Stardew Valley is one of the top dogs of the indie genre, and its influence has been felt ever since its launch back in 2016. With nearly a decade of success under its belt, the future of Stardew Valley is still looking bright. Last year, the game got one of its most significant updates with patch 1.6, and there is still plenty of room for the game to grow.
While Stardew Valley may have influenced other indie developers over the years, it now may be time for more recent indie hits to influence the former. Balatro and Dave the Diver have featured plenty of fun crossovers, and if there is any game that would benefit greatly from adding crossover content, it would definitely be Stardew Valley.
Stardew Valley Fan Shares Incredible Wedding Getaway Car Decoration
A Stardew Valley fan shares the incredible decoration their Maid of Honor made on their wedding getaway car based on the game.
Stardew Valley is the Perfect Game to Take Note of Balatro and Dave the Diver's Love of Crossovers
Balatro made some serious waves last year. Just like Stardew Valley, the delightful indie card game was developed by just a single person. Despite Balatro's developer, LocalThunk, being a solo dev, they have managed to rope in a wide variety of great franchises to feature in the game. From small games, like Cult of the Lamb and Among Us, to major AAA titles, like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3, Balatro offers a cornucopia of great options.
Dave the Diver takes the exact same approach. A recent DLC collaboration with Like a Dragon and crossovers with fellow indie hits, like Potioncraft, continue to bring players great content. Dave the Diver also plans to expand in the future with spin-offs, but right now, the game's embrace of crossovers makes its current world even more charming than the base version.
Both Dave the Diver and Balatro have featured crossovers with one another. Also, Balatro even featured Stardew Valley in the Friends of Jimbo 2 pack.
Stardew Valley Could Bring Indie Crossovers to Greater Heights
As great as Balatro and Dave the Diver are, Stardew Valley still remains the indie king. A scenario where Stardew Valley brings Dave the Diver to Pelican Town is easy to imagine. A Baltaro-inspired jester's hat or a scuba suit outfit would simply be the tip of the iceberg. It's both surprising and impressive that solo developer Eric Barone has gone so long without bringing a treasure trove of crossover content. However, if Barone wanted to give Stardew Valley an extra kick, opening the door to collaborations, whether it be with other indie games or AAA titles, could be the best way to do so.
Stardew Valley has now sold over a whopping 41 million copies.
Stardew Valley Crossovers Would Be Great, But Barone's Energy May Be Best Used Elsewhere
- Barone's next game, Haunted Chocolatier, has been in development for a few years now.
- The game was originally announced back in October 2021.
- Haunted Chocolatier follows a candy maker who also happens to live in a haunted castle.
When Stardew Valley's 1.6 update arrived last year, Barone confessed that the update had kept him away from Haunted Chocolatier. If major crossovers were to come to Stardew Valley, this would undoubtedly take more time away from the highly-anticipated follow-up.
If Barone wanted to give Stardew Valley an extra kick, opening the door to collaborations, whether it be with other indie games or AAA titles, could be the best way to do so.
Stardew Valley taking inspiration from Balatro and Dave the Diver would be incredibly exciting for a lot of players, but on the other hand, it could make the wait for Haunted Chocolatier that much longer. Only time will tell if Stardew Valley opens the crossover floodgates, but if that ever happens, it will be a monumental moment for the indie darling.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- February 26, 2016
- ESRB
- E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Stardew Valley does not currently support crossplay between different consoles and PC
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Simulation
