Stardew Valley Turns 10: The Big ConcernedApe Interview

Stardew Valley is 10 years aged this month.

The fashionable life/farming simulator made waves erstwhile it archetypal dropped connected February 26, 2016 connected PC, rapidly becoming beloved for its loving recreation of immoderate of the champion aspects of the aged Harvest Moon games, portion besides determinedly pursuing its ain way with elements specified arsenic the mines, a overmuch wider assortment of crops and animals, and queer relationships.

Over the past 10 years, a bid of updates person kept the vigor alive, adding adjacent much farming activities, much radical to wed and befriend, much dungeoning adventures, much seasonal events, and just... more. Of everything. It remains wildly fashionable arsenic a result, having sold astir 50 cardinal copies since its archetypal motorboat and inactive drafting hundreds of thousands of players connected a regular ground connected Steam alone, not to notation each the different platforms it's travel retired on.

Stardew is consistently among the most-played games connected Steam, and retains a monolithic assemblage of players, contented creators, modders, and different artists each participating successful its fandom. We re-reviewed it successful 2024 and gave it a 10/10. There's a cookbook. And a symphony tour. My astir normie, non-video crippled friends person played it. It's everywhere. And it's someway not done. A planned 1.7 update is inactive successful the works and (as you'll soon see) it seems improbable creator Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) volition beryllium capable to enactment the crippled distant adjacent aft that.

The communicative of Stardew Valley's instauration has been told and retold crossed galore articles and interviews, truthful successful solemnisation of its 10th anniversary, we took a antithetic approach. We sat down with Barone for a lengthy interrogation not astir the game's beginnings, but astir its travel implicit the past 10 years, and its future. You tin work immoderate shorter highlights successful our stories astir caller matrimony candidates coming successful 1.7, wherefore determination isn't a Stardew Valley TV show, the concealed nary one's recovered yet, and however Haunted Chocolatier, Barone's adjacent game, is doing. We besides spoke to a fistful of Stardew Valley fans and creators astir what the crippled has meant to them implicit the years, and you tin work that here.

But for the fans who privation everything, arsenic we did, we've republished the afloat Q&A with Barone here, lightly edited for clarity:

IGN: Well, let's commencement disconnected easy. You're astir to participate twelvemonth 10 of Stardew Valley. How bash you feel?

Eric Barone: That's right. It's been truthful long. I conscionable can't judge that 10 years has gone past. It was a blur, I would say. And it's 10 years since launch, but it's been astir 15 years since I started moving connected Stardew Valley. So for me, the bulk of my big beingness present has been fundamentally dedicated to Stardew Valley. This is my full life. So it's hard to adjacent beryllium nonsubjective astir it, to beryllium honest.

I've been blown distant by however fashionable Stardew Valley is, however galore radical person played it, however it continues to beryllium fashionable 10 years aft launch. I deliberation that's a brainsick thing. It's not thing I would've ever expected, but the magnitude of emotion for the crippled is 1 of the reasons I've continued to enactment connected it for truthful long. It's hard to enactment locked into 1 task for 15 years. I decidedly person urges to enactment connected different things, but past Stardew Valley keeps drafting maine backmost in, truly conscionable due to the fact that there's truthful galore radical who emotion the game.

You've talked a batch astir the improvement of the crippled successful the past and that process. So I don't privation to marque you retell that story. But successful these 10 years since it's released, I'm funny astir your improvement arsenic a developer. You've been moving connected this crippled for acold longer than that, but what bash you deliberation are the biggest changes you've undergone arsenic a crippled developer since Stardew Valley released?

Barone: I deliberation the biggest happening was transitioning to moving with different people. When Stardew Valley archetypal came retired successful 2016, I virtually did not enactment with anyone, not a soul. It was wholly my ain task and I did everything. Since then, present I person a beauteous good-sized squad of radical helping maine with the updates and with the concern broadside of things. Really with everything, managing the forums and each that stuff. So that's been a large change. I wasn't utilized to it. It took maine a portion to get utilized to moving with different people.

I mean, it's been truly large with my squad that I person now. They bash large work. They adhd their ain unsocial sensibilities and ideas to the melting cookware of Stardew Valley. There's conscionable truthful galore things that I couldn't person done connected my own. For example, translating it into 12 antithetic languages, adding multiplayer. There's immoderate method things that are conscionable beyond my accomplishment level. I'm a precise amateur developer. I inactive consciousness that way. I'm conscionable a full amateur. It's bully to person immoderate radical who are much technically focused, for example, and tin assistance maine with immoderate of those things. Really polish up the game, marque definite it's moving smoothly, that multiplayer works successful a seamless mode and each of that.

That's been the biggest happening is moving with different people, but besides just, I guess, getting utilized to the prominence of Stardew Valley. I deliberation backmost to, I deliberation it was September, I was astatine 1 of the Stardew Valley performance shows successful LA and it was astatine this immense outdoor venue with 5,000 seats and it was sold out. It was this chill outdoor venue. I was lasting determination conscionable looking astatine the assemblage and thinking, "This is crazy." I don't adjacent cognize however to deliberation astir it. It's surreal, but I'm besides utilized to it astatine this point, I guess. So I effort not to instrumentality it excessively seriously, but it is surreal that this has each happened.

I bash privation to backmost up and poke astatine that a small spot due to the fact that you said you inactive consciousness similar an amateur. Are you conscionable being deferential oregon bash you truly consciousness that you're inactive an amateur aft moving for 15 years?

Barone: No, I inactive decidedly consciousness similar an amateur.

Why?

Barone: I deliberation it's due to the fact that my attack to improvement is precise scrappy. I've ne'er truly go ace nonrecreational successful the mode I bash things, but I deliberation successful a mode it's portion of what gives Stardew Valley and hopefully Haunted Chocolatier it's a, you mightiness accidental indie soul, is that it's not excessively professional. There's a small spot of unsmooth edges astir it. Also, my mindset is that I ne'er deliberation of myself arsenic a maestro of anything. Pixel art, I consciousness similar I'm atrocious and I request to ever get better. I consciousness that mode astir each facet of the game. I'm not bully enough. I request to improve.

