For those of you who don’t know, Stardew Valley is an indie farming/dating sim created by Eric Barone under the name ConcernedApe. Inspired by the Harvest Moon games of old, Stardew Valley sees the player inheriting their grandfather’s old, run down farm, which they bring back to life, while making friends with the residents of nearby Pelican Town.

I started the game up. It was mid-evening when I started playing, and when I next checked the clock a fortnight had passed and I’d racked up 100 hours without even noticing. Things like eating and sleeping had become minor annoyances, to be dealt with as quickly as possible so I could get back to my farm. I started to view Stardew Valley as a world rather than a game, and I found myself wanting to spend all my time there. Even with no objectives, just hanging out in the game was enough for me.

Stardew was a revelation: it made me fall in love with video games again.

Because I suck at organizing the clutter in my head, the best thing to do is take you through some of the things that made me fall in love with this wonderful game.

Everybody needs good neighbors…

Every character in Stardew Valley has their own unique personality, and all have hidden depths and secrets. The farmer only begins to scratch the surface of the interpersonal dramas at play once they start to befriend the villagers, by talking, running errands, and giving gifts.