Unveiling the Game-Changing Lessons Everdream Valley Dev Mastered from Stardew Valley
Everdream Valley developer Marek Maruszczak shares insights with Game Rant on their mission to create a serene and enjoyable farming simulation, steering clear of imbalanced profit-driven crops
With a rich history of beloved titles in the farm sim genre, newer games like Everdream Valley need to build upon this foundation while also introducing fresh elements to the farming experience. Moon Eaters, the Polish indie game studio behind the title, has achieved this by incorporating thoughtful quality-of-life features and innovative gameplay twists that have elevated the standards in multiple aspects.
In an interview with Game Rant, developer Marek Maruszczak shared his insights on the crucial elements he aimed to capture in this cozy farming game. Creating a welcoming and relaxing experience was of utmost importance, and to achieve this, the team devoted significant effort to incorporating a wide range of helpful features. Additionally, they provided players with ample options to fine-tune the difficulty level, ensuring that everyone can tailor the game to their preferences. Maruszczak also emphasized the importance of maintaining a balanced economy, preventing players from getting stuck in repetitive tasks in order to maximize their income.
Everdream Valley Strives To Be An Easy-Going, Relaxing Farming Sim
Our goal was to create a tranquil gaming experience, allowing players to unwind and relive the carefree days of summer vacations from childhood. We aimed to eliminate the time constraints that often come with the farming sim genre, such as the pressure to complete tasks within a specific timeframe to avoid crop failure. By doing so, we aimed to enhance the cozy atmosphere of the game even further.
Everdream Valley's developers understand that each player has their own preferences when it comes to what they find enjoyable in a game, especially in terms of challenges. With this in mind, they have included various options that enable players to customize the difficulty to their liking. For those who prefer a more relaxed experience, they can disable cooking minigames and avoid the threat of hostile wolves during the night, resulting in a cozy and stress-free gameplay. Additionally, convenient features such as the ability to save at any given moment and the option to send items to storage from anywhere in the game world add to the overall player experience, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in their adventures.
Everdream Valley Wants To Avoid Overpowered Cash Crops
The aim of Everdream Valley's gameplay options and economy is to reduce the dominance of a single money-making technique, unlike many other games with economies. However, the developers acknowledge that there is still work to be done to achieve this goal. They understand that there shouldn't be an overpowered way to play the game, such as relying solely on growing a specific crop for maximum profit. While they admit that there are improvements to be made in this area, they made a deliberate choice to prioritize player freedom and uniqueness. This decision, although beneficial for players, presents challenges in fine-tuning the game's economy and overall balance.
Everdream Valley, released in May, has already released two significant updates that have effectively addressed various bugs and balance concerns, along with introducing additional accessibility features. Despite its initial positive reception, the game's continuous development of updates and planned post-release content holds the potential for further improvement. Moreover, Everdream Valley is currently accessible on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox One, with its availability extending to Nintendo Switch on June 23.