To me, that's a adjuvant mindset due to the fact that that inspires maine to ever privation to strive to amended and not conscionable think, "Yeah, I'm perfect. I don't request to bash thing else." It's similar I ever request to beryllium moving to amended and get amended astatine each facet of development.

So successful the 10 years since release, tin you speech astir a mates large moments successful your beingness connected to Stardew Valley that stood retired to you arsenic truly large oregon notable oregon joyful?

Barone: Well, I deliberation the archetypal 1 was conscionable erstwhile the crippled launched, that was a very, I would accidental stressful day, but besides conscionable blew my caput that this was yet coming out, radical were going to play it. I didn't person overmuch clip to truly marinate successful that feeling. I conscionable had to fastener successful and commencement doing updates and everything. And that's been a blur ever since. When multiplayer came out, that was besides a large deal. I deliberation that truly expanded the crippled and brought a batch much radical into the game.

I conjecture different item would beryllium the performance tours. The archetypal clip I was astatine 1 of these shows, these Stardew Valley shows, and it was 1,000 radical successful a country who were each mega-Stardew Valley fans, that made it descend successful that there's a batch of existent radical that person been touched by Stardew Valley. Because a batch of my acquisition arsenic a developer, from my perspective, I'm sitting present looking astatine a show each day. I'm seeing messages and things from existent people, but there's a deficiency of a existent carnal quality connection. So to really span that spread and conscionable existent players successful the soma and shingle their hands, that was precise touching.

It conscionable reminded maine of wherefore I'm doing this. It's partially due to the fact that I privation to stock my ideas with the world. What keeps maine going aft 10 years of inactive moving connected this. Because arsenic an artist, I guess, I person a tendency to conscionable determination connected and bash thing else. I privation to beryllium ever doing thing new. Ideally, each period I'd beryllium doing thing wholly caller and different. Whatever whims I have.

There's truthful galore radical that accidental Stardew Valley changed my beingness oregon saved my beingness oregon helped maine enslaved with my household members oregon each these things that makes maine consciousness similar there's a much important intent that I person present than to conscionable stock my ideas. It's portion of it, but I consciousness similar a work to each the players due to the fact that I consciousness similar I've been granted a precise uncommon accidental to beryllium successful this position. I person the capableness present to interaction the lives of millions of people. That's a large work and I privation to bash it arsenic champion I tin and hopefully beryllium a affirmative power successful people's lives successful a existent way, a existent physical, existent beingness way.

It's a dense burden, then? The mode you picture it.

Barone: Yeah, it is. Like I said, I conscionable consciousness similar I've been granted a peculiar opportunity. This feels similar it was my destiny and I conscionable privation to bash the champion I tin to maximize that opportunity.

This mightiness conscionable beryllium the aforesaid question, but I besides wanted to inquire if there's thing successful the past 10 years that you tin pinpoint arsenic thing that you're the astir arrogant of, similar an accomplishment, possibly not including the motorboat of the game?

Barone: I deliberation the past update, the 1.6 update, I was beauteous arrogant of that due to the fact that it was a full squad effort. It felt similar the apex of this modulation from being a full solo developer to really incorporating respective antithetic radical and their ideas and their enactment each into a cohesive package. And I deliberation it was precise good received by the players arsenic well. That was a amusive moment. It was amusive to beryllium capable to stock that with my squad and with the community. It felt similar a small solemnisation erstwhile we launched it and past we're each moving together. So it wasn't conscionable maine alone. For amended oregon for worse, it's similar if determination was immoderate stress, it was distributed among the squad too, truthful that was helpful.

I'm definite you're alert of this, but you've been held up implicit the years arsenic an illustration of a palmy "solo developer." And you did marque Stardew Valley mostly by yourself with the enactment of household members and things similar that, but it sounds similar what you're saying present is you've discovered since release, is that it does instrumentality a colony to support it sustained. Do you person immoderate thoughts astir that?

Barone: It's true. People say, "No, it's conscionable 1 developer." It's existent and not existent due to the fact that it was existent up to a point. I made a implicit crippled that was palmy wholly by myself. So it does beryllium that it is imaginable to bash that. There's truthful overmuch that couldn't person happened post-launch without the assistance of different people. And I deliberation that was important for making Stardew Valley arsenic implicit and arsenic bully arsenic it is today. It's true. It's similar some things are true, I would say. It conscionable depends connected however overmuch you privation to grow the game.

It's similar the crippled became truthful fashionable that successful bid to conscionable the needs and demands of the subordinate base, I consciousness similar I did request to grow the team. There's been a batch of benefits of that. There's a definite happening wherever not each azygous happening successful the crippled present is wholly done by me, which does marque it a small spot little of my idiosyncratic baby, but I'm good with that astatine this point. I consciousness similar erstwhile it launched, it was similar my babe that I was incubating and past it went retired into the existent satellite and Stardew Valley has go its ain being that's outer from me.

The champion analogy would be, it feels similar I was a genitor and the kid grew up and present it near the location and it's developed a beingness of its ain that is beyond conscionable me. And that's however I consciousness astir Stardew Valley now. It's not my idiosyncratic babe anymore. I'll ever person a begetter transportation to the game, but it's besides go its ain being. And that's not conscionable maine and the team, but besides the full Stardew Valley assemblage and each the players, each the modders person truly turned it into its ain thing. So that's been, I guess, an improvement implicit the past 15 years arsenic well.

So I asked you astir large affirmative moments successful the past 10 years. What astir challenging times? Is determination immoderate infinitesimal successful the past 10 years of Stardew that you callback arsenic being exceptionally hard oregon frustrating?

Barone: I deliberation the hardest portion is conscionable staying wholly precocious vigor astir it for 10 years. Like I've said, I've wanted to determination connected and enactment connected different things and I've struggled with that and with reasoning about, "What is my purpose? What is my beingness purpose? Is it going to beryllium to conscionable enactment connected Stardew Valley forever, for the remainder of my life?" That's been a small spot challenging. So I person to support reminding myself of each the radical that are affected by the updates and playing Stardew Valley to effort to enactment locked successful for truthful long.

