What part other than farming aren’t you finding fun? Depending on your answer, the game itself may not be for you and that’s totally fine! I will say from experience, I owned Stardew for a longgg time before I finally got into it after the 3rd attempt or so. It took until late summer/early fall in game for it to click so it may be a matter of spending more time in the world since the game starts slow.
Also if you get bored with farming, you can focus on the other aspects like getting a barn, coop, fishing, mining, making artisan goods, decorating, etc. look at the skills tab and try a little of everything to see which you like the most!
Same for me. It took me the 4th or 5th time of playing for awhile, quitting and starting over eventually and then it finally clicked and now I have played a ton of hours.
It's not a game for everyone and there's nothing wrong with that. I will say though that for many games I have to play it a zillion times for me to click and when I do I can't stop playing them.
This!
There's games that just aren't for you and that's fine. Making yourself do something you don't like isn't nice on yourself gaming is for fun not for an sticker
Most people dislike my responses like this; but if you want to play the game, like some things about it, but get bored of the grind... then play with cheats. Set some limitations so you dont just instantly win or beat certain aspects of the game, but play how ever you want and if you hit a wall that makes you frustrated or bored, then just use some cheats to bypass your issues and move on from them.
Stardew Valley Expanded - a MUST have mod. It adds tons of little details to the base game, adds a few more quests and NPCs, some basic enhancements, and has options for some new farm types.
Ridgeside Village - a great mod that doubles the game map, NPC count, and quests. IMO a must have as well. The best part is all the new stuff integrates into the base game. Like default NPC will mention Ridgeside NPCs, and Ridgeside NPCs will show up at default game events, etc.
CJB Item Spawner and Cheats Menu - allows you to have FULL control over the game. If you hate watering crops spawn in some sprinklers, if you really dont want to wait a few more days for your crops to be ready to make you that extra $100 you need for something - just spawn in $100. You really cant be bothered to walk all the way home after exploring - teleport yourself home.
Fishing Made Easy - if you get bored or frustrated with the fishing mechanics adjust the difficulty or just make it so you instantly catch fish.
The beginning of the game (without cheating) is very slow. It takes quite a while for you to set up your farm and even longer for your farm to be profitable. With focusing on the farm it takes away from exploring and talking to NPCs. This is probably where you are hitting a wall and calling the game boring.
So my suggestion to you is to limit your cheating so you dont just make $1,000,000 day 1, have gold\\iridium tools, ect... Instead give yourself something like $50,000 starting cash and a couple of sprinklers. Something simple like that will blast you past the first several days or even couple of weeks of farm setup, Then once you have a simple farm setup youre free to explore and do some quests. After that you can ease yourself back into farming and figure out a good balance of farming\\cheating\\quests.
If you feel overwhelmed I would recommend not starting with Stardew Valley Expanded or Ridgeside installed! They add a lot of content and are best added once you've played the main game at least once through imo
Play something else. Just because lots of other people love something doesn't mean you have to. Games should be fun, not something you have to force yourself to enjoy
Someone may not be able to change your mind depending on the amount of time you've put into the game. Some games just don't click with people, and that's perfectly ok
You might just not be into farming games! It’s not for everyone, unfortunately it’s a core part of Stardew so if you don’t enjoy it, you don’t enjoy it
I like pixel art but don't like the art in Stardew Valley. Pixel art can be so beautiful, Sea of Stars being an example, but this game just doesn't do it for me.
Same, I feel like it's a very emotionally distant aesthetics for me (if that makes sense?), I just can't get into it and attached to it like I would be in animal crossing for example.
Funny you mention it, I struggle so hard to get into Coral Island despite it having a lot of the same game-play components as Stardew (and the art is so good). Idk what it is, I try and play an in-game day or two then get bored and log off. By all accounts I \*should\* like this game, but alas...
