User:Fathoms Below/sandbox

Gameplay

Stardew Valley is a farming simulation video game. Players control a character who inherits a farm once owned by their grandfather, which is located inside in the titular Stardew Valley. Players may select from several different farm types, each with a unique theme and different benefits and drawbacks. The player character can plant, water, harvest, and sell crops in order to gain money and expand their farm. The land is initially overrun with boulders, trees, and other obstacles; players must work to clear the debris in order to make space for farming. Aside from growing crops, players can also raise livestock, go fishing, or mine for resources. Performing these tasks consumes the player character's limited energy, which can be recharged by consuming food or letting them sleep. As the player does more of these tasks, they gain experience points for their five main "skills": Combat, Mining, Fishing, Farming, and Foraging. By leveling up these skills, the player gains benefits that make the game easier, such as the ability to craft certain items. For example, by harvesting crops, the player can gain experience in the Farming skill and learn how to craft a scarecrow.

Players interact with non-player characters (NPCs) that inhabit the nearby village of Pelican Town. They can engaging in relationships with these NPCS; this can culminate in marriage, which results in the NPC helping the player's character to tend the farm. After marriage, players may have the chance to conceive a child with their spouse, or adopt one in the case of same-sex marriage. Players can take on various quests to earn additional money or complete specific collections of materials (called "bundles") to restore the town's Community Center or pay certain amounts of money to complete JojaMart bundles. Completing bundles rewards players with various items, including seeds and useful machines. Completing multiple bundles grants players access to previously restricted areas and game mechanics. All of these activities must be metered against the character's current health and exhaustion level, and the game's internal clock. The player can consume food that grants certain buffs that are useful in certain activities and situations. Food is also a source of replenishing health and energy, which allows the player to complete more tasks in a given day. The game uses a simplified calendar, each year having four 28-day months that represent each season, that determines which crops can be grown and which activities can be beneficial. Later in the game, players can restore a greenhouse and access a tropical island that can grow any crop regardless of the season. This island also contains a volcano and additional resources that can be utilized within the game.