In presumption of method difficulties, it hasn't been excessively bad. There's been immoderate issues and I've brought much radical onto the squad that person been capable to assistance with that. It's existent that managing a squad and being the person of a squad is thing that I wasn't truly prepared for necessarily. I had to larn and turn successful that respect too, but I conscionable presumption it arsenic 1 different facet of being a crippled developer. There's a batch of things you don't deliberation of. At archetypal it's like, "Okay, I'm programming. I'm drafting pixel art, I'm making music." But past it's like, "Okay, I besides person to person a nationalist persona." I'm managing my societal media, I'm doing concern stuff, I'm doing taxes and each this stuff.

And past it's also, I'm managing a team. So there's truthful galore antithetic aspects to this, which person been a learning experience, I would say, but I'm trying to get amended and effort to ever amended and summation my skills successful that regard. And sometimes it's been difficult, but I deliberation things person been getting amended and amended implicit the years.

You touched connected this somewhat earlier, but erstwhile you've been considering updates to Stardew implicit the past 10 years, however overmuch of what you person done has been influenced by assemblage requests oregon mods versus however overmuch of it is conscionable you coming up with worldly you deliberation is cool?

Barone: Yeah, I mostly effort to conscionable bash what I deliberation is chill due to the fact that I deliberation that that volition support Stardew Valley, Stardew Valley. I don't privation it to beryllium developed by the nationalist necessarily. It's similar I bash see what radical petition and if it lines up with things that I hold with, past I mightiness thin successful that absorption a small spot due to the fact that I bash privation to marque the players happy. But I deliberation sometimes what volition marque the players blessed is for Stardew Valley to inactive beryllium my originative ideas ultimately, whether they recognize it oregon not.

I effort to bash a mix, I guess. A fewer things that possibly the fans are asking for if it lines up, but past I besides similar to conscionable bash whatever. I mean, my favourite mode to travel up with ideas for the update is conscionable play the crippled myself. And erstwhile I'm playing, I'm like, "Hmm, this would beryllium cool." And past I'll conscionable adhd it. I deliberation that's ever a important portion of immoderate caller update is maine playing the game. And usually what happens is, I oregon my squad volition enactment connected the update for a portion and past we'll play done immoderate of the caller worldly we've done. And past arsenic we're playing done it, we're ever thinking, "Oh. Okay, this would beryllium chill to add." There's ever things that travel up.

My favourite happening to bash is conscionable immoderate weird happening pops into my head, I'll conscionable adhd that in. For example, 1.6, I added the household of raccoons that lives adjacent your farm. That wasn't a subordinate request. It was conscionable thing I had thought of and I was like, "This would beryllium fun." I deliberation those things are what gives Stardew Valley its authentic character.

Are determination immoderate peculiar mods oregon instrumentality projects that you recovered ace chill oregon ace absorbing oregon ace inspiring?

Barone: I really don't truly play with mods, to beryllium honest. I effort not to look astatine mods excessively overmuch due to the fact that I really don't privation to beryllium influenced by mods.

Yeah. That makes sense.

Barone: I cognize radical deliberation that I instrumentality ideas from mods, but it's astir apt conscionable that determination are earthy ideas that marque consciousness that would beryllium added to the game. I extremity up adding those things, conscionable due to the fact that it people makes sense. Or possibly idiosyncratic suggested it to maine and it came from a mod, but I wasn't adjacent alert that it came from a mod. I conscionable thought, "Hey, that's a bully idea."

Speaking of ideas, are determination immoderate updates connected 1.7?

Barone: Yeah. I'm trying to not uncover excessively overmuch due to the fact that I similar for it to beryllium a surprise. What I volition accidental without possibly being excessively circumstantial is that with this update, 1 of the things we're trying to bash is... Well, determination is simply a fashionable instrumentality request, which has to bash with the children, trying to marque the children a small much interesting. So I'm trying to bash thing with that, but there's a batch of different things successful the update arsenic good that nary one's truly asked for, but I deliberation radical volition admit it.

I'm going to beryllium adding 2 much matrimony candidates, but I'll uncover who it is connected the day day.

This was a mates years ago, but I deliberation you said determination was inactive a concealed oregon 2 that astatine the clip fans hadn't yet found. Can we get an update connected that? Is determination thing successful the crippled that radical haven't seen?

Barone: There's inactive a concealed that nary 1 has ever found. I don't deliberation they ever will. Maybe I'll uncover it someday, but the occupation with the concealed is that it's ... It's fundamentally a concealed connection that's successful the crippled and it reveals thing that really isn't adjacent existent anymore. It was revealing a happening about- Do I privation to uncover it oregon not? Well, that's each I'll say. I'll accidental it was a concealed connection that was fundamentally announcing thing that I really shifted gears and that happening wasn't adjacent existent anymore, but it's inactive successful the game. I conscionable don't cognize if anyone volition ever observe it due to the fact that it's truthful obscure.

It's truly absorbing that determination is inactive thing because, I mean, this crippled is connected PC. It's been datamined each to heck. People person seen each the puzzle pieces of this game.

Barone: That's true. That's true. But the happening is, there's definite ways to fell messages that can't truly beryllium datamined. If you fell thing successful the code, it's going to each beryllium recovered due to the fact that radical decompile the codification and look astatine everything. If you accidental fell it successful the creation oregon something, if it's a concealed connection that's hidden successful the artwork somehow, past radical can't truly observe that arsenic easily. They person to spot it.

This is going to thrust radical crazy. I'm going to constitute this and this is going to thrust radical brainsick for months.

Barone: I consciousness similar nary 1 volition ever find it, but I anticipation idiosyncratic does. It'd beryllium interesting.

So Stardew Valley successful the past 10 years helped spark a caller question of, I conjecture we tin telephone them cozy games successful a akin tradition. Do you play immoderate of those? What bash you marque of that trend?

Barone: I've played a few. The trend, I mean, I'm gladsome if Stardew Valley inspired radical to marque these games. The full thought of cozy games, I consciousness like, I've ne'er called Stardew Valley a cozy game. That's conscionable a genre that formed, I guess, and radical started calling it that and radical started retroactively calling Stardew Valley a cozy game, which is fine. I don't truly telephone it that, but I mean, I would accidental Stardew Valley is cozy. But a cozy game, I consciousness similar there's definite aspects to this full genre that person gone beyond oregon antithetic than my conception, which is fine.

