I've spent about 500 hours lost in this game over the years and still have a ball every time I pick it up. Whatever you enjoy in a game can be found in Stardew Valley. You can be the peaceful local farmer that ruffles no feather, you could flirt your through life and break hearts all over town, you can spend your days exploring caves while slaying monsters and collecting valuable loot. I recommend this game to anyone, seasoned gamer or newbie.

Stardew Valley is wonderful! It's replayability is extremely high, but continuing to run a long-term game doesn't get old either. The art is lovely. ConcernedApe, the creator, is amazing and works hard. The updates tend to being really neat stuff. Romances, friendships and people in your town are so fun, and so is the variety of animals you can own and plants you can grow. Random events and deepening friendships keep things fresh! Fishing is kind of hard though, but doable. I recommend Stardew to anyone who enjoys farm simulators and Animal Crossing. It's one of the best cozy games out there.

Let me preface this by first telling you about the games creator. He is the most involved, caring game developer you'll probably ever have the pleasure to interact with. He releases free updates and listens to his community. If you haven't tried this game you seriously should. It's a side scroll where you run your own farm and help with the town. It's extremely peaceful and a great way to blow off the stress of the outside world these days. I always come back to stardew Valley when I'm in the mood for a solo game. If you were to compare it to animal crossing, there's a ton more you can do in stardew. You can farm, fish, mine, fight monsters, make friends with the townspeople, make clothes, decorate houses, travel to new areas, raise farm animals etc. I've purchased ... MoreLet me preface this by first telling you about the games creator. He is the most involved, caring game developer you'll probably ever have the pleasure to interact with. He releases free updates and listens to his community. If you haven't tried this game you seriously should. It's a side scroll where you run your own farm and help with the town. It's extremely peaceful and a great way to blow off the stress of the outside world these days. I always come back to stardew Valley when I'm in the mood for a solo game. If you were to compare it to animal crossing, there's a ton more you can do in stardew. You can farm, fish, mine, fight monsters, make friends with the townspeople, make clothes, decorate houses, travel to new areas, raise farm animals etc. I've purchased this game on every platform I have for two reasons: I don't want to be without the game and to support the dev because I appreciate how genuine he is.

This is such a phenomenal game. It’s one of the only games I have ever played that it’s really just impossible to put what this game is into words. But, if I try, I can say that this game is many things. One, it’s relationships. Romantic relationships are an option with most of the characters in the game, and for any character you don’t get with romantically, meaningful friendships are the thing. Of course, it’s up to you what your relationships look like. If you want to be enemies with everyone, go for it. If you want to date, marry, divorce the town (people have done it, I’ve seen it and it’s so funny), then live your dreams. But for me, it’s about a cute little love story for my character and all the unique friends she makes along the way. Two, it’s farming. But ... MoreThis is such a phenomenal game. It’s one of the only games I have ever played that it’s really just impossible to put what this game is into words. But, if I try, I can say that this game is many things. One, it’s relationships. Romantic relationships are an option with most of the characters in the game, and for any character you don’t get with romantically, meaningful friendships are the thing. Of course, it’s up to you what your relationships look like. If you want to be enemies with everyone, go for it. If you want to date, marry, divorce the town (people have done it, I’ve seen it and it’s so funny), then live your dreams. But for me, it’s about a cute little love story for my character and all the unique friends she makes along the way. Two, it’s farming. But so much more than farming. It’s growing crops, yes, but it’s also buying seeds, tending crops, and turning crops into products like juice, honey, and food. The farming in this game is stellar because listen, I am not usually someone who enjoys farming games but in this game I can’t get enough of it. Three, it’s mystery and exploration. There are seemingly endless quests, mysteries, and areas to be unlocked. I’ve been playing for years and I still have so much more to do. Four, it’s absolutely adorable animals. You can have a cat or a dog for your household and then beyond that you can buy a horse, get a barn, and barn animals ranging from cows, to sheep, to truffle finding pigs (this is where the money is at fyi), to (spoiler?) little dinosaurs. Five, it’s holiday/special events. The game has a calendar and for each season there are unique events. Some you might recognize as reflections of our holidays, like “Spirits Eve” or “Egg Festival,” but others are more unique like the “Flower Dance” or “Night Market.” Every character also has a birthday and so another challenge lies in trying to figure out what to get them each year. Six, battle/fighting. Yeah, you get to collect weapons/armor and fight some difficult bosses while exploring intense caves. I am almost definitely missing stuff here because like I said earlier, this game is impossible to sum up. It’s just entirely unlike anything else in that it is a combination of almost every game aspect out there. I really cannot recommend this game enough. It’s one of the best games I have ever played and a game I know I will always return to.