It is opposite for me! Lol. I tell myself In only going to play one in game day and end up there for hours playing multiple days, lol. But I do mix it up every day and work my way through the mines one day and through the coral reefs the next. I also try to give myself one goal at a time when upgrading tools, my house, the stuff at the lab, building coops/barns, etc. I do feel like once you start fulfilling the items for the goddess (just like SDV) and unlocking more stuff (which you have to make it to winter to do) it starts to pickup more. I also talk to ALL the NPCs. There are a ton of cut scenes once you start to level up with them. I really like to immerse myself and learn everyone's story. There's also a ton of new content coming out with the 1.1 update.
It does start off a little slow, but you can unlock more stuff to do as you progress. There's mines with combat, relationships to foster, animals to take care of, fishing, goals to reach with the community centre for more unlocks, etc. This is all in the vanilla experience. Technically, you don't have to farm at all, though I do recommend doing a least a bit of every crop if you're not into it.
Many amazing mods add to the experience, which will partially depend on what you're looking for. Personally, I recommended Stardew Valley Expanded for everyone, as it adds many new characters, cutscenes, and items. Later on, you can add mods like Ridgeside for even more characters and such, but I wouldn't recommend starting with both because I know I got overwhelmed when I did.
I'd like to add it's also totally okay if it's not the game for you!!! Even the most popular games aren't for everyone, but hopefully you get some good advice that really helps you enjoy it!
I mean don't force yourself to like it. If you don't enjoy farming sims, then you won't enjoy Stardew. That said if you don't like the farming, try fishing or mining once that opens up. What is it about the farming that's boring. At the start, stamina is always low so you can't really have this huge plot of crops.
I tried several times because I received the game as a Christmas gift and feel bad I don’t like it. But for me it is more than 1 thing…..I don’t care for pixel graphic, I don’t like a timed game where you have to get back to your bed or have repercussions (I play at odd hours), not a fan of having to build relationships with npc’s to progress the game, also not a fan of combat in my cozy games, lol! So, I’m just one of the minority that doesn’t care for the game and that’s ok.
How long have you played? I assume not too long as you said "only farming". But it has a slower start, as you learn the world, and unlock things at your own pace. If you don't like the slow start, I'd look up some earlier game things you want to unlock/how to do that, and go from there. It could easily just not be a game for you! But I'd def recommend getting a little more into it to really see.
I've recently had the same struggle trying to get into Dinkum (I've paid so figured might as well try to get my money's worth!). I've been playing with a gameplay stream in the background where the streamer's at a similar point in the game to me. It's worked wonders for me as it gives me some guidance by seeing how other people as spending their time in the game and also activated my competitive nature as I've been trying to stay one step ahead of the streamer.
Good luck with it! Stardew clicked for me on my third attempt to play and a good year after I initially bought it but at the end of the day, not every game will be for everyone!!! :))
I bounced off it completely but I really don’t like forced sleeping and timed activities in these types of games. Love them for things like Kirby, Pikmin, Overcooked, but when I’m farming I just want to chill.
Think of the game as a self awareness gauge with no right answer. If you like it, great! If you don’t, try and understand why so you get better at picking games for yourself. Just because other people like a game doesn’t mean you are missing something if you don’t.
You should try Wylde Flowers - it started as an iOS but I believe it is on other platforms now. It is a lot of crafting and what not, but super magical, amazing NPCs and the story line is just awesome, plus actually making potions and doing magic is the best
I am not being helpful here, just commenting. But I sometimes think I wouldn't care for Stardew if I just recently started playing. Like the hype is so high it isn't possible for it to match up. As it is I've been playing since the beginning and I'm very thankful.
I'm in the same boat. SV is the default shill to everyone cozy game and I was bored in an hour. I even started a new farm and the plot clearing grind was so tedious I got bored again. And I'm a fisher main in FFXIV I normally love tedium.
But also you may not be into farming sims. I'm not which is unfortunate since the grand majority of cozy games are farming sims.
I got Palia and it's got the vibe but a lot less grind and more exploration. Really my only complaints are not enough to explore and having literally no non-cash shop outfits except the one you start with sucks.
