Cozy games are everywhere these days, covering everything from powerwashing cars to running businesses. But while the cozy genre has expanded significantly in the past few years, the classics have never faded. And this month on PlayStation Plus, subscribers can get one of the greatest cozy games of all time for free.
Stardew Valley builds on the legacy of the great farming sims that came before it, but it broke out as a mainstream success while franchises like Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons remained relatively niche. Following its smash hit status, plenty of other developers have put their own spin on farming and life sims, leading to a movement of games prioritizing chill over challenge.
Stardew Valley itself hardly needs an introduction. It’s sold over 40 million copies, won numerous awards, and remains a fixture in countless game libraries. Nearly a decade after its release, it’s one of the most enduring indie games ever made.
As modern life sims go, Stardew Valley doesn’t break the mold, because it established it. You start with a run-down farm in a town far away from your old life, which you’ll need to transform into your new home while becoming friends (and sometimes more) with your new neighbors. While you’ll need to split your time between farm work, fishing, light combat, and socializing, your priorities are up to you. The game’s success has cemented it as the blueprint that many cozy games still follow, even if it wasn’t Stardew Valley itself that originated most of these concepts.
Part of what made Stardew Valley such a success is that it was in the right place at the right time. It launched on Steam in 2016 when there was a real hunger for indie games on the platform, and a year later, the Nintendo Switch merged consoles and handheld gaming. That would prove crucial for Stardew Valley, as the rhythm of its in-game days is perfect for playing in small chunks before bed or on the bus. The majority of Stardew Valley’s sales are still on PC, but it’s also one of the Switch’s quintessential indie titles.
But the game’s success doesn’t just come down to happenstance, as another part of what’s made it so long-lasting is how much it’s grown since launch. Developer Eric Barone, aka ConcernedApe, has put substantial work into updating Stardew Valley to the point that working on patches has actually led to delays of his next game, Haunted Chocolatier. New dialogue and events have been added, as well as additional farm types, outfits, and rewarding gameplay systems. One of the biggest additions has been multiplayer, which turned Stardew from a solitary experience into a way to share farms with friends.
Given how popular it is, you likely don’t need much convincing that Stardew Valley is worth checking out. But if you’ve somehow avoided playing it for all this time, there’s no better way to jump in than getting it for free. It’s been out for so long that some of the games it inspired have arguably surpassed it, but there’s a reason it’s still so popular after all these years. Now is as good a time as any to see what all the fuss is about... or start another brand new farm.
