During 2020, I really got into playing the Stardew Valley video game, as did a lot of other people (I wonder why? It's like there was a world-wide event that forced us all inside for weeks at a time?). I fell head first into the immersive world Concerned Ape created. When I learned there was a board game version being created, you can imagine my excitement! Despite my soaring heart, I did have my reservations. I have mentioned in previous reviews that any time a game is created after a hit TV show, movie, game, etc., it tends to lack in game play and relies on sales based purely on its branding. I crossed my fingers in hopes that Stardew Valley The Board Game wouldn't follow that stereotype and let me tell you, I was not disappointed.

First of all, I want to give a stark disclaimer: this board game, not unlike the video game, has A LOT going on in it. There are lots of pieces, cards and options while playing. I would set aside at least 30 minutes just to set up for the first time and a good 3-4 hours for your first play though. Like all games, the more you play, that shorter that time will be. Once game play begins and you get a few rounds into it, the game is actually quite comprehensive and will be even more so for those who have played the video game and are familiar with the map of the area and the different activities available at certain locations.

The game is cooperative, supporting 1-4 players, so everyone will be working together. There are two main objectives of the game. The first is to fulfill four of Grandpa's Goals by upgrading tools, making friends, expanding the farm and raising animals among others. There are eight goals in total but you only use four in a game, leaving some room for replay value in the future so you're not doing the same goals over and over again. The second objective is to restore all six rooms of the Community Center. Each of the six rooms has between three to six different achievements to work toward but you only use one for each room per game, again, allowing for a change of scenery in subsequent games. The rooms require donations of certain items collected throughout the game like fish, crops, money, seasonally foraged items and many more.

How do you collect such items? As many options as there are available when starting your day in the video game, there are just as many in the board game. The game starts in Spring and as such, foraging items are placed throughout the Valley. As you move about and pass by, you can choose to take one of these items. That's how you gather forage items! Simple as that. Crops take a bit more dedication, requiring you to head to Pierre's to buy the seeds and, of course, water them each day until they are ready for harvest. Don't want to stay home and play the farmer role? No worries! You can go to the ocean, river or lake to do some fishing. You can head up into the mountains to do some mining, collecting resources for building, geodes to crack open at Clint's shop or uncover minerals and artifacts to donate to the Museum. Each person playing gets to take two actions at any location (either two actions at one location or one action at each of two locations) as well as being able to move once. Taking turns, you split up through the valley, conducting business and gathering assets before heading back home for the night.

But let's talk about the main reason to head into Pelican Town... to make friends and maybe even find a spouse! Yes, this game has it all. Every villager in Stardew Valley is here and ready to be your friend, provided you woo them with the right gift. Each character has items they like and dislike. Giving them a gift they like makes them your friend and later in the game, you can gain different benefits from the friends you have made like gaining goods and gold, upgrading tools for free, looking at the next day's card and many more! Villagers also have a birthday season. Giving them a gift they like during their birthday season awards you bonus points in the form of heart tokens that can be used in a variety of ways throughout the game. Oh, you REALLY like that friend you just made and fancy having them as a spouse? Just gift them the Epic Item of the Mermaid's Pendant and consider yourselves married! You'll then gain the Spouse Pawn that you can have perform one action throughout the Valley once per day. Cool, huh? (Only the marriageable characters in the video game are candidates for marriage in the board game as well. Eligible partners' friend cards are marked with a symbol of the Mermaid's Pendant)

It all seems like sunshine and stardrops in Pelican town but don't get too comfortable... Joja Mart is always trying to meddle in the Valley! Occasionally, a Joja tile will be placed at a location that will either tax you each time you visit or prevent you entirely from performing an activity there. Nasty business! Don't worry though, by working together and sacrificing gold or heart tokens, you can remove the Joja tiles.

