Winner: Eric Barone (Stardew Valley)
Stardew Valley is an addictive game of humble beginnings, and the spiritual successor to Harvest Moon we’ve been wanting for years, with just a hint of Animal Crossing. It’s absolutely stuffed with activities, farming, serene music, and a calming atmosphere in general. The most impressive aspect of Stardew Valley, however, is the fact it’s developed entirely by one man.
Eric Barone is responsible for everything in the game, including the story, dialogue, assets, music, and sound effects. The title took Barone four years to develop, but all that work definitely payed off.
There’s more to Stardew Valley than meets the eye, even though its main appeal may be the farming and gathering you do. In the game, you inherit from your dying grandfather an abandoned farm in Pelican Town. In a bid to get away from your mundane office life, you move to town and begin restoring the farm to your liking. You have full control over how you clear the area, plant your crops, construct buildings, and more. Of course to afford all this, you’ll need to make a living by harvesting and selling crops, as well as undertaking quests from the townsfolk.
There’s a surprisingly deep story present in Stardew Valley, and each of the townspeople have a distinct personality you can get to know. You’ll also have the option of wooing a special someone and marrying them. Similarly to Animal Crossing, you can view a calendar filled with people’s birthdays and special town events, and it won’t be long before you’re engrossed in town life and your daily chores.
Stardew Valley is engaging, relaxing, and brimming with content. It’s astounding that such an experience was crafted by one person, and even after releasing the game, Barone has continue to update it with content. Stardew Valley even made its way from PC to PS4 and Xbox One with the help of Chucklefish. There’s also a Nintendo Switch version currently in development.
If 2016 has been any indication, we should definitely be keeping an eye on whatever Eric Barone decides to do from here.
Congratulations to Eric Barone, the winner of our Best Breakout Developer category for 2016! Be sure to visit back this week more award announcements including the big one, our game of the year for 2016! For the full list of award categories for 2016, visit our nomination page here.