I have played on pc, PlayStation, and now as a new switch owner since 2017. The switch controls are by far the best, and very similar to PS4. Stardew Valley is my home away from home. For at least half the price of regular games, you get your own little world of farming, mining, crafting, fishing, decorating, dialogue, events, and endless cut scenes. Complete creative freedom, adorable story lines, challenging but not impossible goals and quests, and years worth of entertainment. As a new player it will be a little rough in the beginning, and I highly recommend watching a handful of YouTube videos to avoid mistakes that are nearly impossible to fix, as well as join the subreddit r/stardewvalley for questions and tips. I passionately recommend Stardew Valley to all ... MoreI have played on pc, PlayStation, and now as a new switch owner since 2017. The switch controls are by far the best, and very similar to PS4. Stardew Valley is my home away from home. For at least half the price of regular games, you get your own little world of farming, mining, crafting, fishing, decorating, dialogue, events, and endless cut scenes. Complete creative freedom, adorable story lines, challenging but not impossible goals and quests, and years worth of entertainment. As a new player it will be a little rough in the beginning, and I highly recommend watching a handful of YouTube videos to avoid mistakes that are nearly impossible to fix, as well as join the subreddit r/stardewvalley for questions and tips. I passionately recommend Stardew Valley to all friends and family members. It is so much more than any review or gameplay will show you. Has a wide range of cross play but because of the dynamic of the game, I suggest playing alone to let it be an oasis of accomplishment.

Attractive but Frustrating

A difficult game to enjoy on a console. I found it frustrating on a PC and the controls and interface on the console version just add to the problems. I don't find the gameplay intuitive and for it's apparent charm I can not see the real attraction of this admittedly popular game. A more easily accessible map would help. Just one of the issues. More fluid movement around the map would help as well. The game itself involves too much walking around town in a strangely shortened day. Quite an odd experience with little to no reference for instruction or guidance for the newcomer.

Great

Stardew Valley is a beautiful, fun game that, when all of its parts are pulled together, make for a wonderful countryside adventure. Whether it’s rainy, sunny, snowy, or dusted with pollen drifts through the air, each day offers an abundance of great activities ready to be collected or mastered and new friendships waiting to be made. Even 100 hours in with three in-game years in the books, I still feel like I have so many mysteries to discover, and plenty of items to collect. New items, goals, and events from all the updates since its launch make Stardew Valley more welcoming for new players and extends its life for seasoned farmers, too. The fantastic multiplayer is just the cherry on top of the cake to this marvelous farming RPG.

Homesteading Dream

Stardew Valley is a cute, 16-bit farming simulator RPG. There is a bit of a learning curve beginning the game, but once you get the hang of it, you're golden. The soundtrack is soothing, the graphics are adorable, and there's so much to explore in this game. This is wonderful on your own, but you can also play with friends online (if you have a Nintendo Online subscription) or a local connection (all players on the same wireless network). Personally, I think playing with friends is a lot more fun than playing solo. On the Switch, this is a chill game to vibe out to, and you can often play while watching a movie or listening to a podcast in the background. It almost feels like it was MADE for playing handheld on the Switch. Would definitely recommend this to anyone ... MoreStardew Valley is a cute, 16-bit farming simulator RPG. There is a bit of a learning curve beginning the game, but once you get the hang of it, you're golden. The soundtrack is soothing, the graphics are adorable, and there's so much to explore in this game. This is wonderful on your own, but you can also play with friends online (if you have a Nintendo Online subscription) or a local connection (all players on the same wireless network). Personally, I think playing with friends is a lot more fun than playing solo. On the Switch, this is a chill game to vibe out to, and you can often play while watching a movie or listening to a podcast in the background. It almost feels like it was MADE for playing handheld on the Switch. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys chill simulation games.

Really cute game with leisure play

If you love Animal Crossing you will definitely enjoy this game too. The concept is very straight forward, farm, interact with your town neighbors, expand your farm, go scavenging for resources and fight monsters on the side. The graphics are 2D which sometimes make the placement of your farming and decorating a little difficult however the game is still relatively enjoyable! It’s the type of game where you can play at your leisure without feeling overwhelmed.

Recommend for all old school SNES Harvest Moon Fan

Excellent game, the physical version also includes all dlc that has been released on the switch. Just a great game to sit back and enjoy if you like that old school Harvest Moon (SNES) feel, with minor combat/mining. It features Online coop and also Local coop, and it does have a splitscreen coop, but i have not tried that specific one. The online coop is where its at, amazing gameplay, get a friend and build a farm together, explore the mines together, and just enjoy. One really nice thing about the coop is that the host can start game online, and lets say the next day you are in the same place as your buddy, you can host the same save file but in Local coop, so you can play along with a friend while on an airplane without the need for internet, and use the same ... MoreExcellent game, the physical version also includes all dlc that has been released on the switch. Just a great game to sit back and enjoy if you like that old school Harvest Moon (SNES) feel, with minor combat/mining. It features Online coop and also Local coop, and it does have a splitscreen coop, but i have not tried that specific one. The online coop is where its at, amazing gameplay, get a friend and build a farm together, explore the mines together, and just enjoy. One really nice thing about the coop is that the host can start game online, and lets say the next day you are in the same place as your buddy, you can host the same save file but in Local coop, so you can play along with a friend while on an airplane without the need for internet, and use the same save file when you are miles away in different states through online connection!