Stardew Valley has been adapted into board game form and is available to purchase now for $55, according to the game’s developer Eric Barone (ConcernedApe). Stardew Valley got its start as a popular, indie-take on farm sim classic Harvest Moon, but now the video game will finally exist in physical form (without the need to go out and actually learn how to farm).
Stardew Valley: The Board Game was developed over two years by Barone and board game designer Cole Meideros. The game aims to adapt the gameplay from the video game like farming, foraging, mining, and romance, into a customizable, but less open-ended form that you can actually finish in one sitting. The game is also designed for one to four players, meaning that just like the original game, you can play alone if you so choose.
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Finishing the game requires completing “Grandpa’s Goals” and the Community Center bundles that you might already be familiar with from the video game version. Players complete tasks and collect resources by taking turns positioning their pawns around the board and engaging in an activity of their choice. Mining at the mines, fishing at the beach foraging in the wilderness, and of course, farming at the farm. The seasons advance one week at a time each round, meaning time and available resources change as the seasons do.
In a blog post announcing the board game, Barone stresses that it was designed to feature some amount of depth and complexity. “It’s easy to play once you learn the rules, but it’s not a short, casual game.” he says. He also provided the rulebook so you can get a better sense of how difficult it is to set up and how many other mechanics there are to contend with.
While the board game doesn’t initially seem as approachable as the video game it’s based on, the amount of detail that went into recreating Stardew Valley in physical form seems really impressive. You can purchase Stardew Valley: The Board Game now for $55.