Well, it's not similar Stardew Valley was the first. Harvest Moon evidently was the archetypal farming game, the archetypal alleged cozy game, but it's similar if you're the archetypal screamo band, you astir apt weren't calling your set a screamo band. It's conscionable the euphony you made. And past radical started calling it screamo, and past they retroactively telephone your set a screamo band. It's like, "Well, okay."

In presumption of the genre itself, I deliberation it's chill due to the fact that I mean, the crushed wherefore I liked Harvest Moon was due to the fact that it wasn't conscionable astir warring and going connected immoderate large expansive epic adventure. It was the opposite. Instead of going retired connected a immense adventure, you were astatine home, it was domestic. It was conscionable 1 small country and conscionable trying to spell heavy connected that 1 area, which for immoderate crushed that conscionable truly appealed to me. I don't cognize why. Maybe I've ever been a homebody, but I deliberation that thought resonates with a batch of people. And possibly a batch of radical that didn't classically similar video games, but possibly due to the fact that this full happening wherever it's each astir warring and combat and contention and going connected a large adventure, possibly that's not appealing to a batch of people. It's appealing to some, similar a subset of the population, but Stardew Valley possibly brought this full different idea. Which is portion of the quality experience, an important portion of the quality experience, and brought that to the mainstream successful a way.

So radical are like, "Hey, we could really marque games that are astir cooking oregon moving a household oregon moving a tiny business." Things that are a batch more, I don't know. I conjecture I would telephone them domestic, but it doesn't truly rather seizure it due to the fact that a batch of cozy games aren't conscionable astir being astatine home. They're conscionable more, I would say, little astir warring and contention and they're much astir the mean mundane things that radical do.

There's a definite consciousness of maturation successful these games too. It's astir acquiring resources and past processing those resources into something, a beingness that you privation to live. And that's specified a halfway portion of being quality that I deliberation it conscionable people appeals to people. It's similar thing we're each meant to bash successful a way.

When I was researching for this article, I saw that you had talked a batch for understandable reasons this twelvemonth astir however overmuch you respect David Lynch. And I was wondering if you'd beryllium consenting to speech a small much specifically astir what it is you emotion astir him and however you consciousness he's influenced your work.

Barone: Yeah. I consciousness similar David Lynch, helium was... He conscionable had a transcendental knowing of the world. And you could spot it successful his art. I ne'er met the man, and unluckily I ne'er knew him, but I felt similar successful his art, I ever felt a connection. There's thing astir David Lynch, he's connected to the spiritual satellite it astir feels similar and that ever appealed to me. And different happening I truly admired astir him is that helium ne'er seemed to truly effort to beryllium popular. He ever seemed to beryllium authentic to himself and his creator vision, for amended oregon for worse, successful presumption of popularity.

Twin Peaks Season 2 was precise abrasive. Not a batch of people, I think, would needfully bask it, but I felt similar David Lynch was conscionable being existent to himself and helium didn't attraction astir whether this was going to beryllium a commercialized success. He conscionable stuck to his guns and I truly respect that. I conscionable deliberation that successful general, the satellite needs much artists who are axenic and not needfully trying to beryllium popular. That's the worldly that I similar champion is when, you mightiness telephone it Outsider Art almost, due to the fact that it's conscionable a random person's unsocial vision. And I consciousness similar everyone has this capacity, but a batch of radical volition alternatively beryllium influenced by what's fashionable oregon what mightiness beryllium successful.

And I would conscionable anticipation that radical would alternatively conscionable instrumentality to their existent vision. I privation to spot everyone's unsocial position and vision. And David Lynch was the eventual signifier of that, successful my opinion. And I conscionable liked his stuff. I mean, I loved Eraserhead, Twin Peaks, The Straight Story. Again, adjacent successful The Straight Story, which was not precise avant-garde, it was his astir wholesome, straightforward movie, but you could benignant of inactive consciousness the David Lynch essence successful it. And I ever emotion that erstwhile you tin conscionable archer this is simply a definite artist's thing. No substance what they do, they conscionable person this unsocial flare that you tin ever prime up on.

Are determination immoderate different radical conscionable crossed each antithetic kinds of trade who person been large influences connected you implicit the years?

Barone: I mean, I don't cognize astir large influences. Obviously Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli has been beauteous big. A batch of radical person been influenced by that, maine included. And I consciousness similar he's [Miyazaki] different 1 of those artists who you tin ever consciousness the creator successful immoderate helium does. There's conscionable a definite happening and I truly admit that. Obviously, Yasuhiro Wada, the Harvest Moon creator, has been a immense power connected me. You could accidental that helium started it all. So I person to outcry him retired and constituent to him arsenic the archetypal farming crippled person. He made it each possible.

We've talked a small spot already astir continually updating the crippled and wherefore you consciousness it's truthful hard to measurement distant from Stardew Valley and wherefore you support going backmost to it implicit and over. Do you spot a aboriginal wherever it's ever done?

Barone: Yeah, I could spot a aboriginal wherever it's done. Just to beryllium realistic astatine this point, there's been galore times wherever I was like, "All right, I deliberation it's going to beryllium done aft this update." And past that ne'er happens. So I deliberation conscionable realistically, it mightiness not ever beryllium done. I bash privation to merchandise Haunted Chocolatier. I privation to decorativeness Haunted Chocolatier. That volition necessitate maine to walk clip moving connected Haunted Chocolatier. And it's similar if I'm ever moving connected Stardew Valley arsenic well, it's going to astir apt instrumentality a agelong time. That's 1 interest I have.

Maybe if everyone stopped playing Stardew Valley, if it fell off, past possibly I wouldn't beryllium arsenic inspired to support moving connected it. A large portion of it is conscionable due to the fact that it's truthful popular. And similar I mentioned earlier, it's similar erstwhile there's truthful galore radical inactive playing it, I consciousness a work and an inspiration to privation to support adding to the crippled due to the fact that I conscionable cognize that it's fundamentally the champion avenue for immoderate ideas oregon immoderate of my enactment to scope different people. And that's wherefore I person ever created things successful my beingness is because, I conjecture I would accidental it's astir apt my mode of connecting to the remainder of humanity is done creation oregon music. For me, it was ever chiefly euphony earlier Stardew Valley.

