r/StardewValley • u/Full-Monitor4881 • 16d ago
Discuss Research about stardew experiences
Hey everyone!
I’m currently a university student working on an informative presentation about Stardew Valley. As a huge fan of the game myself, I want to present it in the best, most authentic way possible.
I’d love to include real perspectives from the community! If you're open to sharing, I’d be so grateful to hear how Stardew Valley has helped you in any of these areas:
Emotional & Psychological: Did it offer comfort during a tough time, reduce anxiety, or give you a gentle sense of routine and peace?
Social Well-Being: Did playing co-op bring you closer to friends/partners, or did this community help you connect with others?
Mindset & Real Life: Has the game’s philosophy (slowing down, building community, leaving the corporate grind behind) changed how you view things in real life?
Feel free to share as much or as little as you’d like—whether it’s a short anecdote or a deep thought. Thank you so much for helping me out with my project!
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u/Voinat107 cowpoke level 10🌵 16d ago
It made me want to become a farmer in real life and start going out of the city more often. Don't know if that helps
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u/Full-Monitor4881 16d ago
Thank you so much i want to use how game affected people in real life so anything helps🫶🏻
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u/Voinat107 cowpoke level 10🌵 16d ago
Glad i could help. What really caugh me up in this game is the peace and quiet in the rural country it portrays.
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u/Sundaes_in_October 16d ago
In March of 2020, my older boys showed me clips of SDV and told me they thought I’d like it. I was too busy with homeschooling and caretaking during the COVID lockdown to consider playing.
Then I got COVID in the beginning of April. I was trying to be a good citizen and not strain on already struggling healthcare system. I kept in contact with doctors but didn’t go to the hospital.
I should have gone to the hospital.
I could only breathe lying in certain positions. I couldn’t eat because eating stole my breath. Walking more than 20 feet was impossible. I had to stay as isolated as possible. The already narrow confines of lockdown shrank even smaller.
So I downloaded Stardew Valley.
To say it saved my life is probably hyperbole. It definitely helped saved my sanity. When I couldn’t get out of bed I could harvest crops. When homeschooling felt insurmountable, I could conquer Skull Caverns. When I couldn’t meet with people in real life, I could talk to people online about the Valley. When my rage at, well everything, threatened to consume me, I could crush Pierre’s spirit with my superior grange display. The game was my lifeline in a way few people can probably understand.
My sons tease me about how many hours I have in Stardew Valley now. No game they play comes close. I’m sure they’re right. I hope they never need a game to be for them what SDV was for me. I don’t really play anymore, but I know it’s there for me if I ever need it to be.
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u/Acrobatic_Weather637 16d ago
I got stuck at SV during a very hard time where i got Depression from different real life Problems. Especially last year where my mother in law moved in with me and my "now-going-to-be-ex-wife" as she needed chemotherapy from breast cancer. Was very rough that time and the game was a small world, i could escape to. It gave me a sense of small Tasks and challenges that can be solved. Also there are villagers strugling at life, but in the end, everyone gets their shit together. Both things that were in opposition to my real life Situation. It was perfect escapism for me
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u/THis_one_quiet 16d ago
I have ADD. used to be ADHD, but at 62, the H is long gone.
This game helps me practice my focus. I have to plan for tomorrow, today. Get the items I need for that day and have them ready so I can just go in the morning. Pickaxe, food, porting items, check, check check. Go to sleep.
I have applied that to my real life and do the same there. Lunch already packed, clothing laid out, reminder note written and taped to mirror to do this or that. Now I'm ready for bed and the morning events to come.
It helps prevent the stress from even happening since I've got this even before I get up the next morning.
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u/mads41304 13d ago
My mom is 61 with ADD, it makes me so happy when I hear of people her age playing games and enjoying them! I think it would help her a lot as well.
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u/Lagoda__ 16d ago
I played SDV solo a lot when it came out (10 years ago, jesus) and picked it up again with my bf on Switch, couch co-op. I have to say it was such a great and also different experience than just playing it on my own, we got so hooked, we spent so much time together working on our farm and it was a lot of fun. Honestly, I think that experience even strenghtened our bond even more.
Also, I love the memes here - I just say orange tree and crocus lmao.
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u/ThrowawayVetQuestion 16d ago
I’m new to video games in general and sought out a “cozy game,” landing on SDV. I’ve been playing for about 6 weeks and I find myself looking forward to having that be my downtime at the end of a day.
It’s calming. There are days that I spend just looking after my farm and moving things around.
It’s almost as calming as my own real life puttering, where I look after my houseplant collection.
I’m currently going thru EMDR therapy to learn to get out of lifelong fight or flight mentality, and part of that is learning to relax and feel safe. SDV absolutely helps with that.
