Summary
While many hopeStardew Valleycould someday receive a well-deserved sequel, the slice-of-life farming sim could benefit much more from a prequel exploring its already rich and mysterious history. Released at a time when indie games garnered plenty of attention and support from players,Stardew Valleyhas since become a fan favorite through its distinctive style, open-ended game design, and the influences of cult classics likeHarvest Moon. So though developerConcernedApe is currently working onHaunted Chocolatier, fans are still interested in seeing aStardew Valleysequel and perhaps eventually becoming a long-term series.
But as much as a sequel could enrich and expand everything thatStardew Valleyhad created, ConcernedApe would also have the option to instead take players back through time to explore its debut games' history. From the wealth of lore that already exists to the iconic people and places that the player encounters, there is more than enough forStardew Valleyto receive a prequel in lieu of a sequel. With many mysteries surroundingPelican Townfrom why the Community Center was abandoned to the unknown history of their grandfather’s farm, a prequel could provide players with answers, context, and an all-new perspective onStardew Valleyitself.
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Stardew Valley Has Plenty of History to Explore
The history ofStardew Valleyis often alluded to but never made fully clear throughout the game. For example, Mayor Lewis claims he’s held his position unopposed for twenty years while George suffered an accident thirty years back as a coal miner. In fact, there is a lot of time left unaccounted for withinStardew Valley, as the player’s inheritance of the family farm suggests there’s a deeper heritage not yet explored. Many other characters in and around Pelican Town also seem to hint at more complex backstories, such as Kent’s deployment against the Gotoro Empire to the millennia-longElemental War between Dwarves and Shadow People.
Even just scratching the surface of known histories already hinted at by various characters, books, notes, and so forth yields more than enough for aStardew Valleyprequel to address. While it may be just as important to recognize that not everyStardew Valleymystery needs solving, it can be frustrating to realize how little is actually known about its in-game history. For instance, despite the enigmatic Junimos being essential tocompleting theStardew ValleyCommunity Center, it’s never explained why the building became derelict, or why other areas of Pelican Town like the Train Platform, Quarry, and Spa also seem to have been more or less abandoned.
A Prequel Could Explore Pelican Town’s Founding
With such a broad and uncertain history to visit for aStardew Valleyprequel, it would be better if the game selected a key point to focus on and build out from there. As Pelican Town serves as the epicenter for much of this in-game history, its initial founding and subsequent growth into the town seen inStardew Valleycould be the ideal starting point the prequel needs. Not only would this allow players to live the town’s history, meet younger characters or their predecessors, and how life must have been beforeStardew Valley, but it could also link the player’s family farm’s origins to the foundation of Pelican Town as well.
One benefit of setting the prequel during this time would be circumventing the need to create all-new environments. Should the player be the ancestor who founded the family farm,Stardew Valleycould take notes fromAnimal Crossingwith the player also becoming Pelican Town’s first-ever mayor and helping to establish the whole town and its people instead of just a Community Center. This would share the same themes of community and rural lifeStardew Valleyembodies while embracing the Western aesthetic Pelican Town for a prequel exploring the new frontier, such as the railroad’s construction, the mining gold rush, and old-fashioned farming.
Stardew Valleyis available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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