Most developers, even indie developers, make and drop games all the time, but Erik Barone, better known as ConcernedApe, has kept Stardew Valley alive for nearly a decade now. After all that time, he’s come forward to better explain why he’s so dedicated to the sprite-based management sim.
Taking to Twitter, Barone shared an update for the much-anticipated 1.6 update, noting that over the last month he’s been in a self-imposed crunch mode. It also showed off a new item in the game — Big Chest — which will “store almost twice as much as a regular chest.” In the responses, though, a fan asked why he’s continuing to work on Stardew Valley all these years later rather than dedicating his time elsewhere, we assume like his second game, Haunted Chocolatier.
Barone’s response is pretty simple, as it largely comes down to that people are still playing it, with new players coming into the fray every day. He wants the game to be the best it can and while he knows that it will never be perfect, he can certainly continue improving it. He capped the message, noting it’s been his life’s work.
Stardew Valley has come a long way since its debut, selling over 20 million copies as of last year, 13 million of those being on PC. Considering he’s now dividing his time between this calming Story of Seasons-esque title and Haunted Chocolatier, it’s impressive he’s able to keep his head straight.
many things, including that so many people are still playing it, and many new poeple every day, I want it to be the best it can be, It will never be perfect but I feel an urge to keep improving it. Up to this point its been my life's work and I care a lot about it
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) December 1, 2023
