Nine years after its release, Stardew Valley has risen through the ranks to become the best-rated game on Steam. Stardew is widely beloved for essentially kicking off the cozy gaming trend. Though I’d argue that Stardew Valley isn’t nearly as cozy as it looks from the outside, its impact is undeniable: games with a focus on farming, fishing, and befriending villagers are everywhere today.
And yet, none of them are quite as interesting, go quite as deep, or have quite as impressive a track record as Stardew Valley. It’s always been a deceptively massive game, hiding hundreds of hours’ worth of content behind its simple aesthetic style. But a series of updates has kept it relevant – and constantly growing – for nearly a decade, and it continues to attract new players and positive reviews today.
Stardew Valley Is The Highest-Rated Steam Game
How Its Score Was Calculated
According to Steam250 (via Dexerto), Stardew Valley is “the best Steam [game] of all time according to gamer reviews.” Steam250 gives it a score of 8.87, narrowly beating Portal 2 (8.85) for the number-one spot.
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This score is based on two figures: the overall percentage of positive Steam reviews of the game, weighted against the number of player reviews. Although Portal 2 has a slightly higher proportion of positive reviews – 99% to Stardew Valley‘s 98% – Stardew‘s nearly 900,000 reviews greatly surpass Portal 2‘s almost 437,000.
Stardew and Portal 2 share the top three with Terraria, a not-totally-dissimilar 2D survival game with an 8.82 rating. Sandbox game People Playground and co-op zombie shooter Left 4 Dead 2 round out the top five.
Stardew Was Always Going To Land On Top
Stardew is up against some heavy hitters in this category, but really, its triumph was always inevitable. Stardew Valley is a much bigger game than Portal 2. With farming, fishing, crafting, exploring, combat, and socializing, it really has something for everyone. Its variable farm types and seemingly endless ways to make money mean there’s no one way to play Stardew – you can really make every run distinctly your own.
Besides that, Stardew‘s continuous, often massive updates have kept the game both relevant and fun over the years. The most recent content update, version 1.6, added tons of new features, including the endgame mastery system, the Meadowlands farm, and a plethora of new items. Although this will probably be the last update for a while, since creator ConcernedApe is hard at work on spiritual successor Haunted Chocolatier, it gives players more than enough to stay busy.
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Stardew’s devoted and supportive community is also no small factor in its success. With over 20,000 mods on Nexus alone, there’s always new content to explore, even if you’ve finished everything official. Fans constantly share funny experiences, detailed farm layouts, and strategy guides on social media and dedicated forums. It seems like a Stardew player discovers something new every single day, and you can experience that excitement right alongside them.
So really, it’s no surprise that this unassuming indie game now tops the Steam charts. Stardew Valley is one of the most popular games of its generation for a reason: it’s an excellent game, with a lot to offer to a broad audience of players.
Sources: Steam250 (via Dexerto)
Stardew Valley
- Released
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February 26, 2016
- ESRB
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E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
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ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
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ConcernedApe
- Engine
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Proprietary
