Stardew Valley has continued to bring players a charming and easy-going farming sim, and the game hasn't stopped evolving. Just last year, Stardew Valley received one of its biggest updates yet with version 1.6, and there is still plenty of room for solo developer Eric Barone to make changes.

Recently, Barone joked that he could see himself working on Stardew Valley for 50 more years. While he meant this lightheartedly, there is still truth to his words. The game lends itself to being a great stage to add more content over the years. Since its 2016 launch, Stardew Valley has seen various changes, and when it comes to seasons, making them longer could be one of the many ways the game could shake things up.

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There Are Plenty of Pros and Cons to Changing the Length of Stardew Valley's Seasons

The Argument For Longer Seasons

  • A greater sense of immersion
  • Players can have more time in each season

Stardew Valley features the four real-life seasons, but when each season is on a 28-day cycle, the year can obviously zoom by. If Stardew Valley were to match up its seasons with the real world, it could help players feel far more immersed in the game. Playing during the middle of the fall while red and yellow leaves are falling from the trees outside of one's windows could add another layer to Stardew Valley's cozy energy.

Even better, longer seasons in Stardew Valley would simply give players more time to spend reveling in the great features each period of the in-game year has to offer. Time passes quickly in the game, so making each season more realistic can allow players to experience all the season holds. Stardew Valley has been a cozy staple, and being more leisurely with how time passes in the game would likely only add to that atmosphere.

There are a total of 12 different seasonal festivals in Stardew Valley.

The Argument Against Longer Seasons

  • Making such a drastic change now could be jarring.
  • The slower pacing could prove to be more boring than immersive.

Switching from a 28-day season cycle to a more traditional 3-month cycle might be far too drastic for players, especially those who have been with the game since the beginning. Stardew Valley has been around for nearly 10 years now, and the short seasons have clearly not been that much of an issue for a lot of players. If there was a big problem with the game's season lengths, Barone would have updated the system by now.

At first, slower seasons sound like a good idea, but such a different change of pace could actually make the game feel far too slow. Such a shake-up has the potential to quickly backfire. Ultimately, there is likely a good reason why Barone chose a 28-day cycle. This take on seasonal changes may actually be far more enjoyable when it comes to the game's pace. Stardew Valley's seasonal festivals are also big highlights of these changes, and having to wait longer for them would be grueling for some players.

Stardew Valley has sold over 41 million copies.

Stardew Valley May Be Best Left in its Current State

  • Barone's next game, Haunted Chocolatier, was announced back in 2021.
  • Focusing on Stardew Valley 1.6 kept Barone from working on his new project.

Barone could easily tweak Stardew Valley for years to come, but his efforts are likely best focused on his next game. Haunted Chocolatier has been anticipated for a while now, and if there was ever a game to test out a different approach to season lengths, it would be this follow-up.

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Stardew Valley
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RPG
Simulation
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
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Released
February 26, 2016
ESRB
E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
Developer(s)
ConcernedApe
Publisher(s)
ConcernedApe
Engine
Proprietary
Multiplayer
Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
Stardew Valley does not currently support crossplay between different consoles and PC
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Genre(s)
RPG, Simulation