Video games once earned a reputation for being nothing but war simulators. Thankfully, we’ve largely moved on from that narrow perception, in no small part thanks to games like Stardew Valley, which shows its core theme of kindness in several fundamental ways.
17 Best Cottagecore Indie Games, Ranked
No duds, no filler—just the best cottagecore games, packed with charm, depth, and cozy surprises.
Stardew Valley goes a long way in emphasizing kindness and approaching problems with a gentle hand. It doesn’t shy away from the darker parts of the world, such as depression and alcoholism, but the experience of them is seen through the lens of empathy. Here are some examples of why Stardew Valley is one of the kindest games of all time.
10
It Encourages You to Go at Your Own Pace
There’s No Wrong Way to Play
In my most recent playthrough of Stardew Valley, I spent the entirety of the last week of Winter crushing rocks in preparation for the Spring. This ended up being one of my favorite weeks, partially because of Stardew Valley’s comforting gameplay loops, but also because there weren’t any repercussions for not earning tens of thousands of gold every single day.
It just drove home that this is a game that truly lets you do whatever you want. Stardew Valley doesn’t hold your hand, which means it can have a learning curve. In a world that can feel like it’s measured by deadlines, entering a world where there’s no punishment for going at your own pace can be cathartic.
9
Everyone in Pelican Town has Problems
The Message of Hope Lies Here
There are a lot of residents in Pelican Town, and getting to know all of them on a meaningful level can take a bit of time. As their stories gradually unfold and they trust you more, they begin to open up to you. It soon becomes clear that even if a person is all sunshine, they’re likely struggling with something.
The problems that Pelican Town’s residents face range from relatively benign to tragic, but they’re all treated with the gravity they deserve, and from a point of empathy. There’s a catharsis in seeing your problems reflected in a game, especially when you have the power to help these characters overcome them.
8
Choosing the Slow Life Over Corporate
There is Another Path
Stardew Valley’s player character comes from a corporate life, and their journey begins when they pivot to a slower life in the countryside. You can approach this new life however you like, but streamlining your farm to maximize profits largely goes against the spirit of Stardew Valley and turns a relaxing experience into a stressful one.
Stardew Valley: 10 Ways To Make A Second Playthrough Different
For anyone looking for another reason to play Stardew Valley again, look no further. This list has everything you need.
Stardew Valley’s music, soundscape, and countryside setting are the perfect environment to unwind. At its core, it encourages you to forget about the stressors of the real world and indulge in a place where you have full control over your life. The gameplay loop is designed to take it one day at a time and, as the seasons pass, there are new things to do on your farm and with other characters that enrich your experience.
7
Helping Residents Overcome Their Real-World Flaws
There’s Comfort in Empathy
There are a couple of characters in Pelican Town who are off-putting when you meet them. I had problems with Shane, in particular, where he tells you to leave him alone for three entire hearts before he says anything else. I’ve also triggered George’s homophobia, and Alex drops some misogynist comments when you first talk to him.
As you get to know everyone in Pelican Town, you learn that these characters don’t lead perfect lives. They’re all flawed in some way or another, and those flaws create a world that reflects the real one in very meaningful ways. Each of their stories has a positive outcome, and seeing these real-world problems getting positive development is comforting even if it’s in a cozy game.
6
Stardew Valley Champions Kindness
Helping Others Heal Comes with Rewards
This isn’t unique to cozy games, but many don’t offer a callous option when dealing with characters like in Stardew Valley. Choosing the kinder option over anything cold-hearted or dismissive is consistently rewarded. An example is Leah’s two-heart event, where you get the option to ask Leah for a kiss, which locks you off from seeing her later heart events.
As your relationships progress, you can pick options that help them choose the best path forward and nurture their best qualities. It’s very possible for your actions in Pelican Town to have a net positive effect on the town as the characters begin to deal with their problems. Approaching these characters with empathy and a belief in the potential to better yourself is a core part of Stardew Valley.
5
Sound and Music
Listen to the Birds
Stardew Valley isn’t just peaceful in its visuals and gameplay loop, but also in its soundscape. Its music oscillates between joyful and tranquil, but it also includes lengths of silence where the sounds of nature are allowed to come to the fore.
These gaps rarely happen in video games, where there’s either silence or wall-to-wall music. This works within their contexts, but the silence in Stardew Valley feels very deliberate. Rather than the hustle and bustle of the city, Pelican Town and its surrounds are filled with the sounds of nature. There are birds calling to each other, squirrels and rabbits foraging, and the sound of the wind rustling leaves. This all sends the clear message that this is the kind of place where anyone can find respite.
Fixing the Town Restores Nature
The heart of the game is best told and represented by the mechanics involved in restoring the community center. As the residents of Pelican Town begin to heal, the community center’s restoration brings back key features of the town that allow it to expand and thrive.
Supporting Joja Mart also renovates Pelican Town, but the key difference in healing the community center are the forest spirits that facilitate its restoration. Community development projects via Joja simply require money, while collaborating with the forest spirits involves working with nature and interacting with the different systems in Stardew Valley, particularly ones that involve nature surrounding Pelican Town.
3
It’s Stands Against the Tide
There is Only One Developer and Free Updates
Stardew Valley stands in defiance of AAA gaming companies in several ways. Rather than having hundreds of developers, it is made by just one person. It has a simple, pacifist concept, and yet Stardew Valley topped the Steam review chart. It’s affordable, on multiple platforms, and ConcernedApe continues to release free updates, with the ten-year anniversary update in development.
This is a breath of fresh air for gamers. Not only are AAA studios turning to microtransactions and in-game marketplaces for even cozy games to maximize profits, but the price of AAA games on PC has recently hit the $80 mark. Getting a game that’s so successful and yet made with love and care is a rare find.
Stardew Valley’s community is one of the best in gaming circles, which can be notoriously toxic and competitive. Rather than falling into this trap, Stardew Valley’s fandom is supportive and welcoming to new players, with tons of online guides and an active subreddit with veteran players open to answering questions for new players.
The supportive community also extends to its mods. Stardew Valley has one of the most diverse and extensive modding scenes of any game, where players create mods the size of entire expansion packs and make them available to the community for free. They do this with the support of ConcernedApe, and all because of their love of the game.
1
The Main Message
Reaching Towards Hope
All in all, the core theme of Stardew Valley is hope. Things get better, not worse, as you progress the stories of the residents of Pelican Town. Even characters such as Krobus and the Dwarf get a narrative filled with hope and healing.
Aside from Stardew Valley’s main story, the basic gameplay loop and mechanics are forgiving. There’s no death state, forgetting to water your plants isn’t the end of the world, and there are so many things to do that there isn’t one path to success in Stardew Valley. Take your time, develop your farm, and build a life that’s a little more forgiving than the real world.
10 Cozy Games for Players Who Love to Explore Beyond the Farm
Cozy games have evolved over time, with some of the best offering rewarding exploration among other new features, but not all succeed.
- Released
-
February 26, 2016
- ESRB
-
Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
-
ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
-
ConcernedApe
- Engine
-
Proprietary
- Cross-Platform Play
-
Stardew Valley does not currently support crossplay between different consoles and PC