In Stardew Valley, the player takes the role of a character that, to get away from the hustle of an office job, takes over their grandfather's dilapidated farm in a place known as Stardew Valley. The player manages their character's time and energy levels as they clear land, plant and tend crops, raise livestock, craft goods, mine for ores, and engage in social activities, including romances leading towards marriage, with the various residents of the small town, all while earning in-game money to expand their farm. The game is open-ended, allowing the player to take on activities as they see fit.
Stardew Valley was heavily inspired by the Harvest Moon video game series, with additions by Stardew Valley's sole designer, Eric Barone, to address some of the shortcomings of these games while using the opportunity as an exercise to improve his own programming and game design skills. Barone developed the title on his own over four years and interacted frequently with players who were interested in the title to get feedback. Chucklefish Games approached Barone midway through development with the offer to publish the title, allowing him to focus more on completing the game.
Stardew Valley received positive reception from critics upon release, and was one of the highest-selling titles on Steam in the first few months of its release, eventually selling over one million copies. Barone plans to expand the game to include co-operative play and support for other platforms, among other features.
