There is a lot to love about Stardew Valley; you can tend your crops, socialize with the townsfolk, or dive into one of the game's various dungeons. Having so many different aspects of the game could be a reason why Stardew Valley found so much success. It appeals to different types of players to various degrees, meaning its potential player base is larger than a game with a very narrow focus. As much as I love the game, there is one aspect of Stardew Valley I'm not a big fan of, but I am still glad it exists.

If I'm playing Stardew Valley, it's because I'm in the mood for a cozy game to relax with. Sure, the mines and Skull Cavern are there if I want to spice things up, but I spend most of my time fishing and tending to my farm. However, there is still part of me that's a completionist and wants to finish every challenge the game throws at me. One such challenge was a serious source of frustration for some time, threatening to kill the cozy game vibes as I became increasingly fixated on beating it.

Journey Of The Prairie King Is Notoriously Difficult

This Mini-Game In Stardew Valley Is Frustratingly Hard To Beat

Couched within the cozy confines of Pelican Town is a challenging little mini-game called the Journey of the Prairie King. This is a twin-stick shooter you can play at The Stardrop Saloon by interacting with its arcade cabinet. The game pits you against waves of enemies within several arenas for a specified amount of time. As you advance, you'll be met with increasingly difficult enemies and a few bosses. A single hit from any enemy causes you to lose a life, so things can get pretty challenging once the screen starts to fill up.

Now, the game isn't impossible, and knowing the right upgrades to choose throughout your playthrough can be very helpful. Once I figured out that I should ignore the speed upgrades and focus on upgrading my damage output and my fire rate, the game definitely got a bit easier. Still, the game is legitimately challenging, especially if you're not in the mindset to be playing something so fast-paced. Beating it quickly became my Stardew Valley white whale as I just wanted it out of the way so I could have it finished and go back to relaxing on my farm.

I Hate It, But I Love That It Exists

Despite My Personal Feelings, Journey Of The Prairie King Is A Nice Addition To Stardew Valley

As frustrated as I was with Journey of the Prairie King, I did develop a grudging respect and appreciation for it. After all, it is completely optional, and it's nice to have an additional challenge once you've started finishing most of the game's other tasks. I'm sure there are a lot of players who appreciate having a challenging mini-game in Stardew Valley and don't mind having a more intense break from the coziness.

After beating Journey of the Prairie King, you'll get an achievement and also a personal arcade cabinet for your house where you can play the game at any time. While I personally don't touch it (once was enough for me), this can be a nice thing to have when playing a multiplayer game. I'm sure we've all played Stardew Valley games with a friend who likes to fully optimize every day and won't go to bed until the latest possible moment. The arcade cabinet can be a nice way to kill time while you wait.

Journey Of The Prairie King Deserves To Be A ConcernedApe Staple

Haunted Chocolatier Should Include Journey Of The Prairie King Or A Successor

While there will undoubtedly be a lot of differences between Stardew Valley and ConcernedApe's Haunted Chocolatier, I would actually not mind seeing Journey of the Prairie King return. It would be a fun connecting thread between the two games and be something of a signature for ConcernedApe's games. Even if it isn't the exact same game, it would be fun to see a Journey of the Prairie King 2 or a spiritual sequel in the form of another arcade cabinet.

Even if I didn't love Journey of the Prairie King, I can appreciate what it added to Stardew Valley. I think it could add a similar value to Haunted Chocolatier, or other future ConcernedApe projects made in the same vein as these games. The game is also a testament to ConcernedApe's skills as a developer, as he's capable of creating a challenging arcade-style game that is simply an optional mini-game within an already excellent experience.