Stardew Valley
Released 26 February 2016 Developer ConcernedApe
You inherit a rundown farm and spend each in-game day planting crops, raising animals, fishing, mining and getting to know the people of a small town. It is a relaxed, open-ended farming and life simulation, played alone or in online co-op with friends.
How it makes money
Fair: pay clearly, know the ceiling
A one-off purchase: A$16.99 on Steam and the Nintendo eShop, A$19.95 on Xbox One, A$7.99 on the App Store and A$6.99 on Google Play. On the versions we checked (Steam and Nintendo Switch) the only extras are a separate soundtrack and a free Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack; there are no in-game purchases. Online co-op on consoles needs the console's paid online subscription.
How you pay
- Pay once
A$16.99 on Steam and the Nintendo eShop buys the whole game; Steam lists only a separate soundtrack as an extra.
- Online sub
Online co-op on Switch needs a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership (other consoles have their own online subscriptions); PC co-op needs none.
minor part of the game - Game library
'Stardew Valley+' is also available inside Apple Arcade for subscribers, alongside the paid App Store version (A$7.99).
minor part of the game
What it costs
Price: A$13.78 · everything A$16.99
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Steam (AU) · PC ↗ | A$16.99 | Oct 2026 |
| Standard | Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch ↗ | A$16.99 | Oct 2026 |
| Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack Free upgrade for Switch owners. |
Nintendo eShop (AU) · Switch 2 ↗ | Free | Oct 2026 |
| Standard | Xbox Store (AU) · Xbox One ↗ | A$19.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Standard | Apple App Store (AU) · iOS ↗ | A$7.99 | Oct 2026 |
| Standard | Google Play (AU) · Android ↗ | A$6.99 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
-
10/ 10
IGN ↗
Argues that eight years of updates have made it a modern classic with plenty to do and a satisfying time-management challenge.
-
9/ 10
GameSpot ↗
Finds the challenges of mastering the farm and building a relationship rewarding and often surprising.
-
Essential
Eurogamer ↗
Calls it a modern indie classic and thinks the Switch is an ideal place to play it.
-
9/ 10
Nintendo Life ↗
Describes a relaxing escape with rewarding long-term growth that fans of Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing should enjoy.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes). They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the badges above are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- Text chat
- No contact with strangers
- No user-made content
- No account needed
Single-player needs no account. Online co-op (up to four players on Switch) is by invitation only, through friends or an invite code; there are no public lobbies, and players use text chat inside the session. The Australian classification (PG) lists mild themes and simulated gambling: there is an in-game casino that uses in-game coins, and the ESRB also notes use of alcohol and tobacco. There is no real-money gambling. Mods exist on PC but are third-party and not part of the game.
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch 2 Free Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack for Switch owners. |
— | Store page ↗ |
| Nintendo Switch | 5 October 2017 | Store page ↗ |
| PlayStation 5 Runs the PS4 version. |
— | — |
| PlayStation 4 Also plays on PS5. |
13 December 2016 | — |
| Xbox Series X|S Runs the Xbox One version. |
— | — |
| Xbox One Also plays on Xbox Series X|S. |
14 December 2016 | Store page ↗ |
| Windows PC | 26 February 2016 | Store page ↗ |
| Mac | — | Store page ↗ |
| Linux / Steam Deck | — | Store page ↗ |
| iPhone and iPad | 24 October 2018 | Store page ↗ |
| Android phones and tablets | — | Store page ↗ |
Further reading
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: store.steampowered.com, store.steampowered.com, www.nintendo.com, api.ec.nintendo.com, displaycatalog.mp.microsoft.com, itunes.apple.com, play.google.com, www.classification.gov.au, opencritic.com, en.wikipedia.org. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.