FEATURE
We speak to ConcernedApe himself, Eric Barone, about the state of STARDEW VALLEY in 2024
It’s been over eight years since this little retro farming game graced our PCs and stole everyone’s hearts. The nostalgia of its pixelated looks and the simple appeal of building your own farm appealed to many, and helped usher in the era of ‘cosy’ games. With over 30 million copies of the game sold, Stardew Valley has cemented itself as one of the best games of all time, but how are things looking in 2024?
We got the chance to speak with the game’s creator, Eric Barone (aka ‘ConcernedApe’) to talk about what it’s been like seeing the phenomenal growth of the game and take a look at all the changes Stardew has gone through since it first launched.
We asked Barone what his proudest moment making the game is: “Creating a world and a cast of characters that people enjoy,” he tells us. “It’s a world of the imagination that people feel they can exist in and feel it’s real. The lore of the world and characters has taken on a life of its own beyond what I thought possible. It’s been updated for so many years and so many people continue to engage with it. It’s cool to be in charge of this world and the infinite possibilities within it, a world that’s very special to a lot of people now.”
However, despite the game’s success there are still things he wishes he had done differently. “If I had known how popular Stardew Valley would be and how many updates and languages, I would have spent more time up-front in a way to make my life easier for making all these updates,” he admits.
HASN’T STOPPED GROWING
Throughout the past eight years the game hasn’t stopped growing, much like the millions of crops people have planted on their virtual plots. Barone has continued to make free content updates for the game – adding new areas, NPCs and items as he goes. April 2024 saw the addition of the latest 1.6 update which has added loads of new bits and pieces, as well as quality of life updates despite him originally saying it was going to be a ‘small’ one. Instead he’s given players a new shop, tools, outfits, revamped events, overworld changes and even some new pets to befriend.
IT’S SURPRISING HOW MUCH YOUR STARTING FARM CHOICE CAN AFFECT YOUR FOCUS
The latest Meadowland farm gives players the chance to get started with animal farming straight away, rather than waiting to build up funds and resources a fair way into the game. There may not be as much space to plant crops, but you have a few chickens and loads of grass to feed further livestock. It may not seem like a big difference, but it’s surprising how much your starting farm choice can affect your focus when it comes to progressing. It make