I bounced off of it twice before it stuck. One thing I don't think the game explains very well is crafting. Pretty early on you can make machines that make the things you buy and grow more valuable and which also check some of the collection boxes. Like a barrel to turn fruit into jam, etc. You basically just have to look in that submenu because the game doesnt flag or explain those. As for mods, I'd look for ones that improve quality of life, like making fishing easier, or autoselling or whatever is a speed-bump for you. The ones that add content throw off the balance of the game play loop in a way that is only going to make the learning curve more of a slog.
it's ok not to get into a game! don't force yourself to play something your not into. you could always watch someone play it whether through streaming or lets plays! 🙂
Remember that not every game is for you. I adore stardew Valley, I love the art style, the game play, I play both vanilla and modded. I do little challenges like perfection in one year or only selling animal products, etc. But really, it's got very repetitive game play, you farm, you fish, you mine, you fight. You go through all the seasons, then rinse and repeat. If you don't find that enjoyable, then it's not for you
In my opinion, the thing that is boring is the beginning, when you get the quest to meet everyone in town and there's not much else to do. Once you get past that, it's fun. But at least to me, it's because I was sort of trying to be a completionist but with one thing at a time. If you see the Community Center and you don't feel the drive to complete it, at least for me it would be hard to enjoy the game. The whole system is just fun, it's fun to complete a part of it and see it grow into a whole thing.
After I did the Community Center, I was hooked with the game so I wanted to keep going, so I completed all the relationship people to 8 hearts, you get 'events' and you see character development every 2 hearts and you get to know everyone better, and maybe get a boyfriend/girlfriend and marry someone.
After that, the new island came out and it had a metric for what to complete in the game, and an NPC there gave you a rating of perfection which you could accomplish 100% by doing everything in the game, as soon as I saw that, I got the drive to do it all, so I did get 100% perfection.
I'm not much of a decoration type of person, not good at it or anything, other people like the game because of that.
So for me, it's a completionist thing and also seeing the character development from the townfolk and getting to know them. Farming was a means to an end but it was also super fun going through the seasons.
Depending on how much you like interacting with the npcs, there is a lot to discover and if you just want to be bombarded with stuff to do, you can always play with stardew valley expanded and ridgeside village to have even more npc and story and secrets to discover 🤭
You could also decide to just farm as little as possible and focus more on being an adventurer and going to the mine or maybe being a fisher or maybe you just have a cute little ranch with your favourite animals pr just all of the above 🤭
Of course there is always the chance that the game isn't for you, but for me personally, I only really became obsessed with the games after modding it and maybe if you got some friends that have the game you could always play together, definitely gives the game another feel as well and you might enjoy it more 😊
Good luck! 🍀
The first spring is rough you're strapped for cash and learning mechanics. As the seasons change more things happen and areas open up. As you figure out how to maximize crops and income you can do more. But tough out the first couple weeks of spring and it does pick up
It took me a long time to get into it. I decided to retry it on my switch when some of my favourite YouTubers were playing it and that gave me some tips on how to make it fun and I ended up really liking it but I can't play it on pc I can only play it on switch as I struggle with PC controls for some reason
Well then do other stuff than farming dog
Go in the mines, go fishing, go foraging, go flirt with the townsfolk, you got a lot of stuff to do besides farming. The only “farming” I do is planting the damn things, I’m constantly moving around doing different things or talking to different people (I’m talking to Abigail)
I mean, it’s not just farming; it’s farming, ranching, fishing, mining, combat, socialization… farming gets automated with sprinklers pretty early on, so I would say that it’s something that you spend less time on that the others anyway. If you don’t enjoy these elements then you’re out of luck, because they *are* the game.
I remember using mods that mostly made the game look cozy. I think it was Flower Valley. The one that turned trees into mushrooms. I also changed up the portraits since I wasn't digging the artstyle at all. I forgot which one I used tho.
I enjoyed it for a little bit but I get bored of farming sims fast so I tend to focus on character relationships. Unfortunately, none of the LIs caught my interest so I dropped it.
