My partner and I are incredibly competitive when it comes to board games. You should have been there when we played Boss Monster; it wasn't a pretty sight. That's why we love wholesome, cooperative games like the Stardew Valley Board Game so much. Yes, it's a truckload more complex than Concerned Ape's videogame original, but trust me, it's not as brain-bending as the reviews suggest, and the vibes are perfect. Better still - it's currently 25% off over at Zatu Games.
The Stardew Valley Board Game is my favorite, and I can't lie, I'm fuming that it's not on the best board games list. I may flip a table. It's designed for one to four players and takes roughly one to two hours to complete. (Fear not, this game isn't like Monopoly, or as I call it, Monopainy.)
Though there are many systems under the hood here, your overall aims are simple and two-fold: fulfil Grandpa's goals and restore the community center. Lots of reviews (including Wargamer's) bill this game as a rock hard strategic slog, but in my opinion they're over-egging it. As cooperative board games go, it's fairly relaxing, with plenty of strategy to keep it challenging - perfect for a rainy afternoon and an Aperol spritz. Speaking of which, I spilled Aperol over my Stardew Valley board game, and it lived! Another victory against capitalism!
It helps that the game's components are beautifully crafted. The board is high quality, with an abundance of tiles and cards - all with the iconic Stardew Valley art style from the game. And I mean an abundance. It can feel like a game of Tetris getting it all back into the box, and you might need to pick up some plastic baggies to keep things neat.
But the storage there is, is delightfully Stardew-y. The game includes velvet bags to safely store your fish and artifact tiles, while a plastic tray keeps your farming tiles neatly in place. Even the box feels premium. You can tell a lot of love went into every detail.
In terms of gameplay, the board game captures the spirit (or Junimo) of its digital counterpart, but you don't need to have played the videogame to enjoy it. At the start, you randomly draw four Grandpa Goals, which vary from exploring the mines to catching Legendary fish. You'll also randomly select six bundles, like in the game - one bundle for each room. You'll need to collect crops, fish, and animal products to complete these bundles.
At the start of each turn, players choose how to work toward these goals. Will you go down to the river and fish? Perhaps hit the mine and get some resources? Maybe water the plants on the farm to get crops? Season cards add a challenge by triggering events each round. Once the deck runs out, the year ends, so you'll need to complete your goals before your time's up.
Don't be deceived, however; this game may seem simple - and I can attest that it's very wholesome - but easy it is not. As Callum Bains writes in our original Stardew Valley board game review: "[you] will be shrewdly discussing your actions, managing your inventory, and desperately attempting to cope with the unpredictable obstacles that the game throws your way."
Like many things in life, we aren't sure how long this moo-velous game will be at the un-beet-able price of $66.49/£48.39. If you're itching for a life on the farm, there's no time to horse around - hoof it over to Zatu Games now.
If you pick up the Stardew Valley board game, we'd love to hear what you think - am I right that it's more of a relaxing jaunt than the haters say, or is it back breaking field work after all? Catch the bus into the Wargamer Discord community and let us know - it's the coziest tabletop games club on the internet!