Stardew Valleycreator Eric Barone (also known as ConcernedApe) has said that he might make a sequel… eventually. Earlier this month, he appeared on the Tiger Belly podcast to speak with host Bobby Lee about the game. During the podcast, he said, “I might eventually make a Stardew Valley 2, to be honest.”
Don’t get too excited just yet. Any sentence that includes the words “might” and “eventually” make for an incredibly tenuous statement of intent, if there is any intent at all. If it does happen – and that’s a big if – it’s a very long way away.
But this made me wonder what a sequel to Stardew Valley would look like at all. As all of us are surely aware, we’re talking about one of the most iconic and successful (itsold ten million copies last year alone) indie games of all time, which cemented the cosy genre in the imagination of gamers everywhere and led to a huge rise in contemporary popularity for the farming life sim genre.
It’s also a game that’s changed a lot in the nine years since it was first launched – there has been an astounding amount of content added over more than 50 updates. I’ve even written about howit’s really time for Barone to stop. The guy seems to havea pathological needto put out every idea that enters his brain, which to be fair is a real example of love for the game.
Barone himself put it this way on the podcast: “It’s just so much easier to just add more stuff to Stardew Valley than to make a whole new game from scratch. Because Stardew Valley, all the systems, the major systems, are already all done. That’s the stuff that’s not fun to do. When I make an update, it’s like, throw in this, throw in that.”
But A New Stardew Valley Could Still Work
Stardew Valley is a masterclass in keeping players engaged with a game year after year. Barone seems to care more about keeping the game fresh with new ideas and content than about actually making money from the game, which is why every update has been free. But at the same time, while the game is the same at its core, so many things have been added over the years that it almost negates the impact of a potential sequel.
After all, sequels almost always iterate on a set formula, but Barone already does all this iteration within the existing game. Many changes that a sequel might have included have already been patched in free of charge.
Ginger Island, which many players consider on par with DLC expansion packs we see in other games, was also added in a free update.
Of course, there are things a sequel to Stardew Valley could add that go far beyond the scope of an update. A sequel could focus on a whole new town within Stardew Valley, with a new cast of characters and cuties to romance. A whole new story exploring new themes would be cool – since the first game touched on corporate capitalism, maybe a second could touch on how climate change affects people living more rural lives?
Mechanically, specific systems like the friendship and relationship mechanics could be reimagined, since changing these in the original game would likely annoy longtime players. Time progression could be made to feel more palpable, with villagers developing over time. Relationships between villagers could be made more dynamic. The combat could be revamped.
But the fact remains that a lot of Barone’s great ideas, which would have made a sequel a significant improvement on the Stardew Valley that was first launched, have already been incorporated into the original game. In a way, Stardew is already a sequel of itself, having evolved so much over time.
All that said, Barone himself says he doesn’t want to be “the Stardew Valley guy”, and making a sequel is a surefire way to cement yourself as exactly that. Thankfully, we have the upcomingHaunted Chocolatier, whichBarone is currently heads down on, to fill that gap if Stardew 2 does ever get made. Maybe it’ll give him some ideas for the potential sequel as well.
Stardew Valley
WHERE TO PLAY
Restore your grandfather’s farm to its former glory in Stardew Valley, a charming indie simulation role-playing game developed by Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone. Along the way you’ll meet new friends, romance villagers, and explore deep caves for the materials you’ll need to craft, build, and grow.