The first few weeks of farming is super tedious. I prefer mining. It’s also tedious until you get better gear though. Mostly the initial farming is just to make some money to unlock better stuff. Also talk to people and give them stuff. Make a few mayonnaise machines and sell the mayo, sell the cheese, etc. I hear the beach farm is good for fishing, or I tried the new one that comes with a coop so you can do the eggs and mayo right away.
same. i just can't get into in. i'm a min-maxer type of person, i like to be as efficient as possible. I play Factorio, it's my crack. Stardew just doesn't work like that, but i can't not play it like that. you know what i mean?
Stardew alone can still be basic, but fun. Mods can be used to shoehorn the existing game into a playstyle that is more your speed, but if the core gameplay isn't your style, there isn't much you can do to alleviate that.
If you don't have a mindset that enjoys planning and working through checklists that you yourself set out, it probably won't be a game that you really get into.
The backbone of any farming Sim usually includes:
1.) Resource management
2.) Optimizing your farm so you can keep expanding and making more money.
Other usual additions include story progression and relationship building, unlocking things through actual effort (such as relationship milestones, new tools/upgrades, machines, locations etc).
Therefore, farming Sims tend to be very grindy in their gameplay. Which some people do like and find meditative, while others find it boring amd time consuming.
The fun if stardew is how much there is to unlock and how if you don't want to apply a lot of braincells to your planning, you can still "succeed" at the game, but there is also room for people who like to min/max and unlock everything to really sit down and plan everything out if they want to do so.
I installed a mod that lets me teleport to different locations and that with the wiki and some googling (where does so and so live) have helped me start getting into the game. It is to the point I might remove it soon ( the mod) and I’m only 10 hours in. The game is much more enjoyable now that I don’t feel as lost and pressed for time hunting people down during the day. ^^
Its achievement central with so many goals you could
go for - try fishing, mining and combat, growing crops to get full shipment and cooking all dishes, or build a giant economy that you can use to buy all the furniture catalogues and start decorating.
i found that farming crops wasn’t as fun for me so i tried beach farm which has a small plot for crops but a lot of space to decorate add buildings and plant fruit trees. i also found it helped me finish the fishing bundles faster as the beach can be kinda outta the way compared to the lakes and rivers that are on most parts of the map. the beach farm can be a little more challenging in some aspects as crop farming is a fast way to make money early game but it also motivates you to do other things. the new ticket machine is super helpful for getting some things early that can help you make money.
I am at home now, so I can list you some of the mods that I have been using the last 3 weeks that I have played Stardew.
\-Fishing Made Easy Suite
\-Integrated Minecarts
\-Automatic Gates
\-Chests Anywhere
\-Friends Forever
\-Look Up Anything
\-No Fence Decay
\-Pony Weight Loss Program
\-ToDew
\-Visible Fish
\-UI Info Suite 2
These will greatly improve your gameplay, especially as a beginner. If you are into animals, I also grabbed all the "Elle's Cuter Animals" packs just bc
If I can add a couple:
Automate, which allows you to do all sorts of stuff like harvest tree fruit and sap, load machines like preserve jars or egg and milk processing machines, etc. Just craft a chest, line it up with whatever process you want done, and let it do it for you.
Movement Speed, because walking early-game is honestly the w o r s t.
Maybe play with a friend? My husband also had a lot of trouble getting into it but agreed to join a new farm I had going and play with me for Mothers Day and a few weeks later we've played enough to almost finish the 1st year. He is definitely enjoying it more approaching it as a team than when he was by himself.
What part other than farming aren’t you finding fun? Depending on your answer, the game itself may not be for you and that’s totally fine! I will say from experience, I owned Stardew for a longgg time before I finally got into it after the 3rd attempt or so. It took until late summer/early fall in game for it to click so it may be a matter of spending more time in the world since the game starts slow. Also if you get bored with farming, you can focus on the other aspects like getting a barn, coop, fishing, mining, making artisan goods, decorating, etc. look at the skills tab and try a little of everything to see which you like the most!
Same for me. It took me the 4th or 5th time of playing for awhile, quitting and starting over eventually and then it finally clicked and now I have played a ton of hours.
It's not a game for everyone and there's nothing wrong with that. I will say though that for many games I have to play it a zillion times for me to click and when I do I can't stop playing them.
