Imagine you live on your grandfather’s old farm, where no one has lived for years. In Pelican Town, you can learn five key skills — farming, fishing, foraging, mining and combat — and build friendships with the community. Ultimately, you want to complete the community center to fulfill your Stardew Valley life.
Farming
Have you ever wanted to own chickens or cows but didn’t actually want them in the real world? Stardew Valley can help with that.
When it comes to farming in the game, your goal is to take care of animals by petting them daily and harvesting crops. Animal products, such as milk and eggs, as well as crops, can be placed into machines to produce items like cheese and wine.Â
Farming in Stardew Valley promotes a sense of wellness and relaxation in the player. I like to think of farming as a big hug because it’s the cutest part of the game (in my opinion).
Fishing
Ever wish you could fish without potentially actually harming a fish? Stardew Valley displays fish in a way where even if you catch one, you can put it in a fish pond later and help it grow along with its population. (I’ve done this with Blobfish in the game because they’re adorable).
Foraging
From chopping down trees to picking up daffodils, foraging is an important part of the game. You can explore different areas to get hardwood and find new items to pick up, such as mushrooms.
Also, foraging is a perfect way to acquire gifts for the community. Each member of the community has specific loves, likes, tolerances, dislikes and hates. It’s important to discover their acquired tastes (or search on the web for them if you’re worried you’re giving them an item they won’t like) to boost friendship levels.
Mining
I personally adore mining in Stardew because I love the idea of finding gems to craft with and donate to the library/museum in town. Mining is a great way to acquire resources and make a little money in the game. You can find anything in the mines, from quartz to diamonds.Â
Combat
This is my personal least favorite skill because my health deteriorates quickly every time I enter a combat situation. I find myself to be weak in this category. Despite that, you can fight little slimes or ghosts to acquire materials that can be used to give to the wizard or the community center.Â
Ultimately, the goal of Stardew Valley is to have fun and relax. The game is calming and refreshing for almost everyone who plays it. I find myself wanting to build relationships with my animals and the members of the community most frequently.
Characters
The game consists of around 20 community members who you can befriend and develop relationships with. You develop these relationships by giving gifts to community members and talking to them daily. Additionally, you can earn further points for completing quests they request or get more hearts by gifting them on their birthdays.
The game also has cut scenes for characters when you move up a level in friendship. Certain community members can also be married. You can develop connections with these members and expand your relationship by giving them a bouquet of flowers and later a pendant for marriage.
If you’re looking to play Stardew Valley, it can be found on your PC, XBOX, PlayStation or Nintendo Switch.
I highly recommend this game, especially during the stress of summer jobs and internships, because it’s the perfect way to relax!