Stardew Valleyproves that a large studio, high budget, and big name are not necessarily requirements to end up with a hit game. Created by solo developer Eric “Concerned Ape” Barone, theHarvest Moon-inspired life-sim demonstrates that passion and a clear creative vision are sometimes all a game needs to be a critical darling and commercial hit. As a result, many have high hopes forConcernedApe’s upcomingHaunted Chocolatier, which combines business management and life-sim mechanics with more combat reminiscent of the 2DZeldagames.
While ConcernedApe seems to be finished withStardew Valleyfor now, he has hinted thatStardew Valley 2isn’t off the table. However, the 2016 game will be a difficult act to follow. The nextStardew Valleygame needs to break new ground if it’s going to live up to its predecessor’s legacy, andStardew Valley 2could add to the formula by borrowing ideas from the overlooked Square Enix RPGHarvestella.
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How Harvestella Could Set the Stage for Stardew Valley 2
Published by Square Enix and developed by Live Wire,Harvestelladid not set the world on fire when it launched for PC and Nintendo Switch in 2022. Described by PC Gamer as “Square Enix’s answer toRune Factory,“Harvestellais an action-RPG with prominent life-sim elements. Players can gather their party and adventure across the land while stopping back at their home village to talk with and befriend the residents. Other common life-sim activities are present, including farming, fishing, cooking, romance, and marriage.
Harvestellalargely flew under the radar, with a mediocre Metacritic score of 74. Critics praised the game’s quest writing, unique visual design, and uniquely relaxing atmosphere for an action-RPG, but some felt thatHarvestella’s mechanics weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been. Some critics also thought that the game was overpriced compared to other farming sims, but its premise showed a lot of potential that aStardew Valleysequelcould take advantage of.
While it’s hard to say with absolute certainty thatStardew Valleytakes place in the real world given fantasy elements like witches and magic exist, it’s undoubtedly a down-to-earth setting. That’s arguably part of the point, as it is withother farming sims likeHarvest Moon, but the introduction of more fantasy elements could help to expand upon the brand in new and exciting ways.
A fantasy farming sim is not an entirely new concept, of course.Harvest Moon’s spin-off seriesRune Factoryhas been doing just that since 2006, and it’s likely thatHarvestellawas hoping to capture some of that same audience. However, while the series has remained popular in Japan,Rune Factory5had a mediocre critical reception due to the game’s dated graphics and lack of innovation. This creates an opportunity for a new game to shake up the status quo in the same way thatStardew Valleydid for series likeHarvest Moon.
It’s hard to say exactly what this fantasy farming sim might look like. Simply being a version ofStardew Valleyset in a fantasy realm would probably be enough to makeStardew Valley 2stand out. However, the fantasy premise would also let the developer experiment and get creative with fantastical crops and farm animals, or even entirely unique seasons likeHarvestella’s Quietus. Many games have players harvest radishes and milk cows, but not many let them chop down mushroom trees or collect silk from giant spiders.
The combination of an exciting setting with solid writing, good art direction and game design, and a talented creator is a recipe for a fantasy version ofStardew Valleyto see major success. The question then becomes who will be the first person to capitalize on this idea. ConcernedApe seems like a perfect developer for this kind of game, and might want to consider it ifhe ever commits toStardew Valley 2.
Stardew Valleyis available on mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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