The farming simulator Stardew Valley is one of the most popular indie games today, but a recent interview highlighted the importance of its creator eventually stepping away from the title. ConcernedApe, or Eric Barone, notably created the extensive game by himself, and has likewise released many immense updates to the game since its original debut. However, Barone has also made it clear that this is not a development cycle that can last forever.

The last major update to Stardew Valley brought the game to version 1.6, although there have since been smaller alterations providing things like bug fixes and game balance adjustments. In some ways, it is easy to say that a 1.7 update to Stardew Valley did not come for a long time, if at all.

Stardew Valley Only Needs So Much Content

Having Too Much To Do Would Bloat The Game

Speaking to NPR, Barone acknowledged that while he can see himself releasing an update for Stardew Valley "even 50 years from now," he does not want the game to be his sole focus for all of that time. Of course, ConcernedApe is already working on a new game, Haunted Chocolatier, which rightfully deserves the developer's attention more than a title that is itself already over a decade old. But more than that is the fact that, as ConcernedApe points out in this same interview, it is entirely possible that "a game can have too much content."

For Barone, making a game too big can actively detract from the entertainment it would otherwise provide. This is something that I can fully understand; although massive games can be entertaining, there is a point where a nearly never-ending list of content to work through becomes more of a chore. In that scenario, people may begrudgingly work through the game to completion, or simply abandon it; in either case, the experience is generally more bitter than enjoyable. As a result, I have found myself seeing Stardew Valley's future as likely being much more sedate than its development history to date.

Of course, it is worth noting that there is more than one mod that massively expands Stardew Valley, finding success online for that very reason. These types of mods are especially popular when one has already explored most, if not all of the original game. However, the fact that these are mods, rather than official aspects of the game, means that they are fundamentally optional. In other words, if somebody does not want to play with this content, they are under no obligation to if they are aiming to explore everything that Stardew Valley has to offer.

Endless Updates Eventually Hit A Breaking Point

Expanding A Game Too Much Can Begin To Damage Its Core Appeal

In the case of Stardew Valley, this means that while Barone could continuously update the game with more and more new content, he would eventually reach this breaking point as a result. Although it seems that he does not necessarily feel that Stardew Valley has reached this state, I can see that it is nevertheless beginning to reach the limits of what one farming sim game should reasonably be. After all, even in its base state, the game was an incredible success, and it has only grown since then.

Although there is always the potential for new features, which the extensive list of popular mods for Stardew Valley only proves, after a while it becomes increasingly clear that little that can be considered a true improvement on the core gameplay loop. Although it may be fun to get to grips with features like new crops, livestock, or other produce, Stardew Valley already contains everything it needs to be a long-lasting farming simulator. Likewise, expanding other aspects of the game could risk diluting this same core gameplay, pulling it away from its core concept.

Furthermore, simply being an enormous game can itself be a double-edged sword. Although big updates can be very exciting to long-time players, this additional content may only make the game more daunting to people who are new to Stardew Valley, or indeed any other similar title. With so much to do, some people may find themselves dissuaded from playing the game, due to the inherent time investment that this would entail. Again, this would only be to the game's detriment if it continues to grow, especially as its current size is already more than satisfactory.

Games Like Haunted Chocolatier Could Be Great

ConcernedApe's Future Releases Are Likely To Be Just As Fun As Stardew Valley

Ultimately, Stardew Valley is only one game, and it should not be the sole focus of its creator. Again, ConcernedApe is also working on Haunted Chocolatier, and this new game could easily be as much of a success as Stardew Valley has been. With that in mind, even if the farming sim goes many years without an update, people should not be disappointed by this. Instead, they should look forward to Haunted Chocolatier, as well as any other future games from ConcernedApe.

Although Haunted Chocolatier is described as being similar to Stardew Valley, including being a game about moving to a new town and making a new life, its gameplay will reportedly be much more action-based than the farming sim is.

Because of this, although Stardew Valley 1.7 would be incredible to see, I am just as happy waiting for the next ConcernedApe game to arrive instead. Mods are more than capable of expanding the former game if I want to dive into a bigger experience, and the latter could easily have just as much potential as its predecessor in time. ConcernedApe has more than proven his skill in creating fun gameplay, and I am eager to see what he will create for his next title.

For a long time, I have been invested in seeing how Stardew Valley will grow and evolve over the years. Each update has opened up amazing new possibilities, and built up a richly detailed world with fascinating locations, characters and more. Now, however, I have to acknowledge that this growth cannot continue without end, and that that next major addition could be a very long way away. But at the same time, this happily only creates even more possibilities, with ConcernedApe moving on to focus on other, equally intriguing projects.

Source: NPR