Stardew Valleyis one of the most successful cozy games of all time, and the title captured people’s hearts when it was first released in 2016, and it hasn’t let go since. As of January 2025,Stardew Valleyhas sold 41 million copies. It’s seen by many to be the gold standard of cozy gaming, the one game that all other cozy games are inevitably compared to, sometimes unfavorably.
In fact, many new farming and life sims today are accused of beingStardew Valleyclones trying to cash in on fans' obvious love for the genre. But this was not always the case;a decade ago it wasStardew Valleythat was accused of being the shameless clone. The game has come a long way since then and has far surpassed its original inspiration, but it remains to this day a lesson for other developers who want to create games inspired by titles they love.
Why Many Fans Believed Stardew Valley Was Doomed To Fail
Stardew Valley Was Once Called A Ripoff And A Copy Of Harvest Moon
It’s no secret thatStardew Valleywas heavily inspired byHarvest Moon. Developer Eric Barone, known as ConcernedApe, openly admits to taking inspiration from the Natsume title. In a reply to a Reddit comment13 years ago,ConcernedApewrote, “My whole reason for making Stardew Valley was to eventually add all the things that I wished Harvest Moon did.“Yet the very same things that madeStardew Valleystand out from the competition – the charm, farming mechanics, relationships and marriage, seasonal events, and more – were cause for concern in 2012.
When the game was still in development, not everyone was convinced that it was doing enough to differentiate it from its predecessors. Numerous Reddit threads from that time, like this one started byderkrieger, reveal thatmany people didn’t believe the title would ever amount to anything. The comments to this and other forums were filled with people callingStardew Valleya blatantHarvest Moonripoff and a “cheapo imitation,” with someone even expecting a lawsuit from Natsume soon after the indie title was released. Others believed that, aside from the difference in graphics (pixel vs 3D), the title wasn’t bringing enough to the table.
Many years later,Stardew Valleyis looked up to as apillar of the cozy gaming scene. Back in 2012, ConcernedApe believed he’d create the game, give it a few updates, and then move on to making other games.Over a decade later,Stardew Valleyis still receiving new free updates– so much so thatConcernedApe has had to stop developmenton his ongoing project,Haunted Chocolatier, to work on bringing Update 1.6 to consoles and mobile.
The game and its developer have become iconic, something for other games to strive to resemble, but not too much. Because these days, any time a game has farming, love interests, and anyother similar cozy elements, the gaming community often has a knee-jerk reaction to compare it toStardew Valley. The irony seems to be lost on manyStardew Valleyfans that the game they love so much was once also considered a clone of another popular and beloved game.
The Success Of Stardew Valley Proves Clones Are A Necessary Evil
Clones Are Looked Down On, But Maybe They Shouldn’t Be
The idea behind all the finger-pointing seems to be that game clones are inherently bad. Players expect developers to create all-new games andthe idea of taking something that already works and improving on, riffing on, or just remaking it in their own style is largely looked down on. By his own account, though, this is exactly what ConcernedApe did withHarvest Moon. In that same 13-year-old Reddit thread, he wrote that he didn’t “intend on simply cloning Harvest Moon.” He goes on to explain that making agame inspired by the Natsume titlewas led by his love for the title, saying:
“I’m a big fan of Harvest Moon, but I always wished there were more games in the style of the first few (Snes, Back to Nature). Stardew Valley is my attempt at reliving that old style, but at the same time adding to it and changing any annoying or boring aspects of the original games.”
At the time, ConcernedApe toldHarvest Moonfans that he understood their “frustration over seeing a ‘rip-off’ of a game you love.” Despite this, his opinion on “clone” type games is something that remains true to this day:
“I believe that ‘clone’ type games are important for the video game world, as they allow genres to evolve and hopefully result in more unique and varied gaming experiences.”
The very success ofStardew Valleyshows thatso-called “clones” are an integral part of progress in the gaming world. To be clear, it is never okay to outright steal ideas or designs, but there’s nothing wrong with taking an element of a game and turning it into the game a developer wishes they could play. Passion projects and love letters to existing titles or even new takes on old concepts are not just good; they’re essential to the growth and development of genres and games as a whole.
What Stardew Valley Can Teach Future Game Clones
Future Games Will Be Shaped By Today’s Developers Taking Risks
A lot of the hate that clones get comes down tothe fine line between copying something and making something new that’s inspired by another work. Derivative work is fine and even essential to the gaming industry, but outright copying is not. It can be hard for both developers and players to know where the line is between something that tweaks a formula into a unique creation and something that’s just trying to cash in.
“It’s Infinite”: Stardew Valley Fans Share Incredibly Useful Tips They Wished They’d Known Sooner
A Stardew Valley beginner asked veteran players what they wish they’d known when they started the game, and the community delivers its best tips.
A perfect example of this isPalworld, which has been in the news since its launch forbeing aPokémonclone. But defenders ofPalworldwill say that the game did to thePokémonformula what thePokémoncompany could – or would – not do. Once a game becomes a success,it can be hard to stray from what works. Fans become attached and begin to expect enough differences in a franchise to warrant buying a new game, but not so much that it feels or looks too different from what they’re used to.
This can be seen time and time again with games likeHarvest Moon, Pokémon, Final Fantasy, Borderlands,and many others. Little games likeStardew Valleydon’t have as much at stake, sothey can more freely try new things and take risksthat the games they were inspired by could never afford to take.
Simply copying a game isn’t enough, of course. In a Reddit AMA 11 years ago,CondernedAperevealed his approach to creating games, which is an idea that other developers should certainly heed. He says, “I always try to think about ‘How can I take this to the next level’,” and add the little touches, which are “what makes a game special.“Games likeMy Time At Portia, Wylde Flowers, Coral Island, Fields of Mistria,and many, many more continue toadd to and grow on the seeds thatStardew Valleyplanted. ConcernedApe was right to follow his dream over a decade ago, telling one detractor:
“Stardew Valley might not be the game for you, but I think a lot of people will be happy having a farming RPG on the PC that they can mod, play with their friends, and always know that there is more content and updates lurking around the corner.”
And one day, a new game might come along that’s written off at first as a “clone” orStardew Valley, that will change the genre again and usher in a new age for the cozy gaming genre.
Sources: ConcernedApe/Reddit (1,2),derkrieger/Reddit
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a charming indie farming scene that took the world by storm. After inheriting a run-down farm from their grandfather, the player moves to Stardew Valley to start a new life away from the city. Grow crops, raise animals, befriend the villagers, and discover the secrets the valley has to offer.
