As of February 26th, 2026, our lives have been blessed by the presence of Grampa and Pelican Town’s other delightful residents for ten years. Eric Barone, aka ConcernedApe released Stardew Valley, his one-man homage to Harvest Moon to immediate acclaim. Despite being a decade old, the game still boasts over 80,000 concurrent players on Steam frequently, and many more on other platforms.
The game still receives frequent free updates, adding more content and expanding on the existing world. This is part of why people keep coming back to it, but there’s more than just novelty. People absolutely love the game.
“I’ve had Stardew Valley since it first came out,” says Arianna Nalbach, a 24 year old journalist and content creator. “Even though I don’t actively play it as much anymore, it’s one of those games I still think about often and find a lot of comfort in it whenever I do decide to play it. One of my first true friends I made on Twitch, we made a farm together and ended up getting matching tattoos to commemorate. Something about it always just feels so nostalgic and comforting, no matter how long I go without playing it. To me, Stardew Valley is like that longtime friend you can go awhile without talking to, but when you see each other again, it’s like nothing changed, yknow? I love it a ton and the 10-year anniversary coming up has me inspired to play again!”
“I love Stardew to take a calming break from studies,” said 21-year-old student Ben. “I’ve tried similar games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but none match the atmosphere Stardew has. I like how you’re able to write your own story and explore. And the interactions with villagers makes it really homely. It’s a game where you can play as crazy as you want or as calm as you want and change up any time!”
Self-professed non-gamer Alex, 24, said, “I’m not big on gaming, but Stardew holds a special place in my heart. I love playing it to unwind after a stressful day. It is so simple and quaint and sweet. The game play genuinely makes me feel good, and I feel even better knowing I’m supporting an indie developer”
“Stardew is a game I play when I need some comfort,” said 19-year-old Amelia, a retail assistant at Mountain Warehouse. “Being able to escape to a world of farming, friendships, and building up a run-down farm from scratch is sometimes just what I need after a long day – and the game never gets dull or boring even after 10 years, it’s always the same reliable cozy blanket I need it to be.”
Stardew Valley is a game that I’ve enjoyed for many hours over the years. I’ve played it solo and co-op, vanilla and modded. You can play it the same way every time, planting the same crops and romancing the same NPC (Emily, my beloved), or you can take a different approach and spend your time fighting monsters in the mines. However you choose to play, Stardew Valley will be there to welcome you back to Pelican town
Feature Image Credit: ConcernedApe
Student journalist & freelance writer. Check out Quick Play, where I review video games that are 10 hours or less.