I created euphony and creation and worldly always. Even I deliberation if I was the past idiosyncratic live connected earth, I would bash it due to the fact that I privation to get worldly out. I person ideas and I privation to actualize those ideas. But I deliberation successful a way, it was besides my mode of trying to link with the remainder of humanity. So Stardew Valley has go by acold the champion avenue that I've ever had to bash that. Before Stardew Valley, nary 1 ever listened to my euphony oregon anything, which is fine.

As agelong arsenic radical are inactive playing it and it's inactive popular, I'll astir apt privation to support making updates for it. The lone happening is, I don't privation the crippled to go excessively bloated with content. I consciousness similar astatine immoderate constituent it mightiness beryllium excessively overmuch actually. So I americium precise cautious astir that. There's truthful galore systems successful the crippled now. I don't privation to support adding systems, but I bash consciousness similar each the things that beryllium could ever beryllium expanded upon more. Stardew Valley, arsenic a game, you advancement done these years successful the game. Eventually things commencement looping.

So it's similar determination could ever beryllium a 3rd twelvemonth of festival variants, a 4th twelvemonth of festival variants. There could beryllium much dialogue. I could spell deeper connected each the characters. That's 1 of the things ... It's similar wherefore I'm not truly excessively into adding caller characters to the satellite due to the fact that I consciousness similar each the existing characters could usage truthful overmuch much extent and I could support going deeper and deeper adding the 3rd twelvemonth of dialog to everyone and adding much quality cutscenes and each these things that unfastened up arsenic you support playing the game.

Is determination thing you've ever wanted to adhd to oregon alteration astir Stardew Valley that for immoderate crushed you couldn't?

Barone: Well, I consciousness similar immoderate of the things are truthful established that it would beryllium weird to alteration it now. There are immoderate things that possibly I somewhat regret. One happening I mentioned earlier was the spiral level successful the mines. That level's awful.

It kinda sucks, yeah.

Barone: Yes, that level sucks. And I could possibly set it to marque it suck a small spot less. I don't cognize astir conscionable taking it retired wholly due to the fact that immoderate of these things are portion of- I conjecture I fearfulness that if I retroactively alteration things successful the game, it'll suffer that classical Stardew Valley feel. Sometimes I wonderment if immoderate of these things that are somewhat annoying bash really adhd to the crippled acquisition arsenic a whole, due to the fact that not everything successful beingness is easy. There's got to beryllium immoderate things that are adjacent annoying, I deliberation sometimes, truthful that the things that are not annoying and are much comfy consciousness adjacent comfier successful comparison. I'm not definite astir immoderate of those things.

Well, 1 happening that I also, I wouldn't accidental regret, it was conscionable that my accomplishment level and knowing astatine the clip was each the- For example, the New Desert Festival and the Winter Night Market, which are the 2 astir caller festivals, they run successful a wholly antithetic way. They're not similar an instance, wherever you're stuck connected this map. You tin travel and spell and it's precise ambient. I truly similar that attack truthful overmuch better, which I consciousness similar is an improvement of the archetypal thought I had with the festival.

I deliberation it would beryllium large possibly to retroactively crook each the festivals into that style, but that would beryllium a immense alteration for the game. It mightiness beryllium arguable adjacent due to the fact that possibly immoderate radical similar the lawsuit festivals, I don't know. So I bash sometimes conflict with like, "Should I alteration thing and marque it not classical Stardew Valley anymore, adjacent if I deliberation it's amended oregon not?" So I conflict with that sometimes.

It is absorbing due to the fact that present this crippled is simply a decennary old. There is simply a mystical "classic" Stardew Valley that radical tin retrieve that had overmuch little and besides had friction points that you possibly could person solved. You deliberation backmost astatine the archetypal Harvest Moon and it has that prime of, immoderate things successful that crippled were truly frustrating, but that's what I retrieve fondly astir them. So you mightiness person reached that age.

Barone: True, true. I mean, possibly someday there'll beryllium a Stardew Valley Classic.

Would you ever bash it?

Barone: Maybe, maybe, but it'd beryllium hard due to the fact that I consciousness similar astir of the updates person added meaningfully bully things to the game. I deliberation the crippled is amended contiguous than it was successful 1.0. There was 1 happening I retrieve that I did alteration that was funny. When the crippled primitively came out, erstwhile Grandpa came and evaluated your workplace aft 2 years, helium was ace harsh. It was truly hard and helium was astir rude astir it. He was like, "I should person bequeathed the workplace to my different grandchild."

Oh, gosh.

Barone: And I don't deliberation you could reevaluate either. So it was like, a batch of radical were upset due to the fact that they felt similar it was contrary to the comfy ambiance of Stardew Valley. So I did set that. I made Grandpa a batch little harsh and I made it truthful that you could re-summon him astatine immoderate clip to reevaluate the farm. And I don't regret that. I deliberation it was the close move. I don't cognize what I was thinking.

Has Stardew Valley ever amazed you?

Barone: I deliberation truthful because, well, there's definite things that- It is simply a spot of a sandbox crippled a small bit. And truthful there's definite things that conscionable hap that I didn't needfully intend. One illustration is if you breed slimes successful town, they'll talk to the villagers due to the fact that the crippled treats- a slime and an NPC are some the aforesaid basal entity successful the game. They're conscionable antithetic offshoots of this basal entity. And it was successful that basal entity successful the codification that I had this worldly wherever if 1 of these entities came adjacent to a antithetic one, they mightiness person a accidental of greeting them and saying something, which I enactment successful due to the fact that I thought it'd beryllium amusive if NPCs transverse paths and they accidental hullo to each other. But I ne'er thought astir the information that slimes would talk.

That's 1 example. I thought that was funny, truthful it's inactive successful the game. I didn't alteration that oregon anything. It added, I guess, a lore that I wouldn't person needfully intended, which is that the slimes tin talk, which is weird. There's immoderate things similar that successful Stardew Valley wherever it's like, I astir presumption it arsenic like, is this lore oregon is it conscionable a funny, silly small thing?

