Two of my favorite things are agriculture and video games (and please don’t mention the later to my wife). Agriculture is a topic I grew fond of back in high school and have stuck with it ever since. It’s a subject I’m very passionate about and am determined to better inform people about the industry that impacts them every single day. Video games got my attention at an early age when I got my first console, a Play Station 1. Countless weekends and sleepovers were spent playing racing games and even Halo once my friend Max got his first Xbox in middle school. A few months ago I found quite possibly the best combination of agriculture and video games. And that is Stardew Valley.
I won’t get into the specifics of how video games are made, but usually, they incorporate hundreds of employees at multimillion-dollar companies. This game, however, was made by one guy. Eric Barone wrote the story as well as the code for the game, designed quests, animations, all the artwork, soundtrack, and every other feature in the game. This is something pretty rare in the gaming community, especially given the detail in this game. His attention to detail has resulted in a cult following for this game. I’ve been enjoying it for quite some time and as someone who loves agriculture, the farming aspects of the game are very accurate. Which furthermore highlights Eric’s dedication to his craft.
Stardew Valley is a beautiful farming simulator game where you take over your grandfather’s farm. Once you arrive, you get to grow whatever you choose on your quaint little farm in the town of Stardew Valley. The game includes seasons, holiday events, weather, crafting, and a plethora of other features that you can get lost in. Only specific crops growing in particular seasons, you can over water or under water your crops, crows and other critters can kill some of your plants, and you can use fertilizers to help create bigger and better crops. You can even raise farm animals like cows, goats, chickens, and pigs. If you don’t milk the cows or goats every day they get grumpy, much like they do in real life!
This game has been a treat to play and is extremely relaxing after a busy day. So, if you love agriculture, want a pleasant game to play every now and then, and have a spare $7, be sure to buy Stardew Valley on PC, Xbox, or on your iPhone.
Thanks for checking this article out and stay tuned for more.
-Trevor
thefarmtraveler.com 