Stardew Valley farming game beginner guide
Also known as: Stardew, Stardew Valley farming game
A friendly Stardew Valley guide: farming seasons, energy and time, the Community Center, fishing, mining, friendships, co-op play and tips for your first year.
- Type
- Video game
- Players
- 1
- First released
- 2016
- Designed by
- Eric Barone
- Developer
- ConcernedApe
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Stardew Valley is a farming and life game created by Eric Barone, who works under the name ConcernedApe. He made almost everything himself, including the code, art and music, and released it in 2016. You leave a tiring office job to take over your grandfather's old farm near Pelican Town. The farm is overgrown, the town's Community Center is in ruins, and a large company store is trying to move in. Over seasons and years you clear the land, grow crops, raise animals and become part of the community. The game is famous as a success story of a single independent developer, and it has received many free updates that keep adding content years after launch.
Our verdict
Stardew Valley is calm, warm and deeply satisfying. Watching a messy field turn into a well-planned farm gives a steady sense of progress, and the villagers' stories make the town feel alive. You can play slowly and relax, or plan carefully to earn as much as possible. Co-op makes it a lovely game to share with a partner or friends.
What works
- Relaxing yet rich with goals and secrets.
- Charming villagers with real stories.
- Co-op play and many free updates.
What does not
- The first weeks can feel slow while energy is limited.
- Daily routines may become repetitive for some players.
How to play Stardew Valley
Each in-game day lasts a few minutes of real time. You wake up, water crops, care for animals and then choose how to spend the rest of the day. Every action uses energy, so you cannot do everything at once; eating food restores it, and you must go to bed before late night or you will collapse. The year has four seasons of 28 days, and most crops grow only in certain seasons. Selling crops and goods earns gold for better tools, buildings and seeds. Besides farming, you can fish with a timing mini-game, mine for ore and gems while fighting monsters in a deep cave, forage for wild items and cook. Giving gifts and talking to villagers builds friendships, and some can become your partner. Completing bundles of items for the Community Center restores parts of the town. Friends can join your farm in co-op mode.
Tips for new players
- Plant only what you can water in your first days; energy runs out fast.
- Check the television each morning for weather and luck forecasts.
- Upgrade your watering can and build sprinklers as soon as possible.
- Collect one of everything you find; many items are needed for Community Center bundles.
Good for
Stardew Valley: common questions
Can you play Stardew Valley with friends?
Yes. Stardew Valley has co-op multiplayer where friends share one farm and play together online or, on some systems, on one screen.
Does Stardew Valley ever end?
No. There is an evaluation after the second year, but you can keep playing your farm for as long as you like.
Who made Stardew Valley?
Eric Barone, known as ConcernedApe, created the game largely by himself, including code, art and music.
Stardew Valley belongs to its owners. Playdonya is not connected to them and does not sell this game; the cover is our own illustration.