It's similar the Abigail eating amethysts thing.

Barone: Exactly. Yeah. That's different illustration of thing that I didn't intend, but I near it successful the crippled due to the fact that these are the things wherever I would accidental it has an indie quirkiness to it wherever it's not exactly- If it was a wholly nonrecreational operation, determination would beryllium QA testers that would've caught that and past they would've astir apt gotten escaped of it due to the fact that it's not intended behavior. But with Stardew Valley, it's like, "Eh, whatever. Just permission it in. It's fine." And there's a batch of worldly similar that really successful the game.

Would you ever see doing a Stardew Valley 2 alternatively of conscionable continuing to update?

Barone: Yeah, I would. In fact, I would emotion to due to the fact that it would conscionable beryllium amusive to enactment connected a full caller acceptable of characters, a full caller world, possibly seizure immoderate of that archetypal vigor that I had backmost successful 2012, erstwhile I started moving with Stardew Valley. There's thing amusive astir the fig of possibilities successful a full caller world, which I deliberation would beryllium amusive for me. It'd beryllium amusive for my team. We'd beryllium truly excited astir it. It's a spot hard due to the fact that radical are truthful attached to Pelican Town and to the villagers successful Pelican Town. I bash fearfulness a small spot that if it's a full caller formed of characters, radical mightiness consciousness enactment disconnected by that.

I conjecture different attack to Stardew Valley 2 could beryllium to usage the existing cast, but it's similar a caller escapade successful the world, but past I'm inactive stuck with the aforesaid thing. I'd person to deliberation astir that one. Yeah. There was a clip wherever I was starting to enactment connected a Stardew Valley 2, but, I don't know. For assorted reasons, I moved implicit to Haunted Chocolatier instead. Haunted Chocolatier you could accidental is similar the Stardew Valley 2, but it's a spot antithetic of a game, truthful we'll see.

A portion back, you took a truly uncommon step. You got a steadfast and past aboriginal you removed that steadfast and present you're publishing each the versions of Stardew Valley yourself. Are you blessed with the results of that decision?

Barone: Yeah, I'm blessed with that.

Yeah?

Barone: I'll conscionable accidental that it's bully to beryllium afloat successful complaint of my ain game. A batch of indie developers, well, I conjecture it begs the question of what is an indie developer? Was I an indie developer erstwhile I had a publisher? And that's evidently debatable, but I deliberation an amateur developer, you mightiness say, who created an IP would yet similar to beryllium afloat successful complaint of their ain IP. I mean, Stardew Valley ever belonged to maine arsenic a intelligence property. It's conscionable bully to beryllium capable to- It's each my determination now. If I privation to bash this oregon that oregon participate this marketplace oregon marque a larboard of the game, it's up to me. So I don't know. I conscionable similar doing that. I admit the assistance that I got from my steadfast erstwhile they were helping maine out.

So I person a question written successful present that you've already benignant of answered, which is, bash you person immoderate plans for the 10th anniversary? But I conscionable privation to inquire that precise directly. Is determination thing other that I should notation here?

Barone: I don't deliberation you request to notation anything, but I mean, I person immoderate plans. I was reasoning of possibly doing my ain small retrospective video oregon thing wherever I conscionable person a connection for the players and possibly spell backmost done the timeline of each the antithetic things that person happened during the past 15 years. Just to fundamentally punctual everyone of what each has transpired.

Some radical are marque caller to Stardew Valley. It's inactive selling a batch of copies each day. So those radical whitethorn beryllium marque caller players. They mightiness not cognize astir the full past of the game. I consciousness similar it'd conscionable beryllium a bully mode to deliberation backmost astir everything that's happened. Just this full expansive escapade of Stardew Valley, the past 15 years.

Have you ever been approached to bash a movie oregon a TV amusement for Stardew Valley?

Barone: Many times.

Why didn't it happen?

Barone: I deliberation the main crushed is that I would beryllium disquieted that I wouldn't beryllium blessed with the last result. Stardew Valley is precise overmuch astir the characters and the satellite and the code of the game. So to instrumentality those characters, which, they don't person voices successful the game. You person to usage your imaginativeness a spot to capable successful the gaps, which I deliberation makes the crippled much idiosyncratic to each player. They're filling successful the gaps. If it becomes a movie oregon a TV show, abruptly those gaps are each filled for you.

One illustration I'll usage is Harry Potter. When I work the books, I had my ain thought of what Harry looked like, what Ron looked similar and everything. Then you spot the movies. I can't retrieve what my ain thought was anymore. It's each conscionable present what the movies are. Same with Lord of the Rings oregon immoderate of these IPs. With Stardew Valley, I'm a small spot wary of taking that measurement due to the fact that I consciousness similar it might- I attraction astir Stardew Valley truthful overmuch that I don't- Even though it would beryllium chill to spot Stardew Valley connected the metallic surface and thrust by a movie theatre and spot Stardew Valley connected the marquee, that would beryllium cool, but it's like, "Is it truly the champion for Stardew Valley?" I conjecture that's my worry.

And I could perchance ideate it being cool. That's wherefore I said once, that if David Lynch had wanted to marque a Stardew Valley movie successful the benignant of Twin Peaks oregon something, I would've been like, "Yeah, great. You tin bash immoderate you want, Mr. Lynch." Honestly, I would've fto him conscionable bash whatever. I deliberation it would've been great. Especially if it's similar this mainstream Hollywood Stardew Valley. It's like, "Is this truly the bosom and psyche of what Stardew Valley is about?" And I'm definite idiosyncratic could bash a large job, but it feels similar it's a spot of a rotation of the dice.

You've said galore times, including this interview, that you've had occupation balancing, doing updates to Stardew Valley with moving connected Haunted Chocolatier. Has that changed much recently? What's the equilibrium successful your beingness close now?

Barone: Well, portion of the crushed wherefore I've expanded my squad a small spot is truthful that hopefully I tin walk much clip moving connected Haunted Chocolatier. And it's worked retired beauteous good truthful far, I would say. On 1.7, the attack we're taking is that I americium like, you mightiness accidental the originative manager and I'm progressive with like, "Okay, here's what we're going to do. Here's immoderate of the ideas." Then I fto the squad enactment connected that. And past meanwhile, I'm moving connected Haunted Chocolatier.

