Stardew Valley proves that a large studio, high budget, and big name are not necessarily requirements to end up with a hit game. Created by solo developer Eric "Concerned Ape" Barone, the Harvest Moon-inspired life-sim demonstrates that passion and a clear creative vision are sometimes all a game needs to be a critical darling and commercial hit. As a result, many have high hopes for ConcernedApe's upcoming Haunted Chocolatier, which combines business management and life-sim mechanics with more combat reminiscent of the 2D Zelda games.
While ConcernedApe seems to be finished with Stardew Valley for now, he has hinted that Stardew Valley 2 isn't off the table. However, the 2016 game will be a difficult act to follow. The next Stardew Valley game needs to break new ground if it’s going to live up to its predecessor’s legacy, and Stardew Valley 2 could add to the formula by borrowing ideas from the overlooked Square Enix RPG Harvestella.
How Harvestella Could Set the Stage for Stardew Valley 2
Published by Square Enix and developed by Live Wire, Harvestella did not set the world on fire when it launched for PC and Nintendo Switch in 2022. Described by PC Gamer as "Square Enix's answer to Rune Factory," Harvestella is an action-RPG with prominent life-sim elements. Players can gather their party and adventure across the land while stopping back at their home village to talk with and befriend the residents. Other common life-sim activities are present, including farming, fishing, cooking, romance, and marriage.
Harvestella largely flew under the radar, with a mediocre Metacritic score of 74. Critics praised the game's quest writing, unique visual design, and uniquely relaxing atmosphere for an action-RPG, but some felt that Harvestella's mechanics weren't as fleshed out as they could have been. Some critics also thought that the game was overpriced compared to other farming sims, but its premise showed a lot of potential that a Stardew Valley sequel could take advantage of.
While it's hard to say with absolute certainty that Stardew Valley takes place in the real world given fantasy elements like witches and magic exist, it's undoubtedly a down-to-earth setting. That's arguably part of the point, as it is with other farming sims like Harvest Moon, but the introduction of more fantasy elements could help to expand upon the brand in new and exciting ways.
A fantasy farming sim is not an entirely new concept, of course. Harvest Moon’s spin-off series Rune Factory has been doing just that since 2006, and it's likely that Harvestella was hoping to capture some of that same audience. However, while the series has remained popular in Japan, Rune Factory5 had a mediocre critical reception due to the game’s dated graphics and lack of innovation. This creates an opportunity for a new game to shake up the status quo in the same way that Stardew Valley did for series like Harvest Moon.
It's hard to say exactly what this fantasy farming sim might look like. Simply being a version of Stardew Valley set in a fantasy realm would probably be enough to make Stardew Valley 2 stand out. However, the fantasy premise would also let the developer experiment and get creative with fantastical crops and farm animals, or even entirely unique seasons like Harvestella's Quietus. Many games have players harvest radishes and milk cows, but not many let them chop down mushroom trees or collect silk from giant spiders.
The combination of an exciting setting with solid writing, good art direction and game design, and a talented creator is a recipe for a fantasy version of Stardew Valley to see major success. The question then becomes who will be the first person to capitalize on this idea. ConcernedApe seems like a perfect developer for this kind of game, and might want to consider it if he ever commits to Stardew Valley 2.
Stardew Valley is available on mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