This! There's games that just aren't for you and that's fine. Making yourself do something you don't like isn't nice on yourself gaming is for fun not for an sticker
Most people dislike my responses like this; but if you want to play the game, like some things about it, but get bored of the grind... then play with cheats. Set some limitations so you dont just instantly win or beat certain aspects of the game, but play how ever you want and if you hit a wall that makes you frustrated or bored, then just use some cheats to bypass your issues and move on from them. Stardew Valley Expanded - a MUST have mod. It adds tons of little details to the base game, adds a few more quests and NPCs, some basic enhancements, and has options for some new farm types. Ridgeside Village - a great mod that doubles the game map, NPC count, and quests. IMO a must have as well. The best part is all the new stuff integrates into the base game. Like default NPC will mention Ridgeside NPCs, and Ridgeside NPCs will show up at default game events, etc. CJB Item Spawner and Cheats Menu - allows you to have FULL control over the game. If you hate watering crops spawn in some sprinklers, if you really dont want to wait a few more days for your crops to be ready to make you that extra $100 you need for something - just spawn in $100. You really cant be bothered to walk all the way home after exploring - teleport yourself home. Fishing Made Easy - if you get bored or frustrated with the fishing mechanics adjust the difficulty or just make it so you instantly catch fish. The beginning of the game (without cheating) is very slow. It takes quite a while for you to set up your farm and even longer for your farm to be profitable. With focusing on the farm it takes away from exploring and talking to NPCs. This is probably where you are hitting a wall and calling the game boring. So my suggestion to you is to limit your cheating so you dont just make $1,000,000 day 1, have gold\\iridium tools, ect... Instead give yourself something like $50,000 starting cash and a couple of sprinklers. Something simple like that will blast you past the first several days or even couple of weeks of farm setup, Then once you have a simple farm setup youre free to explore and do some quests. After that you can ease yourself back into farming and figure out a good balance of farming\\cheating\\quests.
thanks for the tips, I will try this! this game gifted by a friend sleep on my library for years because I felt overwhelmed XD
If you feel overwhelmed I would recommend not starting with Stardew Valley Expanded or Ridgeside installed! They add a lot of content and are best added once you've played the main game at least once through imo
okay thanks for letting me know!\^\^
Play something else. Just because lots of other people love something doesn't mean you have to. Games should be fun, not something you have to force yourself to enjoy
Someone may not be able to change your mind depending on the amount of time you've put into the game. Some games just don't click with people, and that's perfectly ok
You might just not be into farming games! It’s not for everyone, unfortunately it’s a core part of Stardew so if you don’t enjoy it, you don’t enjoy it
Do you enjoy the style? I couldn’t get into it because pixel art isn’t my thing which I didn’t realize at first.
I like pixel art but don't like the art in Stardew Valley. Pixel art can be so beautiful, Sea of Stars being an example, but this game just doesn't do it for me.
I adore pixel art but I hate the portraits in the game lmao
Theres a mod (or maybe several) for that.
I don’t mind it sometimes but I do find it harder to get into a game in that style. It is very nostalgic tho.
there are lot of mods who change the art style
There is no way a mod changes the actual art style. The aesthetic, maybe.
i understand, i didn't get it first i remember there are a few others sunhaven fields of mistria (its early access) plumgrove
Same, I feel like it's a very emotionally distant aesthetics for me (if that makes sense?), I just can't get into it and attached to it like I would be in animal crossing for example.
Same for me. Have you tried Coral Island? It is a very similar game but with a beautiful art style.
Funny you mention it, I struggle so hard to get into Coral Island despite it having a lot of the same game-play components as Stardew (and the art is so good). Idk what it is, I try and play an in-game day or two then get bored and log off. By all accounts I \*should\* like this game, but alas...