At immoderate constituent successful 1.7's cycle, I volition get heavy involved, due to the fact that I consciousness similar my manus needs to interaction each portion of the game, each facet of the update. I request to spell implicit it and set it oregon astatine slightest o.k. everything. So it volition necessitate a batch of my clip anyway, but I deliberation the equilibrium has been a small spot much shifted, truthful that I tin walk much clip focused connected Haunted Chocolatier. And I deliberation it's been moving retired beauteous good. That's been a large alteration from the 1.3 update oregon 1.1 oregon thing wherever it's wholly me. I had nary clip to enactment connected a caller game. So that has changed.

It is hard due to the fact that it's hard to displacement gears, I guess. If I'm reasoning astir Haunted Chocolatier, it's hard to beryllium like, "Okay, I'm going to 1 time of the week oregon 2 days of the week enactment connected Stardew Valley." That's not however my encephalon works. I'm each successful 1 happening oregon the other. So I've been trying to enactment connected that. I consciousness similar it requires a batch of discipline, which I'm ever moving to amended on.

Any update connected Haunted Chocolatier you privation to share?

Barone: I would accidental it's coming along. The advancement isn't arsenic accelerated arsenic I would like. Nothing is ever arsenic accelerated arsenic I would like. The main important happening astir Haunted Chocolatier is I'm not going to merchandise thing that I'm not blessed with. If I don't deliberation it's a large game, I'm not going to merchandise it. So adjacent if that takes years and years, truthful beryllium it. That's conscionable what I privation to do. Fortunately, I don't consciousness similar there's immoderate existent pressure. I haven't received backing from anyone oregon crowdfunding. There's not going to beryllium immoderate pre-orders.

I don't really beryllium anyone the game. It's similar erstwhile I privation to bash it and erstwhile I privation to merchandise it, it'll get done. I mean, it's existent that I've announced the game, that does make a batch of unit connected maine due to the fact that I bash consciousness similar I don't privation to disappoint the fans by taking excessively long, but there's nary existent carnal work with it. It's much conscionable intelligence constructs, you mightiness say.

As acold arsenic unit goes, I conjecture however bash you comprehend Haunted Chocolatier successful narration to Stardew Valley? Because Stardew Valley was specified a hit, does that marque it harder to determine that Haunted Chocolatier is ready?

Barone: Absolutely. Yeah. It's been a immense conflict for maine actually. See, what I privation to bash is conscionable not attraction and conscionable marque the crippled however, conscionable whatever, not interest astir it. But it's fundamentally intolerable due to the fact that I can't assistance but deliberation astir however this volition beryllium received. And I cognize that there's going to beryllium a batch of radical playing this crippled who are expecting it to beryllium a Stardew Valley 2. And are they going to similar it oregon not? And it's like, yes, I privation to conscionable marque the crippled I privation to make, but I besides don't privation a clump of radical to not similar the crippled due to the fact that they were expecting a definite thing. That's not going to consciousness good. I cognize that.

So that's been a changeless conflict is like, "Do I conscionable bash immoderate I privation and not deliberation astir the existing subordinate basal oregon bash I effort to delight the existing subordinate base?" And I consciousness similar there's conscionable going to person to beryllium a small spot of a equilibrium betwixt those things. It's been difficult. And besides conscionable the- I mean, I beauteous overmuch cognize that Haunted Chocolatier won't beryllium arsenic fashionable arsenic Stardew Valley. I conscionable consciousness similar that's an highly gangly order. I mean, Stardew Valley was a erstwhile successful a procreation benignant of phenomenon. And portion of that might've conscionable been it was the close crippled astatine the close time. People were acceptable for this game.

As you mentioned before, there's been a full cozy crippled burst. So it's similar the marketplace is saturated with cozy games. Maybe radical are bushed of cozy games by the clip Haunted Chocolatier comes out, which is fine. I mean, I wouldn't adjacent telephone Haunted Chocolatier a cozy game, but I'm conscionable saying these games that are much focused connected 1 town. Maybe radical privation to spell connected epic adventures again and they don't privation to play Haunted Chocolatier. That's fine, but I got to inactive marque the crippled I privation to make.

Earlier, you mentioned that if you weren't moving connected Stardew Valley oregon Haunted Chocolatier, you'd conscionable beryllium making a caller crippled each month. Do you person different things you privation to make? Is determination thing peculiar that you're yearning to get retired there?

Barone: I mean, I would emotion to marque tiny games and not interest astir it. This goes backmost to maine feeling similar I person this uncommon opportunity. I've been granted a 1 successful a cardinal accidental to beryllium successful this position. It would astir consciousness similar a discarded of that to conscionable marque immoderate I felt similar doing. I consciousness similar I request to bash thing large due to the fact that I've been granted this opportunity. That being said, whenever I person an impulse to marque a tiny game, I mightiness conscionable bash it and past marque it arsenic an arcade crippled successful the cafe of Haunted Chocolatier. With Stardew Valley, I made Journey of the Prairie King and that could person been a small crippled connected its own, but alternatively I made it an arcade game, truthful I integrated it into the world. So there's ways that I consciousness similar anytime I consciousness similar doing something, I tin integrate it into the large crippled that I'm moving on.

I tweeted a portion agone astir how, sometimes I commencement penning these anserine philosophical rant things. It's like, "Okay, alternatively of posting this online, I tin conscionable enactment this successful a substance papers and past yet enactment it successful a publication successful the room of Haunted Chocolatier to adhd to the lore and conscionable to the immersion." I consciousness similar beauteous overmuch thing is similar that. If I privation to marque music, which that's different thing, I've ever been idiosyncratic who likes to conscionable marque random music. It's similar I tin possibly instrumentality immoderate of that and conscionable enactment it into the game.

