Exploring Stardew Valley: A New Farmer's Tale - Part One

Arrggh! A Video Game Podcast from The Waffling Taylors

Crafting, Swifties (and how great the majority of them are), Thomas the Tank Engine, hot glue, trash pandas, fishing and gemstones. That can mean only one thing: Mo is back, and we're talking about Stardew Valley.

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Content Warning

This episode contains spoilers for Stardew Valley and a few swears.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Mo has returned. You'll remember Mo from our Christmas 2023 episode: "Christmas with Mo - Wrong Side, Flip Me Over". Anyway, Mo joined Squidge to talk about the ultimate comfy game: Stardew Valley.

Waffling Taylor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this first of two servings of bite sized banter with a side of gaming goodness, we catch up with Mo from The Squank and the Hag podcast to talk about all things Stardew Valley. We cover everything from fish fridges, channelling your inner Flappy Bird, to bard versus Darth Vader.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled: "Exploring Stardew Valley: A New Farmer's Tale - Part One"

Take it away, guys

— Squidge

And Mo started us off with a pretty in-depth description of her and her podcast:

So I am one of the co-hosts from The Squank and the Hag. You can find us thesquonkandthehag.com. I am a nerd, and that's really all there is, I think.

...

But video games, movies, TV, pretty much anything that can be nerdy, I'm into. I'm also into True Crime, and that's what our podcast is about.

And, yeah, I feel like I've been on the show enough that I'm part of the family, so I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm just another Taylor. I am here to adjust your clothing. I'll hem your... Isn't that what it is? Isn't that what you guys are? Like, I can hem your pants for you. I actually can hem your pants for you.

— Mo

Stardew What-now?

And there's no way to talk about Stardew Valley without talking about how easy it is to pick up and play. Mo hit the nail on the head with:

That right there is pretty much what they should make the synopsis of the game:

"I picked it up and I haven't put it down since," because there, it is just one of those games that anybody can play. Like it, it's just... so accessible, it's so. Just easy to get into and it's so low stress and relaxing.

...

So, like, different play styles can play it and everybody can enjoy it.

And it's also just really nice relaxation because sometimes, at least I know for me; now, I am someone with a diagnosed anxiety disorder. So when I get into, like, those high stress, like, first person shooter games, I'm sitting here and I'm all tense and I'm like, "I'M GONNA DIE!"

Whereas with Stardew Valley you don't have that and it's just enjoyable

— Mo

Mo then goes on to mention a Stardew Valley-like which is set during a zombie apocalypse. With some post-edit sluthing, we found out that the game Mo was referring to was Zelter.

And Squidge brought up a really good point about what makes the game so accessible:

I think Stardew Valley, a thing that's got going for it is there's no fail state.

Apart from if you're in, if you're like dungeon diving in the mines, if you get knocked out, you wake up at like the little clinic hospital place and they take some money off you for medical expenses. Apart from that, there's absolutely no fail state.

...

So all the pressure's off. Then you don't have to worry about anything and if you miss something, it'll come round the next year. There's no ending state. You can always pick it up again if you miss something.

So, yeah, it's very laid back experience.

— Squidge

And the lack of a fail state is what drew a lot of people to Untitled Goose Game—that, and the whole goose-based-shenanigans.

Any conversation about Stardew Valley, it's lasting influence, how accessible it is, and how well crafted it is cannot fail to mention that the entire game (art, engine, music, and all) was created by one person. Eric Barone (aka "ConcernedApe") is used in the book Ultralearning as a case study. Jay really recommends this book, by the way.

It's gonna sound weird at first. Just stay with me. It's similar to Photoshop where there are a million different ways to get to the same result. So, like, in Photoshop, you want to crop something out. There's 20 tutorials. They're all different, but you all get the same results.

So, like, with Stardew Valley, maybe you hate fishing. You can still succeed and, you know, make money, have a good farm and all that stuff without fishing.

— Mo

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Have you played Stardew Valley? Does your total play time sit closer to Squidge's or Mo's? Which are your favourite in-game events, or do you have them all? Let us know via our Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page!

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