There’s a reason millions of burnt-out people have already found this game without anyone having to tell them. Stardew Valley is the game that appears in your life when your real life has become too much. It happened to me. It’s probably happening to you.
I started playing it at 10pm on a Tuesday when I was supposed to be sleeping before a night shift. I was still playing at midnight. I regret nothing.
What it is
A farming game where you inherit a run-down farm and build it into whatever you want. Grow crops, raise animals, fish, mine, cook, befriend the townsfolk, or ignore all of that and just fish in the rain for an hour. Nobody cares. The game doesn’t punish you for taking it slow. Nothing expires. Nothing dies (the chickens are fine, I promise).
Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and Mobile. Hundreds of hours if you want them.
Why it helps when you’re running on empty
You set your own pace. Nothing forces you to complete objectives on a schedule. If you just want to fish in the rain, you can. The game meets you wherever you are. Some weeks I played for hours building elaborate sprinkler systems. Other weeks I just wandered and talked to Linus. Both were valid. Both helped.
If you haven’t played this yet, you probably already know you should. Trust that feeling.
