Stardew Valley Fan Builds Epic Game-Inspired Arcade Cabinet

A custom Nintendo Switch arcade cabinet featuring Stardew Valley has been shared by a dedicated fan. Though expensive, the unique cabinet is guaranteed to leave an impression on anyone who lays their eyes on it. Stardew Valley, developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, was released in 2016 and quickly gained popularity due to its retro-inspired pixel art and open-ended farming simulation gameplay. The game has sold over 20 million copies as of 2022, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest games of all time. Even the creator of the classic Story of Seasons games, Yasuhiro Wada, has praised Stardew Valley for capturing the essence of the earlier titles.

Fans of Stardew Valley are so dedicated that they are willing to go the extra mile to obtain a physical piece of the game. For example, a Reddit user by the name of Additional_Handle736 spent $96 on a custom-built Stardew Valley arcade cabinet made by The Tree Rat Symposium. Although the cabinet does not appear to be fully functional and is essentially just a fancy USB monitor for the Switch, it is still an impressive piece of custom gear. The Tree Rat Symposium deserves credit for the design and craftsmanship of the cabinet, which features custom artwork of the game on the front and sides. The side panels depict a beautiful pixel-art scene that captures the cozy and idyllic atmosphere of Stardew Valley. The scene shows a quaint farmhouse with a dirt trail and blue stream, with animals grazing on the grass, flowers blooming in the trees, and blue mountains towering in the background beneath an orange evening sky.

The cabinet's dashboard displays the iconic Stardew Valley cover art, but the buttons are just for show. On the lower body of the cabinet, the characters Sebastian and Leah share a romantic kiss on a picturesque cliffside overlooking a city at night. Although both characters are marriage options in the game, it's an unusual pairing considering their lack of a significant in-game relationship. While playing Stardew Valley on an arcade cabinet with limited controls may not be practical, some Reddit users suggest it could be perfect for the "Junimo Kart" minigame. However, the lack of functioning buttons is a missed opportunity to truly capture the experience of slamming buttons at the Stardew Valley arcade cabinet in the Stardrop Saloon.

Stardew Valley is available on Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.