Member-only story
Stardew Valley Cured My Depression
If you told me one man created the video game that was taking up all my time, I wouldn’t believe you for a second.
Eric Barone, who is better known as ConcernedApe, created the chill world of Stardew Valley. From the code to the graphics to the text that the characters say, Barone made it happen.
A good friend of mine had been telling me to pick this game up for a long time, but I wasn’t sure if a “farming” game would hold my attention.
However, Stardew Valley is so much more than just a farming game. I gave in and paid the $15 for it a couple of days before New Year's day and I’ve been playing it nonstop ever since. I tell myself I’ll just play for a few minutes and I end up stuck on the couch for a couple of hours building up my farm and making friends.
What really sold me on buying this game was the subreddit for it. It has to be one of the most chill, most positive gaming subreddits to exist. There was one post in particular that caught my eye as I was contemplating buying this game. One avid player was talking about how much Stardew Valley helps with their anxiety and depression. Then countless other Stardew farmers shared their…
