The Story of Stardew Valley
Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, is the mastermind behind Stardew Valley. If you don’t already know, Stardew Valley is a global hit game, played & loved by over 30 million people.
Stardew Valley is open-ended, allowing players to grow crops, raise livestock, fish, cook, mine, forage, and socialize with the townspeople, including the ability to marry and have children.
Initially, Eric wanted a traditional job, but destiny had something else in store. At his desk, he began crafting Stardew Valley, starting with a simple avatar floating in an empty void.
Eric moved out of his house to live in with his girlfriend, Amber — who supported him by working 2 jobs, as Eric did not have a source of income (yet!)
He took small steps in developing his indie game and started by building a navigable farm area, and meticulously researched farming mechanics to make the game authentic. Piece by piece, he added depth and fine-tuned every aspect until he was satisfied.
The dialogue was crucial, so he wrote and rewrote lines for the townsfolk, a task that consumed months of his time. Additionally, he created over a hundred cutscenes, all of which required testing.
Understanding the magnitude of his work is crucial. Modern video game development is a massive undertaking, often involving millions of dollars. Teams of hundreds, from developers to artists and actors, labor intensively for years to craft detailed and immersive worlds. There are artists dedicated just to designing rocks, sound experts for each rock’s impact, and designers dictating the damage they inflict in-game.
Big-budget games usually revolve around themes like combat or sports, such as Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty. Yet, there’s Stardew Valley: a simple farming tale about everyday life where players nurture cabbages.
Eric Barone, single-handedly, took four and a half years to craft every aspect of this game, committing 12-hour days on a shoestring budget from his part-time usher job. While games like Minecraft popularized indie development, solo ventures as ambitious as Stardew Valley remain exceptional.
As the release date approached, Eric struggled with confidence and considered giving up. If you want to finish the game, it takes about 150 hours. Imagine, constantly playtesting a game this long, over and over again. Fixing bugs and playing it all over again! How would one not start to lose confidence?
But he persevered, and with the help of three Twitch streamers, Bexy, Siri, and Prens, he caught bugs and received valuable feedback. They helped him playtest the game, finding more bugs, and providing some feedback and suggestions to improve the gameplay!
Stardew Valley launched with a bang, selling 500,000 copies in a fortnight, far exceeding expectations. Critics adored the game, and fans on Steam gave it a perfect 10/10 rating.
Stardew Valley’s story gives you only what you want from it. What you get out of the experience depends heavily on what baggage you’re carrying when you first climb on that bus and take the long ride to the coast.
But what exactly makes the game so attractive? How did it get so popular? I think 2 major factors contribute to this: The Game design & the game designer.
The game design offers a number of activities, including farming, fishing, mining, foraging, socializing, and exploration. Players can invest around 150–200 hours to “finish” the game, yet the possibilities are endless, allowing for continued engagement.
The uniqueness of the game aligns with Eric Barone’s values, portraying a character who seeks a simpler life away from relentless capitalism, building relationships in a small town, and discovering their purpose. Isn’t that what we all want at the end? To live a peaceful life! The game just feels so alive, with the mechanics and the characters around the valley.
He actively interacts with fans before and after development, building a genuine connection that distinguishes the game from those produced by big corporations. And Barone’s approach creates an authentic experience, resonating deeply with players and contributing to the game’s extraordinary popularity.
Even after 7 years, Stardew Valley remains one of the most popular games on Steam and the most sought-after paid game on mobile platforms. Eric did not go for the ‘trends’, he created a timeless game that just gets more valuable over time.
With over 30 million downloads across various platforms, the game’s sales have soared beyond $130 million.