Hi everyone,
Just want to give you a quick update on Stardew Valley. I’m still working hard on the game, nearly every day. I know there’s been some discussion as to a release date, so I’d like to touch on that.
As soon as I know when the game is to be released, I’ll announce it. I don’t have any intention of being deceptive or secretive. The reason I haven’t given a release date yet is that it’s extremely difficult to make an accurate prediction when it comes to finishing something like this. What I really don’t want is to throw a date out there and then have to disappoint people by pushing it back. I also don’t want to build hype prematurely… that already happened to some degree when Stardew Valley was Greenlit, and the resulting attention (and disappointment that the game wasn’t already available) was a bit overwhelming for me. I’d like to earn my reputation by releasing a great game, rather than creating buzz over screenshots and speculation well before the game is available. There’s definitely a proper time to start promoting a release, but I don’t feel like that moment has arrived yet.
I’ve been working on Stardew for years and I want it to be released as much as anyone. However, I’m not willing to do that until the game is not only complete, but also in a state I’m happy with. It simply could not be released in its current form… It’s not a finished game yet. It’s tantalizingly close to being a finished game, but it’s also a huge project and I’m just one guy. I truly believe it will be released this year, but there’s still months of work to be done.
I know I’ve said this before, but I’m really lucky to have such positive, supportive people interested in the development of Stardew Valley. I really do appreciate it, and the last thing I want is to let anyone down. The best I can do is to keep working hard until the game is finished and in your hands. And that’s what I’ll continue to do, no matter what.
Here’s what I’ve been working on lately:
Finishing the mines. I’ve shifted some things away from being randomly-generated, instead
designing them by hand. My aim is to ensure that gameplay is focused and that the pacing is
enjoyable. I want players to really feel like they are making progress as they advance deeper into
underground, and earning proper rewards for their troubles. Previous versions of the mines never felt
quite right to me, but I’m very happy with it now.
Thanks for reading!
-Ape