Stardew Valley has been welcoming new players into Pelican Town for five years. On Feb. 26, fans of this indie farming simulator celebrated the game's five-year anniversary and they will surely continue to find new ways to fall in love with the little details of this game.

A combination of addicting gameplay, charming characters, secret lore and constant love and attention from the game's developers has kept this farming simulator alive for half a decade -- and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon. In truth, the appeal of Stardew Valley varies per player, but the fact that it has so much to offer makes them keep coming back for more.

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Charm is one of Stardew's strongest qualities. Everything from the art style to the rhythmic gameplay are meant to make the player feel at home and comfortable.

The SNES-inspired art style evokes memories of similar games from some players' childhoods. Games like Harvest Moon and Rune Factory hold special memories for many and were both obvious inspirations for Stardew Valley. Aside from its familiarity, Stardew is just a nice game to look at, and there is a ton of detail to admire.

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Players have as much control over their farms as they want and they aren't forced into one particular style of gameplay. There may be certain ways to farm that would lead to players being able to make more money or complete the progression-related bundles in the game, but it's not required to enjoy Stardew. The player sets the pace and enjoys Stardew Valley their way.

Farming, the core of Stardew Valley's gameplay, is easy to learn but hard to master. All players need to do is sow the ground, plant seeds and then keep them watered. However, there are also seeds that only grow during certain seasons, things players can craft to improve their farm's efficiency and produce new things to sell.

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A player planting their first crops in Stardew Valley

Part of what makes Stardew Valley's gameplay accessible to all players is how easy it is to learn. Players are given a selection of tools with clearly defined purposes, with their own intuition driving them to what they do next. The obvious direction is farming crops, but players are also free to raise animals, go mining, fish and even battle monsters in caves if they prefer. There's also Pelican Town and its villagers, which is a huge part of the game's appeal.

Almost every villager in Stardew Valley can be befriended by the player. These friendships go beyond just talking to people and giving them the occasional gift, as characters each have their own special cutscenes and dialogue that help characterize them and endear them to the player. It helps make Pelican Town feel like a living, breathing society.

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Developer ConcernedApe has kept the game alive with constant updates and bug fixes, as well as tons of new content to keep the routine-like gameplay feeling new. One of the more recent updates added an entirely new end-game island for players who have done everything on the mainland. Stardew has enough content five years down the road to bring old players back and to hook new farmers.

There's a lot to do in Stardew Valley. It's next to impossible for players to see everything in a single playthrough. The routine gameplay also keeps players engrossed with their own daily schedules to maintain their farm. This kind of gameplay might not be for everyone, but for people to enjoy this kind of routine-focused sim, they'll quickly find themselves engrossed.

Of course, the game has enough replayability as well, including multiple different farms for players to try and cultivate. With how often new content is added to the game, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if someone's been playing for the last five years and still hasn't seen everything.

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