Stardew Valley celebrates seven years of success
Stardew Valley, the ultimate cozy game, has celebrated its seventh anniversary. Over the years, the pixel art farming simulator created by Eric Barone, who goes by ConcernedApe, has become one of the most fascinating case studies among indie game successes. Created over four and a half years, the game slowly spread like a good weed, both to other platforms and in popularity.
Despite the last major expansion being released in 2023, the game is still massively popular, more than ever before, and has become a darling of the cozy game genre. Stardew Valley’s growth has been similar to a weed that infects your crops, but a weed it was not. It has blossomed into one of the most popular indie games of all time, taking the cozy genre to new heights.
Stardew Valley has not only taken off on PC but has also been a hit on other platforms. Its release on the Nintendo Switch in 2017 led to it becoming the most downloaded game on the console, beating out titles such as Minecraft, Sonic Mania, and Rocket League. The game also offers the perfect switch gameplay experience, with the only standout being the modding options available on Valve’s Steam Deck.
The game’s continued success is also evident in its highly active modding community. With regular updates and additions still being made, a new player settling into the quiet Valley life for the first time can find a wealth of new content that does everything from changing the world aesthetics to offering quality-of-life changes or even packing in DLC-worthy additional content à la Stardew Valley Expanded.
The creator of Stardew Valley, Eric Barone, is still committed to building on this smash-hit seven years later, thanks to the game’s unwavering popularity. He is currently working on his next project, Haunted Chocolatier, which will offer a greater emphasis on combat and magic, reminiscent of the Stardew Valley universe.
