Valley of the Stars is without doubt one of the most profitable cozy video games of all time, and the title captured folks's hearts when it was first launched in 2016 and hasn't let up since. In January 2025, Valley of the Stars offered 41 million copies. It's seen by many because the gold normal of cozy video games, the one recreation to which all different cozy video games are inevitably in contrast, typically unfavorably.
The truth is, many new farming and life simulators at present are accused of being Valley of the Stars clones making an attempt to money in on followers' apparent love for the style. However it wasn't at all times like this; a decade in the past it was Valley of the Stars who was accused of being the shameless clone. The sport has come a good distance since then and has far surpassed its authentic inspiration, but it surely stays to this present day a lesson for different builders who need to create video games impressed by titles they love.
Why many followers believed Stardew Valley was doomed to fail
Stardew Valley has already been referred to as an imitation and duplicate of Harvest Moon
It's no secret that Valley of the Stars was closely impressed by Harvest Moon. Developer Eric Barone, generally known as ConcernedApe, brazenly admits that he was impressed by the title Natsume. In response to a Reddit remark 13 years in the past, Worried monkey he wrote, "My entire motive for making Stardew Valley was to ultimately add all of the issues I needed Harvest Moon to do." But the identical issues they did Valley of the Stars Standing out from the competitors – appeal, farming mechanics, relationships and marriage, seasonal occasions and extra – had been of concern in 2012.
When the sport was nonetheless in improvement, not everybody was satisfied it was doing sufficient to distinguish it from its predecessors. A number of Reddit threads from that point, like this one began by derkriegerreveal that many individuals didn't imagine the title would imply something. Feedback on this and different boards had been stuffed with folks calling Valley of the Stars a flagrant Harvest Moon imitation and a "low cost imitation" with somebody even anticipating authorized motion from Natsume shortly after the indie title's launch. Others believed that, other than the distinction in graphics (pixel vs 3D), the title didn't deliver sufficient to the desk.
A few years later, Valley of the Stars is taken into account a pillar of the comfy gaming scene. In 2012, ConcernedApe believed they might create the sport, make some updates, after which transfer on to creating different video games. Greater than a decade later, Valley of the Stars nonetheless getting new free updates – a lot in order that ConcernedApe needed to halt improvement of its ongoing venture, Haunted Chocolatierto work on the 1.6 replace for consoles and cellular gadgets.
The sport and its developer have turn into iconic, one thing for different video games to attempt to resemblehowever not a lot. As a result of these days, every time a recreation has farming, love pursuits, and some other related welcoming components, the gaming group usually has a knee-jerk response to match it to Valley of the Stars. The irony appears to have been misplaced on many Valley of the Stars followers that the sport they love a lot was as soon as thought of a clone of one other fashionable and beloved recreation.
Stardew Valley's success proves that clones are a obligatory evil
Clones are seemed down upon, however perhaps they shouldn't be
The concept behind all of the accusations appears to be that recreation clones are inherently unhealthy. Avid gamers anticipate builders to create fully new video games and the concept of taking one thing that already works and bettering, riffing on it or simply redoing it in your individual type is extensively seemed down upon.. Nevertheless, in line with himself, that's precisely what ConcernedApe did with Harvest Moon. In the identical 13-year-old Reddit thread, he wrote that he didn't "I merely intend to clone Harvest Moon." He goes on to clarify that making a recreation impressed by the Natsume title was led by his love for the title, saying:
“I'm an enormous fan of Harvest Moon, however I've at all times wished there have been extra video games within the type of the primary ones (Snes, Again to Nature). Stardew Valley is my try to revive that outdated type, however on the identical time including one thing and altering any annoying or boring features of the unique video games."
On the time, ConcernedApe stated Harvest Moon followers that he understood his "frustration at seeing a replica of a recreation you're keen on." Regardless of this, his opinion on "clone" video games is one thing that is still true to this present day:
"I imagine that 'clone' video games are essential to the online game world as they permit genres to evolve and, hopefully, lead to extra distinctive and various gaming experiences."
The very success of Valley of the Stars exhibits that so-called "clones" are an integral a part of progress within the gaming world. To be clear, it's by no means okay to steal concepts or designs, however there's nothing fallacious with taking a component of a recreation and turning it into the sport a developer desires to have the ability to play. Ardour initiatives and love letters to present titles and even new takes on outdated ideas aren't simply good; they're important to the expansion and improvement of genres and video games as an entire.
What Stardew Valley can train future recreation clones
Video games of the longer term shall be formed by at present's risk-taking builders
A lot of the hate clones obtain comes right down to the effective line between copying one thing and doing one thing new impressed by one other work. Spinoff work is ok and even important to the video games business, however direct copying will not be. It may be troublesome for builders and gamers to know the place the road is between one thing that turns a components into a singular creation and one thing that's simply making an attempt to make a revenue.
An ideal instance of that is Palworldwhich has been within the information since its launch for being a Pokemon clone. However defenders of Palworld I'll say that the sport did for the Pokemon components what Pokemon the corporate may – or would – not do. When a recreation turns into successful, It may be troublesome to deviate from what works. Followers get connected and begin to anticipate sufficient variations in a franchise to justify shopping for a brand new recreation, however not a lot that it feels too totally different from what they're used to.
This may be seen repeatedly in video games like Harvest Moon, Pokémon, Ultimate Fantasy, Borderlands, and lots of others. Little video games like Valley of the Stars There's not that a lot at stake, so they will strive new issues extra freely and take dangers that the video games that impressed them may by no means afford to play.
Merely copying a recreation isn't sufficient, after all. In a Reddit AMA 11 years in the past, Doomed Monkey revealed its strategy to creating video games, an concept that different builders ought to definitely take note of. He says: "I at all times strive to consider 'How can I take this to the subsequent stage'," and add the little touches, that are "what makes a recreation particular." Video games like My time at Portia, Wylde Flowers, Coral Island, Fields of Mistria, and lots of, many extra proceed to add and develop within the seeds that Valley of the Stars planted. ConcernedApe was proper to comply with his dream over a decade in the past, telling a detractor:
“Stardew Valley may not be the sport for you, however I believe lots of people shall be completely happy to have a farming RPG on PC that they will mod, play with their buddies, and at all times know there's extra content material and updates on the market. the nook."
And at some point, a brand new recreation could seem that was initially thought of a "clone" or Valley of the Starswhich can change the style once more and usher in a brand new period for the comfy gaming style.
Sources: ConcernedApe/Reddit (1, 2), derkrieger/Reddit