Stardew Valley has an official co-op board game, and it’s out right now
Tilling on the tabletop.
Tend to the soil and fulfill Grandpa’s Goals in a new tabletop adaptation of Stardew Valley, the beloved indie video game about creating a farm and exploring a rural world.
Stardew Valley: The Board Game is a co-op title for one to four players that tasks its farmers with protecting the land they’ve inherited from their grandfather. An idyllic patch of farmland, the Valley is under the threat of being redeveloped by the Joja Corporation - destroying its natural beauty and its residents’ way of life. To prevent the corporate takeover, players must work together to complete the goals laid out by Grandpa and restore the Valley’s community centre to its former glory, before the Jojo lackeys arrive.
Grandpa’s Goals in each playthrough of the board game are randomised, meaning that Stardew Valley: The Board Game offers a different experience each time it’s played. Rounds are determined by the Valley’s seasons, with the start of each round having a player draw a season card and reveal its unique weather and events. Players may want to perform different tasks depending on the weather patterns for that round, or they might want to catch a certain event in the hopes that it will aid them with their goals.
Throughout the game, players will be able to complete farming tasks such as watering crops and feeding animals, as well as performing more explorative activities such as visiting the Valley’s mine in search of rare resources or venturing to the beach to do a little fishing. Players can get ahead in the video game board game by coordinating their efforts each round, but they’re also free to seek their own personal desires.
As the game progresses, players can upgrade their existing equipment and acquire new tools, as well as discover items and obtain fresh skills. There will even be opportunities to make friends with the locals who will give players access to unique gifts and community centre bundles. Players collectively win the game if they manage to complete all of Grandpa’s Goals and finish the restoration of the community centre before the end of the last season.
Stardew Valley is a video game created by Eric Barone and developed and published by Concerned Ape, the studio that’s also responsible for releasing the board game adaptation. Originally released in 2016, Stardew Valley sees players inheriting a farm plot from their grandfather and using whatever they can get their hands on to turn it into a home that’s to their liking. The video game provides an open world for players to explore, with the option to hunt for resources to craft with, grow and cultivate crops, tend to farm animals and develop relationships with the villagers living in the Valley.
Cole Medeiros - co-designer of party title Gubs: A Game of Wit and Luck and creator of espionage-themed board game Web of Spies - co-created Stardew Valley: The Board Game alongside Barone. According to a tweet from Concerned Ape revealing the title, Stardew Valley: The Board Game was in development over two years.
The announcement of Stardew Valley: The Board Game follows the creation of a fan-made tabletop adaptation of the video game by Hungarian Reddit user namretsbol. The Stardew Valley fan constructed the game in secret as a gift to their partner - who had trouble concentrating on screens due to an ear infection - with the finished design being inspired by tabletop titles such as Agricola and Viticulture.
Stardew Valley: The Board Game is available now at a retail price of $55 (£38), with shipping applicable to US residents only. Concerned Ape said it is looking into opening up shipping beyond the US.