If I was the developer behind one of the biggest games over the last 10 years—one arguably responsible for the huge surge in ‘cosy gaming’ and the return of the glorious farming sim—I’d probably reckon I was a bit of a hotshot.
Okay, I definitely wouldn’t because I forever suffer from a severe case of imposter syndrome. But Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone doesn’t seem to think he’s all that of an advanced developer either. Something I found mighty interesting when reading through his interview with IGN for the game’s 10-year anniversary is that he still very much thinks of himself as “a total amateur.”
When talking about transitioning from solo development to working on the game with a team, Barone credits his fellow coworkers for their “unique sensibilities” and being able to do “so many things I couldn’t have done on my own” like translating the game into multiple languages and introducing multiplayer.
“There’s some technical things that are just beyond my skill level,” he said. “I’m a very amateur developer. I still feel that way. I’m just a total amateur.” When asked about why he feels that way, he said “I think it’s because my approach to development is very scrappy. I’ve never really become super professional in the way I do things, but I think in a way it’s part of what gives Stardew Valley—and hopefully Haunted Chocolatier—it’s a, you might say indie soul, is that it’s not too professional. There’s a little bit of rough edges around it.”
Personally, I really like Barone’s thought process and approach here. Games with scrappy vibes are often some of my favourites—ones where you can really feel the heart even through any kind of visual or technical jank. Not that I’d say Stardew Valley is a particularly janky game, mind. But Barone seems keen to never become complacent.
“Also, my mindset is that I never think of myself as a master of anything,” he continued. “Pixel art, I feel like I’m bad and I need to always get better. I feel that way about every aspect of the game. I’m not good enough. I need to improve.
“To me, that’s a helpful mindset because that inspires me to always want to strive to improve and not just think, ‘Yeah, I’m perfect. I don’t need to do anything else.’ It’s like I always need to be working to improve and get better at every aspect of development.”
I’d certainly disagree with Barone’s assessment of his own skill level, especially as someone who’s been playing the game for almost its entire existence. But hey, if it works, it works. Ultimately Stardew Valley is a game that’s only gotten better with age and if that’s down to Barone’s constant push for improvement, then I’m a happy camper. Or farmer, I suppose.
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