Additional functions sound like a video game nightmare, but they’re exactly what makes fun games so addictive. Activities form an important part of the fun gameplay loop and are present in many farming sims. Sure, doing tasks in a video game sounds boring and frustrating, but there is something very satisfying about completing tasks and creating efficient systems to maximize output.
10 Fun Games for Gamers Who Like to Explore Beyond the Farm
Casual games have evolved over time, with some leading ones offering rewarding exploration among other new features, but not all of them are successful.
This is where Stardew Valley thrives. It has a lot of chores to go through, and its activities are one of the many reasons it’s still so popular even ten years after its release. As you start doing them, you will see that these activities go from boring to meditative and rewarding.
10
Daily Plant Watering
Give Food to the World
Watering plants by hand is important, especially in the early days of starting a new Stardew Valley game. This is the second thing I do when I get up in the morning after taking care of my livestock and, to be honest, I keep at least some of my plants off the sprinkler list even when I get them, just so I have something to water in the morning.
This may sound strange, but the ritual of watering plants involves silent chanting and sounds and the combination is meditative and addictive. Watching the plants grow because of my actions is fulfilling, and one of the best parts of playing a farming sim.
9
Collecting Stone
Repetition Can Be Meditation
Building things and expanding your farm requires a lot of resources. One of the most common but important resources in Stardew Valley is stone, which is used for everything from expanding your house to creating paths and stairs.
Sometimes it’s better to just go out and put the stone in for storage, rather than collecting only as needed. I often do this, but I didn’t really understand what a stone collection would be like until I got a bulletin board request from Robin asking for 1,000 stone in one week. I beat the first five mining levels, and the breaking rocks gameplay loop is pretty close to meditation.
8
Harvest Time
Patience Brings Rewards
The planting and harvesting cycle is one of the core missions in Stardew Valley. Growing plants, especially in your first go, requires trusting the process. Some plants will take several weeks to grow and still need to be watered every other day.
Stardew Valley: 10 Ways to Make Second Playthroughs Different
Anyone looking for another reason to play Stardew Valley again, look no further. This list has everything you need.
It’s so nice when you arrive at harvest time and see those fields of vegetables and flowers in full bloom. You can quickly sell them for cash, but the processing of other ingredients greatly increases their value. I like to sell my low quality plants quickly and process my gold and iridium precious plants into professional goods.
7
Salary Summary
Visual Statistics of Your Achievements
Sleep gives you a snapshot of how much you earned that day. Getting a summary of everything you’ve achieved that day is one of the most satisfying parts of Stardew Valley, and it’s also very tied to the “just one day” loop that many of us get stuck in.
While this isn’t a difficult task, it’s a great visual representation of the result of all the work you’ve done, and it’s great when you finally reach the financial goal you’ve been working towards. It’s also great if you’re selling a lot of things you’ve spent a lot of time working on, like old crafts. That rising number is the reward for a lot of work.
6
Processing Artifacts
Time Makes Everything Better
You can sell your plants right after you harvest them as raw goods, but they get more value when you process them into building materials. Processing goods requires special equipment such as a keg, storage jar, or cask, and a lot of time.
Creating art supplies is a comforting process precisely because it takes a lot of time before it’s ready. I built an old cheese and wine farm, and the whole process from sowing to collecting the finished product in storage was deeply rewarding. My finished products were of high value both financially and for NPCs in Stardew Valley, and it takes a lot of long-term planning to get the final product.
5
Eating in Season
Get Out into Nature
Each season brings new things to harvest in new places. Food forms such an important part of my Stardew Valley routine that it becomes a relaxing habit, and I specifically choose my route to town or mines based on food. The locations of each food court change with each season, meaning the route depends on what’s in season.
Doing this every day means it becomes a habit over time. Unlike other casual games, foraging is a skill in Stardew Valley, and going out to find wild food and earn XP is its reward.
Everything suddenly becomes easier
There’s nothing more satisfying than getting your new tool after giving it to Clint for a few days. Improvements in tools mean that rocks are easier to crush, trees are easier to fell, and plants can be watered in groups rather than one by one.
The jump between tool upgrades is huge, especially when you upgrade to tools that can break tree stumps and large rocks. New avenues open up, and valuable new resources suddenly become available. I always make sure I have enough ore and ingots in storage, even if I can’t afford to upgrade tools, because getting them as soon as they become available is important.
3
Continuity of Mine
Race to the Bottom
There are two different mine systems in Stardew Valley, both with their own rewards. Moving forward in the mines may sound like a chore, but it only takes a few floors to get into a rhythm. Before you know it, you’re clearing ten mining levels a day and, when you get to the bottom, you can use the elevator to mine any floor you like.
The Skull Cavern is a very difficult challenge, but the best moment there is to find a solution to get to the bottom, which takes more than brute strength. Like the crushing stones, navigating the Skull Cavern becomes meditative and rewarding once you reach the end.
2
Fishing
Win the Mini-Game
Fishing in Stardew Valley comes with a mini game that you either love or hate. I found it incredibly frustrating at first, and even the wand upgrade didn’t relieve that. I decided that the best way to overcome this was to go inside, and I started saving new fishing using the Riverlands farm map.
It took a while for this save, but the time it clicked was magic. Fishing turned from a frustrating chore to something I could focus on and forget about everything else. Customizing your rod with the right bait and hooks to catch the fish you want is very satisfying, and nothing beats the feeling of finally catching a legendary fish.
1
Crafting and Decorating
Add New Decoration and Building Options to Your Farm
Many players measure their success in Stardew Valley by building their own milestones, and unlocking imaginary items is a sign of progress. Developing your skills gives you blueprints for new things to consider, so the more you know about a skill, the more you can do in that area. They’re important for creating professional products and other sources of income, but it’s also nice to have more options to play with.
Crafting requires gathering materials and developing your skills and relationships to unlock new blueprints. Expanding your fields of interest to gain access to these new considerations forces you to interact with different parts of the game. Designing new items for your farm and placing them correctly creates a custom farm and represents all your work.
11 Best Games Like The Sims
When your Sims’ Welcome Wagon overstays its welcome—here’s what to play next.
- Released
-
February 26, 2016
- The ESRB
-
Everyone 10+ / Imaginary Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Alcohol and Tobacco Use
- Engineer(s).
-
ConcernedApe
- Publisher
-
ConcernedApe
- Engine
-
Ownership
- Cross-Platform Play
-
Stardew Valley does not currently support cross-play between consoles and PC
