A newly-released novel is giving a heartfelt nod to Stardew Valley—and not just the game itself, but its legendary solo developer, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone.
The cozy farming sim first dropped in 2016 and made serious waves in the gaming world, changing the landscape not just for farm-life games, but for the entire indie game scene.
Widely considered one of the best indie titles of the modern era, Stardew Valley helped fuel the explosion of farming sims we see today. Now, its influence is breaking out of gaming entirely and into the world of literature.
The journey of Stardew Valley is one of those feel-good underdog stories. Barone built the game completely solo—from programming and art to music and design.
Fans and critics alike have showered it with praise, and it remains one of Steam’s top-rated games to this day.
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Recently, a Reddit user named ItsaMehMorning posted in the Stardew Valley subreddit, showing off a cool discovery: a special thank-you to Stardew Valley and Barone in the credits of a new novel.
The book? As It Was by Elle Rivers. According to the credit section, Rivers started playing Stardew Valley back in 2020 and found major inspiration in its small-town vibes.
She even encourages readers to check out the game for themselves—and gives a direct shoutout to ConcernedApe for creating such a meaningful experience.
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This kind of influence isn’t all that surprising given how Stardew Valley changed the game (literally). It paved the way for a whole new generation of farming sims.
Games like Fae Farm, with its magical twist, and Roots of Pacha, which dives into prehistoric farming life, clearly draw from Stardew‘s success. Even big names like Square Enix and Capcom have been experimenting with farming elements in their recent titles.
As for what’s next, fans of Stardew Valley have plenty to be excited about. Barone has hinted that a sequel might happen someday, although he’s made it clear that cashing in on the franchise isn’t his main focus.
Right now, he’s working on Haunted Chocolatier, his next big project—though we may not see that one until around 2030.
Still, it’s clear that the cozy charm of Stardew Valley isn’t going anywhere. Whether it’s inspiring new games or now even novels, ConcernedApe’s world is touching lives far beyond the pixelated farm.
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