experience for the player. Creating a complete game is a lot of work for a solo developer, but Barone definitely pulled it off.