While some Stardew Valley theories analyze the most microscopic elements of the game, others take a look at it as a whole. For example, some players have posited that the player actually died at Joja at the beginning of the game and are actually in a form of limbo, the afterlife, or their own head the entire time. This would explain a number of classing farming simulator elements, but it's also a bit of a cop-out that can be applied to many fictional stories and can even pull interest.
Another Stardew Valley theory, however, says that ConcernedApe and Mr. Qi are one and the same person and that Stardew Valley itself is just a simulation made by Mr. Qi, a mysterious NPC who is only unlocked once a player puts a battery pack in the lockbox in the tunnel. A number of his dialogue lines reveal that he may be sentient, but furthermore, some fans have taken it a step further and believe that, should Mr. Qi have special knowledge or power in the world of Stardew Valley, he might actually represent ConcernedApe in-game.
Stardew Valley is a Simulation Made By Mr. Qi
Mr. Qi first appears when players put batteries into the lockbox, which can be reached by navigating to the tunnel, and near its middle, there is a hidden panel where the lockbox is located. After opening it, players will start The Mysterious Qi questline, consisting of three more quests: putting 10 beets inside Mayor Lewis' fridge, putting a Solar Essence in the sand dragon's mouth at the desert, and interacting with the lumber pile next to the farmhouse. This random assortment of quests will lead players behind Sandy's store at the desert, where players will get access to the casino. Mr. Qi can be found here from then on as well as in his walnut room on Ginger Island after finding 100 golden walnuts.
Not only can players exchange items for Qi gems, but this is also where players can find the perfection tracker. Like most games, players can complete Stardew Valley at 100%, but it's referred to as "perfection" and can be tracked in Mr. Qi's Ginger Island walnut room. It also has a list of specific tasks, including completing all monster goals at the Adventurer's Guild, maximizing affinity levels with all villagers, cooking every recipe, and crafting every item.
Much of Mr. Qi's dialogue in Stardew Valley is very ominous, and some have taken it to mean that he has gained sentience. He spends a lot of time encouraging the player to achieve greatness; for example: "Keep working hard and maybe you'll end up like me someday," and, "Never stop striving to achieve perfection. Settle for nothing less than excellence in everything you do." Mr. Qi's lines are similar when the player unlocks the casino, but he also says, "Didn't you ever wonder who put those treasure chests in the old mineshaft? I like to give people surprises."
It's possible that this is a reference to ConcernedApe putting surprises in Stardew Valley, but another line in which Mr. Qi states he "got to where [he is] through the force of pure willpower" has been taken as a parallel to ConcernedApe's life. The developer was a normal young adult with a degree in computer science who found unexpected success through Stardew Valley, a game he created solely by himself through self-motivation.
Other instances, such as Mr. Qi's knowledge of how the player reaches level 100 of the Skull Cavern, could imply that he's omniscient, and another where he states that he's "always behind the curtain, making sure the show is interesting," implies that he's in control of what goes on around the player. Some players have taken this to mean that the player's adventures in Stardew Valley are a simulation made by Mr. Qi which likely because when the player leaves Joja to live on the farm. But it could also be a symbol of ConcernedApe himself, controlling the events of the game and encouraging players to do great things.
Stardew Valley is out now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
