Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe is giving you a new way to run a farm without having to, you know, run an actual farm. The developer has announced that the beloved simulation RPG now comes in the form of a board game, which you can purchase for $55. Stardew Valley: The Board Game is a cooperative tabletop wherein you have to work together with up to four friends to turn the property you inherited from your grandfather into a thriving farm in order to drive the nefarious Joja Corporation out of town.
Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone says he worked with board game designer Cole Medeiros for two-and-a-half years to come up with a final product that “captures the essence of Stardew Valley.” The game uses a season deck to decide the weather and events, and like in the original game, you can mine, fish, water crops or tend to your animals. You have to coordinate with the other players to be as efficient as possible, but you can also play alone like you would the original video game. To win against Joja Corp, you’ll have to complete Grandpa’s Goals and restore the Community Center.
The developer warns that the board game isn’t casual and quick to finish. It was designed to be challenging, and it will take time to play it to completion — around 45 minutes per player. At the moment, the game’s official shop is only shipping it to customers in the US, though it will be available worldwide at some point in the future. If you’d rather play the video game version with friends in your home, though, you can also do that. Stardew Valley added a couch co-op mode as part of its biggest content update ever released back in December.
