Stardew Valleyfans got a surprise the other day in the form of a board game announcement from Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone. Not only that, but the game is finished and available for purchase, having been worked on for the past two years by ConcernedApe and board game designer Cole Medeiros. Just like its digital counterpart,Stardew Valley: The Board Gamewas developed and published by ConcernedApe, with a little help from Delano Games to print it and Quartermaster Games to distribute it.
Stardew Valley: The Board Gameis a cooperative game where players work together to fix up the Community Center, saving it from demolition by the Joja Corporation who wants to use the land to build a warehouse.Grandpa’s Goals also need to be completed, just like in the digital version of the farming sim. If the players can complete four of Grandpa’s Goals and restore all six rooms of the Community Center before the year is over, they win.
RELATED:Stardew Valley: The 10 Best Crops To Make Money
The game concept began in 2018 when ConcernedApe and Medeiros played a game ofStardew Valleyco-oponline. As they played, they began to discuss howStardew Valleyhad all the makings of a great board game. The next two years would see the two ironing out the details, working on various prototypes, and relentlessly playtesting the game until it was just right. In the end, they came up with the cooperative game that isStardew Valley: The Board Game.
Everything Players Love About Stardew Valley, but on the Table
Stardew Valley: The Board Gamecontains everything fans of the series would expect it to. There is farming, of course, and everything that goes with it. That includes planting and watering crops, tending to animals, and expanding the farm. Players can also explore the mines, crack geodes, fish, donate items to the museum, develop relationships with the townsfolk, and even obtain aMermaid’s Pendant to get married.
Everyfan favoriteStardew Valleycharacter is here, including all twelve bachelors and bachelorettes, each with professionally illustrated artwork. In fact, everything from the video game is lovingly brought to the physical world, upgraded from its pixel art without losing any of the charms of the source material.
Condensing Countless Hours into a Couple
The board game reportedly takes around 45 minutes per player, and this was accomplished by abstracting many systems of theStardew Valleyusing cards and tiles. The year’s seasons are tracked using a Season Deck that affects weather and informs players of special events. Tiles move along a crop track to let players know theirharvest’s progress, while animal handling, mining, fishing, and foraging are handled through cards and tokens.
Looking through the rulebook, there is so much to do inStardew Valley: The Board Game, yet it is all handled in a streamlined and efficient manner. Each round contains a Season Phase, Planning Phase, and Action Phase where season effects are revealed, players figure out how they want to handle the round, and then each player gets to take their turn. Season Cards each contain specific instructions about how the game board is affected and what special actions a player may take during their turn. This includescrop quality, rain, fish movement, gift-giving, and more. The game ends if all the Season Cards have been drawn or the players complete all the goals and Community Center bundles.
There are not many reports of people getting their copies of the board game yet, so only time will tell how long games ofStardew Valley: The Board Game actually take. Considering the time anddedication ConcernedApe has put into the video game, the board game’s time estimates are probably pretty accurate.
Celebrating Stardew Valley
WithStardew Valley: The Board Game’s announcement coming out of the blue, news spread quickly as excitement and buzz grew among the fan community. It was not long before the initial printing of the game sold out. It will be interesting to see how gamers receive the game once it arrives, and they get a chance to get it to the table.
It is amazing how ConcernedApe was able to help design, develop, and publishStardew Valley: The Board Gamewhile simultaneous continuing his work onStardew Valley, which just received another major update to its console versions.Stardew Valleyjust celebrated its 5th anniversary, and is still going strong after all these years. The release of the board game feels like a great way to celebrate, helpingStardew Valleystay fresh and reach an entire new market of players. Whether players are hardcoreStardew Valleyfans, or tabletop players looking to see what all the buzz is about,Stardew Valley: The Board Gamehas already proven there is a market for itself.
Stardew Valleyis currently available on Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and as a tabletop board game.
MORE:Stardew Valley’s New Ginger Island Was Inspired by Super Mario 64
