Going Somewhere Harvest Moon Never Has
While Harvest Moon’s earlier Game Boy titles had limited multiplayer functionality, none of the series’ titles have ever delivered multiplayer to the same extent that ConcernedApe plans to with Stardew Valley multiplayer. As mentioned earlier, Stardew’s primary inspiration is Harvest Moon, and it would be neat to see ConcernedApe transcend his biggest influence in such a significant way.
In many ways, Stardew Valley surpasses the games that originally inspired it. With Harvest Moon recently falling on hard times in the eyes of many, Stardew Valley’s fresh take was an energy bolt into the vein of the farming-sim genre. In fact, Stardew’s success shows a strong, lingering desire for games like it and Harvest Moon, and a well-executed multiplayer addition could provide the genre with a second wind. If done correctly, Stardew Valley multiplayer could evolve farming-sims to a place they have never been, which is enormously hopeful for fans of the genre.
This post was originally written by Sean Pyle.
Making Agendas Manageable
Stardew Valley is an expansive game, and finding enough time during in-game days is nearly impossible. Whether the day’s plan is to fish, cook, harvest, or mine, working efficiently is absolutely essential. The hours pass like seconds in Pelican Town, especially when playing on a portable device like a laptop or Nintendo Switch. After a few blissful, relaxing moments of working along to Stardew’s pleasant tunes, the day is already over. Sometimes, especially for perfectionists, working at an appropriate pace seems impossible.
However, Stardew Valley multiplayer will change this paradigm. Now, through both LAN and online, players will cooperatively manage a farm. Duties can be delegated, momentous tasks can be shared, and hopefully, an incredible farm will be more obtainable than ever. The act of coordination, on its own, will become a new challenge for players to tackle cooperatively. Should everyone mine at the same time to get through the floors faster? Should everyone be separately doing different tasks? Who is going to pick up the newly finished Golden Pickaxe before Clint’s store closes?
A Relaxing Social Experience
Despite the relative shortness of Stardew Valley’s days, working in Pelican Town and its surrounding countryside is mostly relaxing. After players develop their personal flow and routine, fulfilling the day’s obligations becomes a meditative romp through Stardew Valley’s beautiful, SNES-inspired world. Becoming immersed in Stardew Valley is a risk that threatens your real life, and the compelling qualities of the game suck hours away like few others can. Having fun is never a waste of time, but living these long hours with friends would certainly make the experience more valuable.
Leisurely checking off daily objectives with friends would be a peaceful way of spending time together and would help the game’s boring tasks be more enjoyable. As a purely social experience, Stardew Valley multiplayer has extreme value. If you and some friends all start a farm together, countless hours will inevitably be spent managing and designing it.
Great to Play With a (Non-Gamer) Significant Other
If you’re a gamer with a non-gamer significant other, then you probably have tried to find accessible cooperative games in the past. While the platforms Stardew Valley is available on have no shortage of good co-op titles, Stardew Valley multiplayer will be a uniquely great package for two. Stardew is already a simple game to pick up and play, even for those with little gaming experience, but having two players in the mix will make it even easier for those who don’t often play games.
With relaxing music, extensive collection systems, and rewarding tasks, Stardew Valley multiplayer has enormous potential as a date night game. Even better, Stardew Valley will likely be less frustrating than some other popular offerings, like the multi-platform Overcooked, or Nintendo Switch exclusive Snipperclips. Of course, whether or not “couch co-op” will be included in the Stardew Valley multiplayer package is still unclear. Worst case scenario, each player will require his or her own console. But what household doesn’t need two of the Nintendo Switch?
Shared Exploration and Accomplishment
Even though Pelican Town’s magic is slightly worn out to those who have already put hours into Stardew Valley, many still have much to see in the magical town. To avoid spoiling anything, I’ll simply say this: Stardew Valley contains more than meets the eye, and only dedicated, inquisitive players will eventually uncover the secrets ConcernedApe layered into his work. Avoid consulting the wiki for help, at least for a while. Instead, relish the time you spend in Stardew before knowing everything. Discovering Pelican Town’s oddities is extremely satisfying, and one of the game’s best elements.
This exploration will be even better in Stardew Valley multiplayer, especially if all players involved are in their first foray with the farming-sim. When I first played through, I remember getting stuck on relatively simple problems on a few occasions. Again, I won’t spoil what I eventually figured out, but the issue I faced was finding clay. The solution was ultimately simple, but having another brain working to work together would have made that silly barrier far more passable. Of course, Stardew Valley also contains a plethora of surprises throughout, and being able to experience these with friends or family will make the moments more impactful.
Any big Stardew Valley fans? On PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, or Nintendo Switch? What are your thoughts on the upcoming multiplayer additions? Let us know in the comments below.
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