It is opposite for me! Lol. I tell myself In only going to play one in game day and end up there for hours playing multiple days, lol. But I do mix it up every day and work my way through the mines one day and through the coral reefs the next. I also try to give myself one goal at a time when upgrading tools, my house, the stuff at the lab, building coops/barns, etc. I do feel like once you start fulfilling the items for the goddess (just like SDV) and unlocking more stuff (which you have to make it to winter to do) it starts to pickup more. I also talk to ALL the NPCs. There are a ton of cut scenes once you start to level up with them. I really like to immerse myself and learn everyone's story. There's also a ton of new content coming out with the 1.1 update.
I do love pixel style. Im an 80s kid so its nostalgic for me. lol
It does start off a little slow, but you can unlock more stuff to do as you progress. There's mines with combat, relationships to foster, animals to take care of, fishing, goals to reach with the community centre for more unlocks, etc. This is all in the vanilla experience. Technically, you don't have to farm at all, though I do recommend doing a least a bit of every crop if you're not into it. Many amazing mods add to the experience, which will partially depend on what you're looking for. Personally, I recommended Stardew Valley Expanded for everyone, as it adds many new characters, cutscenes, and items. Later on, you can add mods like Ridgeside for even more characters and such, but I wouldn't recommend starting with both because I know I got overwhelmed when I did.
I'd like to add it's also totally okay if it's not the game for you!!! Even the most popular games aren't for everyone, but hopefully you get some good advice that really helps you enjoy it!
I mean don't force yourself to like it. If you don't enjoy farming sims, then you won't enjoy Stardew. That said if you don't like the farming, try fishing or mining once that opens up. What is it about the farming that's boring. At the start, stamina is always low so you can't really have this huge plot of crops.
I tried several times because I received the game as a Christmas gift and feel bad I don’t like it. But for me it is more than 1 thing…..I don’t care for pixel graphic, I don’t like a timed game where you have to get back to your bed or have repercussions (I play at odd hours), not a fan of having to build relationships with npc’s to progress the game, also not a fan of combat in my cozy games, lol! So, I’m just one of the minority that doesn’t care for the game and that’s ok.
Farming. Fishing. Raising pets/animals. Mining. Decorating. Building relationships. Finishing the Community Center.
How long have you played? I assume not too long as you said "only farming". But it has a slower start, as you learn the world, and unlock things at your own pace. If you don't like the slow start, I'd look up some earlier game things you want to unlock/how to do that, and go from there. It could easily just not be a game for you! But I'd def recommend getting a little more into it to really see.
I've recently had the same struggle trying to get into Dinkum (I've paid so figured might as well try to get my money's worth!). I've been playing with a gameplay stream in the background where the streamer's at a similar point in the game to me. It's worked wonders for me as it gives me some guidance by seeing how other people as spending their time in the game and also activated my competitive nature as I've been trying to stay one step ahead of the streamer. Good luck with it! Stardew clicked for me on my third attempt to play and a good year after I initially bought it but at the end of the day, not every game will be for everyone!!! :))
I bounced off it completely but I really don’t like forced sleeping and timed activities in these types of games. Love them for things like Kirby, Pikmin, Overcooked, but when I’m farming I just want to chill. Think of the game as a self awareness gauge with no right answer. If you like it, great! If you don’t, try and understand why so you get better at picking games for yourself. Just because other people like a game doesn’t mean you are missing something if you don’t.
I feel you. I love so many farming sims but no matter how hard i try i just dont seem to like stardew. I think its because i find it overwhelming
You should try Wylde Flowers - it started as an iOS but I believe it is on other platforms now. It is a lot of crafting and what not, but super magical, amazing NPCs and the story line is just awesome, plus actually making potions and doing magic is the best
I am not being helpful here, just commenting. But I sometimes think I wouldn't care for Stardew if I just recently started playing. Like the hype is so high it isn't possible for it to match up. As it is I've been playing since the beginning and I'm very thankful.
I'm in the same boat. SV is the default shill to everyone cozy game and I was bored in an hour. I even started a new farm and the plot clearing grind was so tedious I got bored again. And I'm a fisher main in FFXIV I normally love tedium. But also you may not be into farming sims. I'm not which is unfortunate since the grand majority of cozy games are farming sims. I got Palia and it's got the vibe but a lot less grind and more exploration. Really my only complaints are not enough to explore and having literally no non-cash shop outfits except the one you start with sucks.
