All work and no play may make Jack a dull boy, but all play and no work makes Jack a mere toy.
That second part of the famous proverb might have been running through modder Juanpa98ar’s head when he came up with Hardew Valley, a mod designed to make Stardew Valley a lot more realistic.
One could also make the case that it makes the game a lot less fun, but that’s entirely subjective. Have you ever played Stardew Valley and thought that it should feel a lot more like manual labor? A lot more of a chore than a treat? Well, you’re in luck!
The mod only does a few things, but they make a massive impact on gameplay. For starters, everything you sell brings in a third of the money that it previously brought in. That means anything you produce sells for much less money.
Secondly, crafting items requires a lot more materials. That means a lot more grinding. On top of that, rare items are even rarer, which, again, means a lot more grinding. This also means you need more resources to rebuild the community center.
Robin’s services now cost twice as much as they did, so if you want a building on your land, you’ll have to work twice as hard to earn the money. If we’re being technical, with goods bringing in a third of the profit, you have to work a lot more than twice as hard.
Lastly, combat is more difficult. Enemies have double health and, maybe, more importantly, the random damage you inflict on enemies now has a much bigger range, meaning that some attacks might do next to nothing.
This definitely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. No doubt, there are some who read this that are going to think that nothing here sounds fun and that this mod simply hurts the game.
As stated, though, this is all subjective. While Stardew Valley was designed to be a stress-free, relaxing experience, that also is not everyone’s cup of tea. Gamers who love a challenge might take a liking to the game’s mechanics and presentation and wish it were intense. This is why mods were designed.
Stardew Valley has managed to be both an excellent game and also infinitely malleable, which no doubt has contributed greatly to its longevity. Whether the mods interest you or not, there’s no doubt that their existence remains a sign of a healthy and passionate fan base.
