Stardew Valleyhas become a massively popular Indie game since it ’s February 2016 release , and   some may still find it surprising that the   intact game was produce by one person . Eric Barone , who earlier had no intentions of being a video secret plan designer , began this projection as an utilisation to practice the programming words cytosine # . He fall in sexual love with his work and spent 4.5 years trying to make a game he wanted to play . Little did he know what a huge successStardew Valleywould become — selling 500,000 copies within its first two weeks of its acquittance and over 10 million across multiple political platform by the start of 2020 .

take out brainchild from the husbandry simulation seriesHarvest Moon ,   Barone require to take what he roll in the hay from that expression and extend upon it with features he felt it lacked , like craft and quests , to add more depth and structure . He want players to have multiple task they were invariably thinking about with unlike electrical outlet to go about fill out them . Barone delight howHarvest Moonsteered away from the violence popular in other game to concentre more on relationships — something he improved on tremendously . His game feel relatable to the general public and his own ideals , as certify by have the main reference   leave Joja Corporation for a more sovereign sprightliness in Pelican Town . In alignment withhis moniker , ConcernedApe , the theme ofStardew Valleyis consistent with   Barone ’s take on huge potbelly ' impact on people ’s surroundings and well - being versus being able to come one ’s own nitty-gritty and embrace autonomy .

Related : Why Stardew Valley Is respectable Than Harvest Moon

Arthur Morgan, V, and Link over a blurred Elden Ring Background

MakingStardew Valleyalone   was no easy feat , and Barone experienced many moments of self - doubt during its maturation . He ’s made this known in audience with bothGame InformerandGQ . Working mostly 10 - 12 hour days 7 daylight a week , sometimes Barone detest the game , but after putting so much work into it , he sleep together he had to complete it or would see himself as a nonstarter . When   feel defeated , Barone   tried to win over himself it would be worth it in the end and kept faith in his confidence to complete his game . He screw he had to end up it , even if would turn out to be a floating-point operation . Besides his own determination , Barone was rosy to have worked up backing from protagonist , kinsperson , and his girlfriend Amber , who often render to make her boyfriend countenance prison term for himself and his relationships .

Stardew Valley Was An Unexpected Success

Barone could n’t have ask how long it would take tocreateStardew Valley , often think the game only had a few more months left until culmination when there were still geezerhood to go . want to make every aspect of the game alone , Barone arrest himself accountable for the programing , writing , artistry , level-headed effects , and music . He ’d find himself going back to things he recollect he completed calendar month ago and remodel them .

The character portraits that appear next to the dialogue were redesign about 10 different times , and the dialogue itself was write over and over again . He even trash sure aspects that he put a lot of time into , like being able to grok through walls in the mines — something he decided did n’t fit in the last . proficient issues were the boastful black eye that Barone invariably had to fix . All this clock time , he never extend to out for assist . He ’d rather expend hr looking through old online thread and blogs for reply than feel like he owed someone else a favour .

Having staring autonomy over the game meant he was exclusively responsible for it , and it would be a dead on target , pure vision of his cum to life . Even after the game ’s culmination , Barone holds himself accountable for touch on any bugs and listen to players ' concerns and feedback — much of which he ’s already improved withupdates . He was contacted by Chucklefish prior to the game ’s liberation , but their only intimacy was with   the initial publishing and assisting with   the multiplayer net - computer code a couple of years after the biz ’s release . Currently , Barone is still working on   fresh updates for this dear farming simulator , as well as   2 other gamesthat are pretty related to , but not direct sequels to , Stardew Valley .

Miyamoto with the Switch 2 and a sad-looking Mario tipping his cap.

Next : Stardew Valley Gets Star - Studded Collector ’s Edition This declension

Source : Game Informer , GQ

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Stardew Valley Eric Barone

Stardew Valley Developed by ConcernedApe Eric Barone

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