Stardew Valley

C’mon, it’s Stardew Valley! Eric Barone’s farming sim has sold millions of copies across more than half a dozen platforms. There’s a good chance you know what it’s all about, but for those who don’t, here you go: Stardew Valley hands you, via inheritance, a humble spit of land in a small town. From there, your ostensible goal is to build up a farm. In addition to standard farming sim fare—fishing, cooking, Harvest Mooning—you also can plunder caves for materials (and some monster-hunting).

The joy of Stardew Valley doesn’t come from mind-blowing game mechanics or a life-changing story. The joy is in the repetition. You talk to your fellow townspeople. You do your chores. You live every day as you do, all while time continues unabated and unbothered. As a result, Stardew Valley, despite its low-fi visuals, is one of gaming’s closest approximations of life—of all its fusses and lulls. Good luck finding a more introspective commute-waster.

A good match for: Those who are sick of Animal Crossing yet want to scratch that itch. The hungover.

Not a good match for: Those who are sick of Animal Crossing. The sick and hungover.

Watch it in action.

Purchase from the App Store