Tag: Stardew Valley

  • Some Relaxing Lo-Fi Gaming Playlists

    Some Relaxing Lo-Fi Gaming Playlists

    Have you ever noticed that long-running YouTube Livestream of an anime girl studying? It claims to be perfect music to study/chill too, and it kind of is. Lo-fi music emerged from Vapourware and has found a nice niche as background music. This music is perfect for playing while you’re studying, reading, or even playing a game with…

  • What Video Games Teach us About Grief

    What Video Games Teach us About Grief

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    Video games are an escape for many people from their daily lives. Anxiety, frustration, stress – all these can disappear if just for a moment when playing a great game. Grief is another emotion we often want to scrub away. The Complexities of Grief We are taught that grieving happens in stages. The Kubler-Ross model…

  • There’s No Escaping Stardew Valley’s Capitalist Hamster Wheel

    There’s No Escaping Stardew Valley’s Capitalist Hamster Wheel

    The premise of Stardew Valley is simple: quit your desk job at the soulless Joja Corp., move to the beautiful coast, take up a simple life as a farmer. Joja Corp. is the closest that Stardew gets to having an antagonist. Not only do they serve as a comparison for the idyllic life that the…

  • Stardew Valley’s Diversity Problem and the Mod I Used to Fix it

    Stardew Valley’s Diversity Problem and the Mod I Used to Fix it

    Early on in Stardew Valley’s development, longtime fans of farming simulators such as, Harvest Moon and Rune Factory, had a few hopes for the Western take on a genre, long dominated by the hyper heteronormative, mono-racial series that is, Harvest Moon. One of those hopes was that Stardew Valley would be racially diverse. And to…

  • One of Stardew Valley’s Bachelorettes is Emotionally Abusive and that’s not Okay

    One of Stardew Valley’s Bachelorettes is Emotionally Abusive and that’s not Okay

    Abigail’s plotline in Stardew Valley begins rather innocuously. Abigail is nice and quirky. As you befriend her you play video games together, and play instruments in the afternoon rain. She’s never written as mean or controlling in these scenes. She’s painted as the edgy 20-year-old at odds with her parents. She’s, initially, an interesting character…