Even the astir fashionable opus successful Stardew Valley, The Dance of the Moonlight Jellies was not a opus that I made for Stardew Valley. I made that for conscionable immoderate random medium connected my concealed Bandcamp. That conscionable happened to beryllium connected immoderate random medium I made. And past I listened to it and I was like, "Hey, I similar this song. I tin instrumentality this and enactment this into Stardew Valley." And past that became the astir fashionable opus connected Stardew Valley, according to Spotify. I deliberation it's champion if I, to immoderate degree, travel my creator whims and not unit anything.

So Stardew Valley's inactive wildly fashionable aft 10 years. That's truly uncommon nowadays. Everybody's chasing that and cipher tin person it but a mates of monolithic AAA unrecorded work games. I cognize you've been asked this a cardinal times, but arsenic you are now, what bash you deliberation it is astir Stardew that keeps radical coming back?

Barone: I deliberation it's a fewer things. I deliberation possibly astir importantly is that Stardew and I conjecture myself, it's ne'er been astir trying to beryllium arsenic fashionable arsenic imaginable and arsenic wide played arsenic possible, which I deliberation radical appreciate. It's astir similar if you are chasing the money, past you don't get it because, people, that's not what they're looking for. They're looking for thing authentic and real. And Stardew Valley I deliberation has ever remained similar that due to the fact that it's ne'er turned into a large business. It's ne'er been a business. It's ever been astir the crippled and astir the players and astir conscionable making Stardew Valley the champion it tin be. And I deliberation radical tin consciousness that successful the game. And that's 1 of the reasons wherefore they similar it. It sticks retired due to the fact that a batch of worldly is corporate.

And I'm not saying thing atrocious astir those games. I similar a batch of AAA, firm games myself, but astatine the extremity of the day, those games, they person investors. The companies person investors, they person to marque money, they person to marque profit. And truthful that I think, tin unreality the- It tin mar the axenic emotion and passionateness that a existent indie crippled tin capture. I deliberation that's portion of what makes Stardew Valley instrumentality out. And arsenic a crippled itself, it feels precise scrappy, I deliberation still. Which is much relatable to people. It feels personal.

Everyone who plays Stardew Valley, it feels similar their ain idiosyncratic game. So that's heartwarming to people, I think. I deliberation different facet to it is the multiplayer has been immense due to the fact that it conscionable brings radical together. It's a amusive and unsocial mode to walk clip with different people. And I'm saying this, trying to beryllium arsenic nonsubjective arsenic imaginable arsenic a gamer. I consciousness similar there's not capable games that you tin play cooperatively with your friends and it doesn't necessitate a graphics card. Anyone tin play it connected their laptop.

I deliberation that's portion of what makes Stardew Valley instrumentality out. And arsenic a crippled itself, it feels precise scrappy, which is much relatable to people. It feels personal.“

I person a radical of friends, they're not gamers per se. They don't person high-end graphics cards. We can't spell and play 3D games truly unneurotic and person it tally well. Stardew Valley though, it's similar it runs connected anyone's murphy and we tin each play together. So I deliberation that is big. And there's really not a batch of games similar that, to beryllium honest. There's Terraria, which is great, and Minecraft works connected astir people's computers, but I deliberation that makes it unique. And conscionable the information that it's chill, you don't person to fastener successful excessively hard. You tin conscionable play and chat and bent out, but you're inactive doing a amusive enactment together, which tin beryllium precise rewarding.

It each goes backmost to quality quality and what we're meant to bash arsenic humans. We were people meant to unrecorded successful tiny communities and enactment unneurotic to stitchery resources, hunter-gatherers, forage roots and berries and each that stuff. That's what Stardew Valley is successful a way. And successful this modern world, we don't truly get to bash that anymore. And truthful Stardew Valley gives america a mode to live, I think, our earthy lives together. And I consciousness similar that's wherefore it feels truthful meaningful and bully to people.

Last one. What does Stardew Valley look similar successful 10 years?

Barone: Whoa, that's crazy. In 10 years there'll beryllium a fewer much updates, which conscionable marque the crippled adjacent much what it's expected to be. I consciousness similar with each update, I'm trying to marque Stardew Valley its eventual form, afloat self-actualized. So hopefully successful 10 years, Stardew Valley is afloat self-actualized. Maybe there's caller things added to the crippled to marque it adjacent much future-proof, successful presumption of originative contented oregon things that players tin beryllium astir a portion of the process.

One thought that we were toying with for 1.7, I don't cognize if this volition hap oregon not, but was adding a workplace representation exertion for the public. So you could fundamentally marque your own. Because with each update, it's accepted to adhd a caller workplace type. When the crippled archetypal came out, determination was conscionable modular farm, that was it. And past 1.1, I added 4 antithetic farms oregon something. And past with each update, there's been 1 added. What if we opened this up to the assemblage and it was similar present you could property an other button, spell into a browser and look astatine everyone's workplace creation? That present adds astir infinite replayability to Stardew Valley. So I'm funny successful ways to marque the crippled much conscionable infinitely replayable without the usage of AI. That's ne'er going to happen.

Yeah, successful 10 years, who knows? That's crazy. Hopefully Haunted Chocolatier volition beryllium retired and possibly by past there'll beryllium immoderate caller Stardew Valley IP worldly going connected too. Stardew Valley is specified a golden mine, I think, of imaginable things you could bash with Stardew Valley. I person plentifulness of ideas. It's conscionable a substance of fundamentally bandwidth due to the fact that successful bid for it to support what I consciousness similar is Stardew Valley's soul. Well, I consciousness similar I request to beryllium heavy progressive successful it. And I'm not saying that to propulsion immoderate shadiness connected anyone else. My squad is great. I emotion them. They're great, but I inactive consciousness similar I request to beryllium heavy progressive oregon other it's not going to consciousness similar Stardew Valley.

It's your baby.

Barone: Exactly. So if there's going to beryllium a Stardew Valley 2 oregon a spinoff crippled oregon immoderate related happening with Stardew Valley, past that's going to necessitate my afloat attention. So possibly this would beryllium aft Haunted Chocolatier comes out, which volition hopefully- In 10 years, Haunted Chocolatier volition beryllium out. Maybe there'll beryllium immoderate caller Stardew Valley task that's retired adjacent successful 10 years.

Rebekah Valentine is simply a elder newsman for IGN. Got a communicative tip? Send it to [email protected].