Eric Barone's Stardew Valley is one of the bigger indie game success stories in the industry, with the farming and life-simulation title boasting a huge playerbase and continual updates since it released in 2016. The upcoming Stardew Valley Update 1.5 will add a "Beach Farm" and more according to Barone, but anyone impatiently waiting for its release date to be announced can find a lot of fan projects, including mods, to occupy their time.
Given the laid-back nature of Stardew Valley, in which players primarily occupy their time tending to both their crops and relationships with the residents of Pelican Town, a lot of mods for the game are aesthetic additions. One player previously added films like The Godfather to Stardew Valley's movie theater, but this month another player took the idea a step further by adding Studio Ghibli content into the actual game world.
Nexus Mods user sopholophagus uploaded their "Ghibli Critters" mod to the site on December 10, saying it is the first mod they have ever made. Its conceit is simple: replacing the woodland creatures players can encounter with Ghibli universe-inspired representatives. For example, frogs and toads become the Soot Sprites from Spirited Away, and woodpeckers become Totoro from My Neighbor Totoro.
Eight critters can be swapped out using sopholophagus' mod as of this writing, though they say butterflies, seagulls, and blue jays may also get Ghibli counterparts in future updates. Woodland animals like rabbits and squirrels spawn naturally in Stardew Valley but typically only run away from the player when approached, so the mod adds a new aesthetic to the game rather than messing with any of its deeper mechanics.
Purely aesthetic mods of this nature are not uncommon for any game that has a dedicated modding community. For example, a number of players have recently created mods for Star Wars Battlefront 2 that add character models from The Mandalorian. That being said, Studio Ghibli fans will likely adore the idea of seeing its ideas peppered throughout a game like Stardew Valley.
As far as Stardew Valley's next major update goes, it may launch very soon based on Barone's social media post. The game's creator said Stardew Valley Version 1.5 may release before the end of 2020 on PC, with console ports receiving the update early next year. Fans will no doubt be waiting to jump back into their farms whenever the anticipated content drop arrives, and some may see a new collection of critters thanks to sopholophagus.
Stardew Valley is available now for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: Nexus Mods