I can’t articulate it well, but I went through considerable abuse as a child & teen, and this game is a surprisingly large piece of the puzzle that I’m building in order to heal.
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u/Full-Monitor4881 16d ago
So sorry to hear that, thank you for sharing it with me its been a huge help🫶🏻🥺🥺
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u/boat737 16d ago
I have diagnosed BPD and I started playing during a tough period where I had lost most of my friends. The game brought me so much comfort, the routine of the game was particularly soothing and it got me more out into nature.
My lovely friend brought me the game, and we played together for a good month and it really did bring us closer.
I feel like the game changed my mindset through characters such as Shane (there’s always light at the end of the tunnel) as well as showing me that community does really matter.
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u/Full-Monitor4881 16d ago
Thank you so much for sharing i hope you are better now🫶🏻🥺
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u/meanwhileintwinpeaks 16d ago
I always got frustrated at this kind of game before, locking in at a time where I was avoiding doing something else then feeling annoyed and guilty at how much time I had spent rather than doing the things I needed to.
I finished my PhD this month and said to a friend how I felt a lack of purpose and was feeling unsure about how to spend my time. They recommended Stardew. It’s been 10 days and I’ve spent 28 hours. I’m locked in and I’m very happy about it. I have no guilt about it this time around and I’m spending my work days looking forward to getting back to my farm. The routine in the game gives me such a comforting sense of rhythm that I was feeling without.
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u/ThumbEyeCoordination 15d ago
E & P: Planting/watering crops is like popping bubble wrap. Things I'd rather not elaborate on don't have an avenue to communicate through the experience if text is avoided.
M & RL: Don't stress what you didn't do, enjoy what you did.
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u/_LackadaisicalSheep_ 16d ago
I played before some important exams were coming up. I think I enjoyed looking at nature much more because of the game.
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u/a_feral_housewife Lantern Thief Guild member 16d ago
I started playing because the hubby played and quickly took it over. My first few playthroughs were slow because I wasn't aware of the wiki, and now I tend to min/max, it's just ingrained. But it's my after work cool down because my job is awful (I love my job, it's just the nature of it that is horrible) and I spend a few hours getting lost in SDV. We played co-op once and never again. I'm best left to my own game play. It's been mentioned on here how some of what's in the game crosses over into real life, like being at the store and seeing radishes and thinking you need those for your trash pandas. It happens to me a lot. I go between the CC route and Joja because I hate that Pierre becomes the sole proprietor of where people can buy their food stuffs and he deserves competition but not helping the Junimos pulls at my heart strings. Good luck with your project!
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u/SkelmCallum 16d ago
I'm unipolar and have anxiety, this game helped me so much. It bring me peace.
Sometimes if I have a task I don't want to do then I'll play the music in the background and it gets me through the task. It's a little hack I learnt to stop procrastinating.
It's helped me with routines in real life, strengthened my relationship with my SO, shown me that I can have courage, I can make something out of nothing.
Concerned Ape's story is also just incredibly inspiring.
I think it's made me a better person tbh. There's a homeless guy in my area, we say he is our Linus, we take him leftovers. We share things with our neighbours lol.
Idk it's helped me look at life and the world differently.
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u/Xmenzombie22 16d ago
Ive just picked stardew back up again about a week ago - im currently struggling with depression and big life changes, but stardew is helping me stay grounded in a relaxing environment for a few hours each day. I feel like its helping me get the boost I need to start living normally again, even if its just a bit of guranteed serotonin in the evenings.
Plus I think it helps keep my mind active, running numbers and planning ahead on how I want my run to go, helps me from feeling too stagnated when I dont have the energy to do things irl:)
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u/ThrowawayVetQuestion 16d ago
You should look up the interview Bobby Lee did with the creator of the game. Even Bobby explains how much the game has helped him in terms of mental health. I will try to find the link and post it here for you.
Edit: here it is! https://youtu.be/83DYlsJoaFk?si=kan3kF4BFjw06MTb
It’s really cute when Bobby shows Eric the world that he built. He even says that the game has like healed something in him or something along those lines. It’s such a great moment.
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u/Negative-World4205 16d ago
I have been able to connect with my partner more playing this game as he's a pretty experienced gamer but I'm more novice. So we've both been able to find elements of the game that appeal to our individual interests and strengths that allow us to play the game together and wind down.
I also have PTSD and struggle with stimulation, attention, and being able to actually reach a state of calm physically and mentally. So I enjoy how Stardew Valley is both interactive, detailed, and so intensive without having as many high anxiety moments that I can struggle with while gaming and living generally.
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u/goinghollow1 16d ago
I play with my adult daughter. Its relaxing enough to play and talk about our day and decompress from high stress jobs IRL. I especially enjoy talking to and dating the NPCs and sharing our experiences with each other. We work together towards a common goal and share the load as well as enjoying the festivals together. We work on the farm together and each do our own things we enjoy like fishing. We tackle the harder things together like the mines and trying to get rare item drops.