So, you've finished your first day in the Valley. You planted some crops, made some friends and foraged some items along the way. Now what? Now, a new day begins! After working through some end of day activities like building staircases to descend further in the mine, upgrading tools, petting your farm animals and removing Joja tiles, the next card from the top of the season deck is revealed. This card then triggers a series of events to take place immediately. The events differ from day to day but include options like receiving gifts from friends, the placement of Joja tiles, rotating the fish available for catching and many more. 2-3 times per season, you will also encounter a festival! These are special days where instead of multiple events happening, the festival triggers one special event. You can still rush about the Valley performing tasks, though.

Once the final day of Spring has finished, you're moving onto Summer! Seasonal foraging tiles are replaced with the new season's tiles and the process starts all over again. Life in the Valley may be like a lazy river but don't dawdle; you must restore the Community Center AND complete Grandpa's Goals before the end of winter!

Alright, now that we have discussed how the game is played (congrats if you made it this far!), let's get to actually reviewing the game. I really loved this game for so many reasons but I'll try to narrow it down to just a few! Not only did I love the blatant fan servicing by including LITERALLY every aspect of the video game into the board game, but it's just an all around good worker-placement game. Worker-placement isn't a new concept, in fact it's very common in board games, which is excellent because with so much going on in this game, the core mechanics are familiar and comfortable for those who have experience playing strategy games. One of my biggest complaints about worker-placement is the limitations on how many people can visit one location, like in Lords of Waterdeep. In a competitive game, someone taking the space you had planned on taking can really throw a wrench into your plans. Honestly, I hate having to go to plan B, C, D, E and however many I get bumped out of. In Stardew Valley, that doesn't matter not only because there are no restrictions about multiple players visiting the same space but also because you're working together anyways. Everything they do also benefits you.

I'm not a very competitive person, which is why games like Stardew Valley appeal to me. I love a good, calm game where everyone is working together and there's no cutthroat arguing. The Stardew Valley board game offers exactly that. I suppose the only argument you could get into is vying for the same marriage candidate! This game can also be played solo which is a fairly uncommon option in board games. I haven't actually played it solo but I can imagine it would make the game a lot harder to win without the help of multiple farmers.

Another really unique benefit of this game is that people who have played the video game and sunk an unreasonable amount of time into their fictional farm, can now share that experience with friends and family members who are into board games but maybe not so much into video games. When I first played this board game, I played it with my mom who had never played the video game but had heard me talk about it… a lot. While playing the board game together, I was constantly making remarks like “Oh, it's Elliott! He was my husband in my first save file.” (Elliott is the best spouse. Fight me.) It was a neat bonding experience to be able to share my interests but in a medium she was more comfortable with.

If I were to give some negative feedback (which, trust me, I am struggling to find), it would just be how long the game is. For veteran board gamers and folks who are avid fans of the video game, the 3-4 hours of game play is doable but for novice board gamers or even people who may struggle to sit in one place for so long, the lengthy play time is a deterrent. The rule book is a full 8.5”x11” booklet of a whopping 23 pages... and that's all English. That is a LONG rule book. Even for someone who learns games for a living, that was a bit daunting for me. Had my burning passion for the video game not forced me through, I would have struggled to make it through the rules. I have played the board game four times now and even still, I consult that rule book multiple times per round. I've had to reference the rule book about 15 times just writing this review to make sure I got everything right. I'm not kidding when I say there is A LOT going on in this game. It's downfall is also it's greatest attribute, though. One of the reasons the game is so good and the reason it's so long is because they included so much of the video game... like, all of it. Newer players would greatly benefit from having a someone who played the video game at the table, although it's not at all necessary.

One more short praise before I go; the game has been created in a way that could very easily incorporate expansions in the future. Say like, a Calico Desert and Ginger Island expansion? Just sayin'...

I can't sing enough praise for this game and I encourage everyone to give a it a go. Unfortunately, due to its popularity, the game is tricky to get at the moment but there is another print run coming in August 2024 so keep your eyes peeled and feel free to ask about being added to the preorder list! We do have an demo copy here in the store that is available for anyone to play.

Thanks for reading!