From FarmVille to Stardew Valley and Yonder

Written by Sarah Burgener. Media by Yecheng Wang.


Minecraft world. Source: Minecraft.

In the past ten years, online gaming has become very popular because of the rise and advancement of technology. Gaming has received increased attention, not only from the media, but also from psychologists, mental health organizations, and gamers themselves in recent years.

Online games can be simply for entertainment or to gain knowledge. The integration of education into gaming is nothing new. Lately, we have seen a growth of putting entertainment and education into the same category, with “Minecraft” even having an Education Edition. With the rise of educational games, there has also been a rise of entertainment video games, especially in regard to farming. The popularity for farming role-playing games (RPGs) took off in 2009 with the release of “FarmVille” on Facebook. Games actually about farming are hard to come by, but games where you farm and gain cash that goes toward the world that was created are very prevalent in today’s society. There is an abundance of role-playing games to choose from that involve farming, but a few are especially popular in the gaming world.

Stardew Valley farm. Source: PlayStation.

Stardew Valley” is a game that is rising up in fame. This is an indie farming simulation role-playing game developed by Eric Barone. It was heavily inspired by the “Harvest Moon” video game series, taking some negatives of the game and making a new-and-improved program with better designs. This role-playing game was one of the best-selling titles during the first few months after its release in February of 2016.

In order to play this game, the player embodies the role of a character that takes over their grandfather’s farm that is falling apart in order to escape an office job. The character buys land, raises livestock, plants and tends crops, crafts goods, and engages in social activities. This game even allows the player’s character to have relationships that lead to marriage while living in a small town. During this time, players earn money to expand their farm in order to advance it. Stardew Valley emphasizes what you do with what you are given and how you choose to build community or relationships.

Timeline of Legends of Zelda. Source Unisci24.

Another rising star in the world of farming RPGs is “Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles.” It was developed by an Australian video game studio called Prideful Sloth and released in July of 2017. The developers include that this game is based on classics like “Harvest Moon,” “Animal Crossing,” and “The Legend of Zelda.

It is set in eight different environments, from the tropics to the tundras, each with their own changing seasons. The goal of the game is to collect magical features in order banish a monster causing turmoil with everyone that lives there and become the island’s champion. During this adventure, the player can take part in fishing, farming and crafting while also exploring the island of their choice. This game is not realistic when it comes to animals, which makes the act of playing this game more entertaining.

While these are just a couple games that have become more popular recently, there are many more farming RPGs where players can delve into the animated world that was created specifically to entertain the players. Let us know of your favorite video games and any farming role-playing games that you enjoy.

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