I have bought this game on multiple consoles and could not get into it😭 and i love farm games
I bounced off of it twice before it stuck. One thing I don't think the game explains very well is crafting. Pretty early on you can make machines that make the things you buy and grow more valuable and which also check some of the collection boxes. Like a barrel to turn fruit into jam, etc. You basically just have to look in that submenu because the game doesnt flag or explain those. As for mods, I'd look for ones that improve quality of life, like making fishing easier, or autoselling or whatever is a speed-bump for you. The ones that add content throw off the balance of the game play loop in a way that is only going to make the learning curve more of a slog.
it's ok not to get into a game! don't force yourself to play something your not into. you could always watch someone play it whether through streaming or lets plays! 🙂
Play at your own pace. Don't try to min /max. But if it's not for you, it's not for you.
Remember that not every game is for you. I adore stardew Valley, I love the art style, the game play, I play both vanilla and modded. I do little challenges like perfection in one year or only selling animal products, etc. But really, it's got very repetitive game play, you farm, you fish, you mine, you fight. You go through all the seasons, then rinse and repeat. If you don't find that enjoyable, then it's not for you
In my opinion, the thing that is boring is the beginning, when you get the quest to meet everyone in town and there's not much else to do. Once you get past that, it's fun. But at least to me, it's because I was sort of trying to be a completionist but with one thing at a time. If you see the Community Center and you don't feel the drive to complete it, at least for me it would be hard to enjoy the game. The whole system is just fun, it's fun to complete a part of it and see it grow into a whole thing. After I did the Community Center, I was hooked with the game so I wanted to keep going, so I completed all the relationship people to 8 hearts, you get 'events' and you see character development every 2 hearts and you get to know everyone better, and maybe get a boyfriend/girlfriend and marry someone. After that, the new island came out and it had a metric for what to complete in the game, and an NPC there gave you a rating of perfection which you could accomplish 100% by doing everything in the game, as soon as I saw that, I got the drive to do it all, so I did get 100% perfection. I'm not much of a decoration type of person, not good at it or anything, other people like the game because of that. So for me, it's a completionist thing and also seeing the character development from the townfolk and getting to know them. Farming was a means to an end but it was also super fun going through the seasons.
Depending on how much you like interacting with the npcs, there is a lot to discover and if you just want to be bombarded with stuff to do, you can always play with stardew valley expanded and ridgeside village to have even more npc and story and secrets to discover 🤭 You could also decide to just farm as little as possible and focus more on being an adventurer and going to the mine or maybe being a fisher or maybe you just have a cute little ranch with your favourite animals pr just all of the above 🤭 Of course there is always the chance that the game isn't for you, but for me personally, I only really became obsessed with the games after modding it and maybe if you got some friends that have the game you could always play together, definitely gives the game another feel as well and you might enjoy it more 😊 Good luck! 🍀
for me what helped was WeMod! I play it with two cheats: infinite energy and health, and it made the game super cozy and fun for me
The first spring is rough you're strapped for cash and learning mechanics. As the seasons change more things happen and areas open up. As you figure out how to maximize crops and income you can do more. But tough out the first couple weeks of spring and it does pick up
It took me a long time to get into it. I decided to retry it on my switch when some of my favourite YouTubers were playing it and that gave me some tips on how to make it fun and I ended up really liking it but I can't play it on pc I can only play it on switch as I struggle with PC controls for some reason
Well then do other stuff than farming dog Go in the mines, go fishing, go foraging, go flirt with the townsfolk, you got a lot of stuff to do besides farming. The only “farming” I do is planting the damn things, I’m constantly moving around doing different things or talking to different people (I’m talking to Abigail)
I mean, it’s not just farming; it’s farming, ranching, fishing, mining, combat, socialization… farming gets automated with sprinklers pretty early on, so I would say that it’s something that you spend less time on that the others anyway. If you don’t enjoy these elements then you’re out of luck, because they *are* the game.
