I first picked up Stardew Valley in late 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. Around that time, I was also diagnosed with ADHD, so life felt pretty overwhelming. As much as I loved the game, I could never get past the summer of Year 2. I’d lose focus, start over, and end up with almost ten different saves all stuck before Year 2. By early 2021, I stopped playing altogether to focus on work.
Fast forward to 2024. I was assigned to a remote area for field work (I’m an architect btw), and I didn’t have my personal laptop with me. So I decided to give Stardew Valley another shot this time on mobile and promised myself I’d actually finish it. By late 2025, I finally reached perfection. After decorating my perfection farm, I felt content enough to stop playing.
Then in April 2026, I convinced my boyfriend (he’s in his 30s) to try Stardew Valley on his new iPad. Sometimes I watch him play and laugh at the silly mistakes he makes. Watching him brought back memories of my early days in the game, so I reinstalled Stardew Valley on Steam. I didn’t expect to stumble upon my old saves, but there they were. I clicked on the one with the most progress, and as I explored the farm, I got hit with a wave of emotions.
It felt like looking back at my younger self. My choices, my instincts, my strategies, even the emotions I poured into the game during such a tough time for my family. My innocence back then is kind of funny. Like, why did I plant all those crops without sprinklers?
But honestly, I’m just happy. I’ve decided to play this save to perfection too. And after that, maybe I’ll get a Switch and aim for perfection there. My new goal is to perfect Stardew Valley on every console I can.
The first pic is from my old save, and the second is the farm I perfected back in 2024.
by InformalJackfruit180