'Stardew Valley' creator wants to avoid hype train, won't reveal next game

By Gabe Gurwin October 10, 2017

Stardew Valley Trailer

Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone developed his acclaimed farming adventure with relatively little marketing, instead choosing to give eager fans detailed development updates so they could see his progress over the five years it took him to create it. With his next project, Barone could get just about everyone on board from the get go, but he’s choosing to keep silent for now.

Answering a fan’s question during a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session, Barone revealed that he has plans for the successor to Stardew Valley, but he doesn’t want to let players know about the specific details until it’s closer to release.

“Creating hype too far in advance is a lot of pressure, and ultimately I don’t think it benefits [anyone] anymore,” he said. “I prefer to work in an isolated bubble.”

That strategy seems to work for Barone, who developed Stardew Valley almost entirely on his own. It was his first major project, for which he composed music, designed (and redesigned) character sprites, and built gameplay mechanics modeled after the original Harvest Moon games.

“When it came to pixel art or other things that I had little experience in, I just dove in and did my best,” Barone continued. “As time went on I started to get better at these things through hundreds of hours of practice.”

Barone did give a small amount of information on his potential next project in Jason Schreier’s recent book Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, saying that it might involve collecting bugs and he would plan for launch in two years. He also said that although he has “no plans” for making a sequel to Stardew Valley, he isn’t ruling out the possibility. For now, he’s working on continuous updates for the game, as well as localization and additional ports.

Stardew Valley recently launched on the Nintendo Switch after previously arriving to PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It was a natural fit for the game, as Harvest Moon found its home on older Nintendo consoles, and we’ve already seen another Switch game, Golf Story, draw comparisons to Barone’s project for its art design and world-building.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

How to revive dead companions in Baldur’s Gate 3

Withers offering services to the player in Baldur's Gate 3.

You're given a good bit of leeway during battles in Baldur's Gate 3 before you or a companion actually bites the dust for good. While in battle, if a teammate does take enough damage to drop, they aren't dead then and there. Instead, they will be downed with a chance to roll every turn to get back up. If they roll successfully three times, the battle ends, or you use another character to pick them up, they're good. If they fail that roll three times, however, they will be completely dead. That can be harsh when you've become attached to certain characters and want to further their stories, so you'll be looking for any way you can to bring them back. Thankfully you do have a few options for reviving companions in Baldur's Gate 3, but just like respeccing, they aren't so obvious.
Pay Withers to bring them back

Withers is a friendly undead you can find in a secret room in the Dank Crypt found inside the Overgrown Ruins. After finding and speaking to him in his sarcophagus, he will offer you various services, one of which is bringing back any dead companions. He won't do this out of the kindness of his heart (probably because it isn't beating) and will charge you a heavy fine of 200 gold to do so. Still, that's a small price to pay to bring back a beloved character. Once paid, that character will appear in your camp where they would normally be, so there's no need to go back to their corpse and find them.
Use a scroll of Revivfy or learn it

Gaming

Every video game delay that has happened in 2023 so far

The player skates toward the moon in Skate Story.

Few things feel as inevitable in the video game industry as delays. Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, game delays have only become more and more common as developers find previously set timelines unrealistic and adjust their release plans accordingly. More than halfway through 2023, we've already seen some notable AAA games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull & Bones, and Pragmata delayed pretty heavily. Because video game release date delays are so common, it can be tough to keep track of every game that has had its launch date shifted in some way.
That's why, just as we did in 2021 and 2022, Digital Trends is rounding up every game delay that's announced throughout 2023. Here are the high-profile ones that have happened so far, listed chronologically by their new intended release dates.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (March 16)

As Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is one of the best games for PlayStation VR, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Supermassive Games' PlayStation VR2 successor, is a highly anticipated launch title for the upcoming VR headset. Unfortunately, it will no longer make PlayStation VR2's February 22 launch and will instead be released on March 16. On Twitter, a message from Supermassive Games says this delay will ensure that players "receive the most polished, terrifying experience possible" at release. The game was released on that date to mixed reviews.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (March 24)

Gaming

Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?

Three characters shoot at a boss in Remnant 2.

Aside from the focus on firearms and integrating some randomly generated environments, the Remnant series sets itself apart from other souls-like games mainly with its focus on co-op. Both titles encourage you to team up with two friends to fight your way through the mutated monsters that await. After so many years of progress in terms of multiplatform games incorporating full cross-platform support, you might assume Remnant 2 will follow suit and let you make a group with anyone regardless of what platform they're on. However, the truth may be a bit more disappointing. Before you make plans with your squad, here's what you need to know about Remnant 2's cross-platform support.
Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?

Unfortunately, Remnant 2 does not have cross-platform play between PS5, Xbox Series X or PC -- and there's no word about it being added in the future.