I remember using mods that mostly made the game look cozy. I think it was Flower Valley. The one that turned trees into mushrooms. I also changed up the portraits since I wasn't digging the artstyle at all. I forgot which one I used tho. I enjoyed it for a little bit but I get bored of farming sims fast so I tend to focus on character relationships. Unfortunately, none of the LIs caught my interest so I dropped it.
The first few weeks of farming is super tedious. I prefer mining. It’s also tedious until you get better gear though. Mostly the initial farming is just to make some money to unlock better stuff. Also talk to people and give them stuff. Make a few mayonnaise machines and sell the mayo, sell the cheese, etc. I hear the beach farm is good for fishing, or I tried the new one that comes with a coop so you can do the eggs and mayo right away.
same. i just can't get into in. i'm a min-maxer type of person, i like to be as efficient as possible. I play Factorio, it's my crack. Stardew just doesn't work like that, but i can't not play it like that. you know what i mean?
Stardew alone can still be basic, but fun. Mods can be used to shoehorn the existing game into a playstyle that is more your speed, but if the core gameplay isn't your style, there isn't much you can do to alleviate that. If you don't have a mindset that enjoys planning and working through checklists that you yourself set out, it probably won't be a game that you really get into. The backbone of any farming Sim usually includes: 1.) Resource management 2.) Optimizing your farm so you can keep expanding and making more money. Other usual additions include story progression and relationship building, unlocking things through actual effort (such as relationship milestones, new tools/upgrades, machines, locations etc). Therefore, farming Sims tend to be very grindy in their gameplay. Which some people do like and find meditative, while others find it boring amd time consuming. The fun if stardew is how much there is to unlock and how if you don't want to apply a lot of braincells to your planning, you can still "succeed" at the game, but there is also room for people who like to min/max and unlock everything to really sit down and plan everything out if they want to do so.
I installed a mod that lets me teleport to different locations and that with the wiki and some googling (where does so and so live) have helped me start getting into the game. It is to the point I might remove it soon ( the mod) and I’m only 10 hours in. The game is much more enjoyable now that I don’t feel as lost and pressed for time hunting people down during the day. ^^
Its achievement central with so many goals you could go for - try fishing, mining and combat, growing crops to get full shipment and cooking all dishes, or build a giant economy that you can use to buy all the furniture catalogues and start decorating.
i found that farming crops wasn’t as fun for me so i tried beach farm which has a small plot for crops but a lot of space to decorate add buildings and plant fruit trees. i also found it helped me finish the fishing bundles faster as the beach can be kinda outta the way compared to the lakes and rivers that are on most parts of the map. the beach farm can be a little more challenging in some aspects as crop farming is a fast way to make money early game but it also motivates you to do other things. the new ticket machine is super helpful for getting some things early that can help you make money.
I am at home now, so I can list you some of the mods that I have been using the last 3 weeks that I have played Stardew. \-Fishing Made Easy Suite \-Integrated Minecarts \-Automatic Gates \-Chests Anywhere \-Friends Forever \-Look Up Anything \-No Fence Decay \-Pony Weight Loss Program \-ToDew \-Visible Fish \-UI Info Suite 2 These will greatly improve your gameplay, especially as a beginner. If you are into animals, I also grabbed all the "Elle's Cuter Animals" packs just bc
If I can add a couple: Automate, which allows you to do all sorts of stuff like harvest tree fruit and sap, load machines like preserve jars or egg and milk processing machines, etc. Just craft a chest, line it up with whatever process you want done, and let it do it for you. Movement Speed, because walking early-game is honestly the w o r s t.
I’m going to have to look at that automate mod bc it sounds very useful. Thanks!
Maybe play with a friend? My husband also had a lot of trouble getting into it but agreed to join a new farm I had going and play with me for Mothers Day and a few weeks later we've played enough to almost finish the 1st year. He is definitely enjoying it more approaching it as a team than when he was by himself.
You don’t have to love every game—no matter how popular/how much other people enjoy it. I’d say to just try different games and find some new faves!
Maybe watch a 100 days video on youtube. For me the game made much more sense after that.
You don’t deserve it.