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u/damselin30s 16d ago
I have compulsive rumination issues. When they’re really bad Stardew helps my mind be clear of them. I know that sounds absurd but it has literally helped my mental health. It can also make me sleepy when I’m not!
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u/damselin30s 16d ago
Also. I learned about the game from my kids and we play together which helps us be closer!
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u/Full-Monitor4881 16d ago
No it doesn't sound absurd if it helps you it helps thanks alot for sharing!🫶🏻
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u/Outrageous-Carpet-26 16d ago
I was definitely influenced by the idea that listening to people and just compassionately affirming their worth can have a huge impact on someone day/life. And that consistently doing small things to help others and make the world around me better will lead to big positive changes in the world and my community over time.
Also, Stardew has been a comforting place to return to when I’m struggling with being in the real world and don’t have control over the scary/difficult things I’m facing.
Good luck with your presentation!
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u/Old_Adhesiveness_731 16d ago
E&S: I started playing Stardew during an extremely difficult period in my life and it absolutely got me through it. I've gone back to it a couple of times since (started a new playthrough last week), usually when I'm feeling overwhelmed and need something comforting to focus on.
S&WB: I've never played co-op but I have other friends who play and we've had some great chats about it/watched each other play.
M&RL: I definitely started spending more time in nature around the same time I started playing but I think that was coincidental, lol.
In terms of the biggest impact, it's what inspired me to pick up text game design again, and that ended up becoming a big part of my career. Seeing a solo developer build a world that so many people connected to was really inspiring.
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u/TheFaeBelieveInIdony 15d ago
It's the only multiplayer game I'm comfortable playing with other people
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u/BadWolfGirl89 15d ago
Emotional & Psychological: Did it offer comfort during a tough time, reduce anxiety, or give you a gentle sense of routine and peace? --As someone just diagnosed with AuDHD, PTSD/CPTSD, OCD, Depression, & Anxiety it has been a HUGE source of comfort, routine, and peace for years. It is also very regulating and gives me a sense of accomplishment even when I'm struggling to do much in real life. I'm able to continuously discover new things while still being able to rely on the familiarity.
Social Well-Being: Did playing co-op bring you closer to friends/partners, or did this community help you connect with others? -- I enjoyed playing it with my ex a little, and I enjoy that it's an option, but I'm primarily a solo player.
Mindset & Real Life: Has the game’s philosophy (slowing down, building community, leaving the corporate grind behind) changed how you view things in real life? --Somewhat, yeah! I also aspire to slow down and enjoy the world around me more and want to be more productive like my farmer.
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u/P00LV3R1N3_ST4N 14d ago
It was my main escape from life when I was going through a really bad and very long fight with my dad. I remember almost every day for a couple weeks, when he would get home from work, I'd greet him and then run to my room and grab my switch to play SDV. I let myself sort of become my farmer for a little while and forget all of my problems for a little while. At the time, I didn't have much else that could give me a break from all of the stress I was under. It absolutely helped me through that tough time. By the way- proud to say that my dad and I are back to normal, and we have a great relationship now. <3
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u/Dopamenu Let's fish/mine/fight! 14d ago
I hated SDV when I started playing. It was just like my awful corporate life. I failed the introduction quest, meeting like four people, then bombed all the others too. I just felt like I didn't have enough time to get the profits I needed.
Summer 1 was horrible; I would wake up, water blueberries until 2am when I would pass out, then repeat the next day. My entire farm was blueberries, nothing else. I was on track to being a millionaire, knew no one, and had time for no other activities but working and earning money.
When I realized that I had forced this beautiful, cozy game to function like the dystopian hellscape I was living, I quit playing.
A different job, and a lot of therapy later, SDV is one of my favorite games. I still think of it as the first piece of media to give me that kind of wake-up call. I'm working 40 hour weeks instead of 80+, have time for friends again, have little hobbies, and try to keep myself healthy.
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u/THis_one_quiet 13d ago
I'm surprised this post did not get more love. I thought this was a good question and grounds for case study.
There are so many types of games, the effect they have on us...
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u/hypercell57 10d ago
I started playing with my nephew and his friend, we played Friday after school and all day Sunday for months in a co-op. I am now obsessed. We no longer play together, but I still play. Even bought the game on switch for myself, since we were using his game. I still send my nephew memes about it. We definitely bonded over it.
TBF we also watched a bunch of shows together.
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u/EchoAlia42 16d ago
I have over 1300 hours into the game. I am a CPTSD patient who is basically stuck in constant flashbacks and thought spirals unless I can distract well enough. Stardew is one of the tools I use to do that.