Players are used to the notion that video games take a dedicated team of developers multiple years to make, and that's true in ninety-nine percent of cases. That's why it's especially impressive when one-person development teams manage to create great games, let alone great games that blow players out of the water and are among the most critically acclaimed of their generation. That's what ConcernedApe was able to do with Stardew Valley, the charming farming simulator that became an overnight sensation.
Stardew Valley has made an indelible impact on the video game world, and not many titles manage to do that, especially titles that are created by just one person. Before Stardew Valley came along, gamers might have dismissed many one-person titles, assuming that they couldn't match up to games created by larger teams with bigger budgets. ConcernedApe has almost single-handedly overturned these preconceptions, and it's not hard to see why.
Changing The Perception Of One-Person Games
There's no denying that ConcernedApe is uniquely talented, but his efforts to create Stardew Valley helped to shift preconceptions about one-person development teams. While there is a wide array of developers, and this translates to the types of video games that they release, there was a pervasive school of thought that bigger probably equaled better. Games with smaller developers were usually expected to be flawed or limited in some way, and that was part of their charm. But then ConcernedApe came along and completely changed the narrative around these smaller indie efforts, demonstrating how games that have more development power behind them can't always outshine the ones that don't.
Stardew Valley is a great game, regardless of whether players know it was the creation of just one person or not. It's been hugely influential on subsequent titles, and while it was by no means the first farming simulator, it's clearly inspired a whole slew of similar games like the upcoming Stone Age adventure Roots of Pacha. Building on the foundation of other farming simulators like Harvest Moon, ConcernedApe identified the ways their formulas could be improved and provided a much more nuanced, layered, and multifaceted experience. Stardew Valley was incredibly well-received and became an instant success, showing that solo doesn't have to mean simple when it comes to game development.
In-depth Game Design
Stardew Valley wasn't just a wholesome farming simulator. It was a surprisingly in-depth game that was full of hidden secrets alongside its comprehensive and engaging gameplay. It was well-designed on so many levels, from its combat to its relationship building, and it let players explore a thriving, authentic community as they grew their farms and raised their crops. This is even more impressive when players consider that ConcernedApe is filling all of these roles so successfully, from creating balanced, engrossing gameplay, designing the sweet but far from simple style, and devising complex characters with touching and very mature storylines.
There have been lots of incredible games made by one person, like the surprising and genre-subverting Undertale, the deceptively complex puzzle platformer Thomas Was Alone, and even the gaming behemoth that is Minecraft, which started off as a one-person project. These have all helped to change the game when it comes to one-person development, but Stardew Valley was instrumental in showing the gaming masses what one person could be capable of. This has helped to shift attitudes, and players that might have otherwise missed out on smaller titles simply because of the expectations surrounding them may now think twice about overlooking a one-person-created game.
Stardew Valley is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
