The 10th anniversary presentation for Stardew Valley showed off unreleased footage of an early build for the game, boasting some big differences from the final product. The farming sim, created by solo developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, has easily been one of the most influential indie games ever released, inspiring the boom of the cozy game genre. Stardew Valley ranks among the best-selling video games of all time, with more than 50 million copies of the charming little farming sim sold to date. A big reason for the game’s success has been its consistent content updates.
Stardew Valley has seen a multitude of changes throughout the game’s 10-year history, adding plenty of new features. The game has introduced everything from new festivals, farm types, and items to entirely new areas like Ginger Island for players to explore. ConcernedApe is also teasing another big update for the game, with the 1.7 update currently in development, though a release date has yet to be confirmed. Now, alongside the celebration of the game’s 10th anniversary, the Stardew Valley creator has offered a brand-new look into the game’s past, showing off an early build dubbed Sprout Valley.
Stardew Valley Shows Off Early In-Development Gameplay
ConcernedApe began the Stardew Valley anniversary video by showing off some of the earliest gameplay for Stardew Valley. The earliest Sprout Valley footage dates back to 2012, only six months into the game’s development, and features both its farming gameplay and some of the titular village. The video already includes some of the game’s major mechanics, showing farming, combat within the cave, and interactions with other villagers. ConcernedApe’s Sprout Valley showcase even reveals some early designs for villagers who were eventually featured in the game’s full release, including simpler designs for Harvey, Caroline, and Gunther.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Alongside the original footage of Sprout Valley, ConcernedApe included more gameplay videos from the years before Stardew Valley‘s release. 2013’s video sees a major evolution of the game’s art style, shifting into a style much more reminiscent of the game’s full release. The in-development showcases of Stardew Valley depict several pieces of content that were eventually cut from the game, including multiple designs for the player’s home and even an underground goblin village players could explore. ConcernedApe likens early builds of Stardew Valley to the SNES version of Harvest Moon, which he has stated served as a major inspiration for the game.
Stardew Valley‘s evolution from its earliest days has proven to have paid dividends for the game. The farming sim captured Best Independent Game at the 2016 Game Awards following its release and has been nominated multiple times for Steam’s “Labor of Love” award. Stardew Valley‘s monumental popularity has been credited as a major factor behind the recent boom in farming sims, with many indie developers looking to follow in the footsteps of ConcernedApe’s solo project. The game also continues to evolve with each passing year, with Stardew Valley gearing up for another big update soon.
The main attraction of the Stardew Valley anniversary presentation for many came with the reveal of new content in the 1.7 update. Stardew Valley‘s Version 1.7 was previously confirmed to be adding two new marriage candidates to the game, with ConcernedApe officially revealing that players will be able to marry both Clint and Sandy following the patch. The developer has also teased that social and character interactions are planned to play a larger role in 1.7, though much of the planned content is still being kept secret. Stardew Valley looks to have lots of exciting content on the way as the game celebrates 10 years of success.
- Released
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February 26, 2016
- ESRB
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E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
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ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
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ConcernedApe
