DIGGING IN

We speak to Concerned Ape himself, Eric Barone, about the state of STARDEW VALLEY in 2024

- Daniella Lucas

It’s been over eight years since this little retro farming game graced our PCs and stole everyone’s hearts. The nostalgia of its pixelated looks and the simple appeal of building your own farm appealed to many, and helped usher in the era of ‘cosy’ games. With over 30 million copies of the game sold, Stardew Valley has cemented itself as one of the best games of all time, but how are things looking in 2024?

We got the chance to speak with the game’s creator, Eric Barone (aka ‘ConcernedApe’) to talk about what it’s been like seeing the phenomenal growth of the game and take a look at all the changes Stardew has gone through since it first launched.

We asked Barone what his proudest moment making the game is: “Creating a world and a cast of characters that people enjoy,” he tells us. “It’s a world of the imagination that people feel they can exist in and feel it’s real. The lore of the world and characters has taken on a life of its own beyond what I thought possible. It’s been updated for so many years and so many people continue to engage with it. It’s cool to be in charge of this world and the infinite possibilities within it, a world that’s very special to a lot of people now.”

However, despite the game’s success there are still things he wishes he had done differently. “If I had known how popular Stardew Valley would be and how many updates and languages, I would have spent more time up-front in a way to make my life easier for making all these updates,” he admits.

HASN’T STOPPED GROWING