Summary

  • In Stardew Valley, Emily's supposed part-time job consists of working 56 hours a week, making it more than full-time.
  • Many characters in the game work long hours, with some working non-stop until projects are finished.
  • Players find it interesting that workers in the game may toil just as hard as in the real world, but for more fulfilling reasons.

Stardew Valley players are discussing how Emily's job is considered to be part-time in-game, but she works much more than that. It's an element that's established early on when players are meeting the townsfolk of Stardew Valley, but most wouldn't consider what Emily actually does to be part-time work in the real world.

In Stardew Valley, most of the single adult characters in the game engage in some kind of work. For example, Sam and Shane work at the Joja Mart, Pam drives the town's bus, and Gus runs the town's saloon. Emily is among these characters, but the game stipulates that she has a part-time job, and it seems like it's anything but that.

stardew-valley-fan-crafts-custom-night-screen-rug
Stardew Valley Fan Crafts Incredible Rug

An incredibly talented Stardew Valley fan shows off their beautiful custom rug inspired by the beloved farming life-sim game.

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Reddit user GeneralKarthos brought up the notion of Emily having a part-time job and pointed out that while most people would define part-time work as anything beneath 40 hours, Emily works at the Stardrop Saloon seven days a week, 8 hours a day, or 56 hours per week. Not only is this well into what would be considered full-time work in the real world, but she also works considerably more than some other characters, like Pierre and Clint, who both take off one day per week. There are a few minor exceptions, like when Emily visits Sandy in the desert or attends select festivals, but otherwise, Emily spends a great deal of time working.

Stardew Valley Characters are Working Too Hard

Many fans have commented on the post, acknowledging that Emily's hours working don't really seem to qualify as "part-time" work. However, several have also noted that many of Stardew Valley villagers work absurdly long hours. For example, in the Adventurer's Guild, Marlon works 12 hours a day, while Gunther keeps the library open for ten hours a day. Robin is no exception either, as while she does take some time off, she's also so committed to her projects that she'll work non-stop night and day until they're finished.

While these elements of the game are often overlooked, it's interesting to think about. Considering Stardew Valley starts out with the main character deciding to quit their job and start over at their Grandfather's farm because their job is so grueling, it seems that many of the workers in Stardew Valley are working just as hard, if not even moreso. Perhaps the difference is that most of them actually enjoy their jobs or are working for themselves or small businesses, rather than a giant corporation that doesn't value them.

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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