For this critical play, I revisited “Stardew Valley”, a farming simulator game developed by Concerned Ape. The game was initially released for Windows in February 2016 before being ported to other platforms; I played it on my Nintendo Switch. I think the game is suitable for all ages, but some of the characters’ backstories can be upsetting. I chose this game for my critical play because I think the way it handles interpersonal relationships is interesting in the context of Feminism. Stardew Valley can be seen through a Feminist lens by exploring how it encourages player agency when it comes to their relationships and sexuality.
In Stardew Valley, there are 12 characters that the player is able to form romantic relationships with; 6 bachelors and 6 bachelorettes. You can bond with different characters by giving them gifts they like and conversing with them, which in turn reveals more of their personality and backstory. Although you’re limited in terms of dialogue, since you can only select from a list of options, there are usually choices which award you with more friendship points than the others. You can date multiple candidates, but you can only marry and start a family with one. Something I found interesting about Stardew Valley was how they allow you to openly date bachelors and bachelorettes no matter what your character’s gender is.
This aspect of Stardew Valley reminded me of the concept of “agency” in Chess’s book. She articulates agency as “the will to act” when it comes to games and “the will to act and gain voice in a system of power” for feminists (p. 61). She mentions that on one hand, by “appreciating the agency embedded in video games mechanics and ‘decoupling’ them from narratives, we can think about other lessons that they teach and and the ideas that they promote” (p. 61). But on the other hand, maybe agency is an “illusion in the game world” (p. 62). Rather, “interpretations and fandoms embody the real kinds of agency that the player can have in a game” (p. 62). I think that Stardew Valley can embody both of these kinds of agency. By giving players the agency to choose which characters they want to date regardless of gender, the game normalizes romantic exploration and allows players to tap into queerness if they want to. For instance, I chose to marry one of the bachelorettes, Penny, even though my character was a girl. The game doesn’t change much of the storyline or mechanics; you see the same character cutscenes and you can still marry and have kids with your partner via adoption. In this way, it doesn’t make a “big deal” out of queerness but still promotes it by giving the player the option to experience it in the game.
In addition, I think the impact of Stardew Valley’s choices extends beyond the game and allow players to embody agency through interpretation or fandom. For instance, I’ve seen a trend on TikTok where Stardew Valley players have made fanart or fan-edits of Haley, one of the bachelorettes, with the female player farmer (e.g. here). I’ve also seen comments that specifically mention a love for certain queer relationships in the game, like the Haley + Female Farmer example, as well as Alex + Male Farmer.
By allowing players the agency to form queer relationships in the game, it also allows players to express agency beyond the game when it comes to their interpretations of these queer relationships. Furthermore, certain fan interpretations that become popular can in turn encourage exploration of many kinds of relationships in the game. In this sense, Stardew Valley embodies agency in a way that plays into both the mechanics and ideas within the game, as well as outside the game through player interpretation and fandom.
In relation to these ideas, a discussion question I have is: How do you think games with relationship-building mechanics should address queerness? Do you think you would prefer a more overtly empowering approach (e.g. directly addresses themes and struggles of queerness in the story) or a more subtle approach (like Stardew Valley, where not much changes)?
