Gayme of the Week: Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a game that’s close to my heart. Whenever life gets too tough, Stardew Valley is the game that I end up running back to. It’s got everything I want: cute people, swords, animals, and a fairly stable community. Can you imagine having all those things? Incredible.
It’s also very gay-friendly. With 6 bachelors and bachelorettes to choose from, you have a variety of people that you can shack up with. All of them are unique, and all can be interested in you, regardless of your gender.
Unfortunately, the game has yet to include a transgender character, or option, but with updates from the creator, Eric Barone aka ConcernedApe still being quite consistent, who knows what will happen in the future?
What makes Stardew Valley stand out to me is the detail and care that has been put in by Barone to make all potential love interests acknowledge that they are in a same-sex relationship instead of rehashing the same old dialogue from if they are in a heterosexual relationship. It adds a touch of realism, and it feels good for the game to recognize that difference without beating you over the head about it.
It helps that there are no real obstacles present either. In this game, the only thing that can probably be considered as something for you to overcome is making money every day, and exploring the mines. With people? Well once you get to know them, they become more reliant on you and you overcome their problems with them. Often queer characters in video games are given the angst of ‘coming out’ or ‘feeling rejected by family’, so for these characters to simply have problems outside of their sexuality was amazing to me.
You can also get married and even have the option of having children if you so wish. The love between same-sex couples is not put on show, they are treated as normal and I love Stardew Valley for that. It’s a fantastic game, and if you haven’t played it, then quit your job today and become a farmer. It’s what you deserve.
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