Stardew Valley, the indie, agrarian economy simulator from developer Eric «ConcernedApe» Barone, is at risk of becoming some kind of self-perpetuating money monster.
Never mind the news that, across all platforms, the fiendishly addictive game has moved over 41 million copies (more than The Last of Us franchise, including all subsequent remakes/remasters and DLC); consider that 11 million were sold in just the past 10 months alone.
In February 2024, we brought you word that the title had passed the 30 million mark, a historic success by nearly any measure, let alone largely the labour of just one guy.
Barone wore many hats, the sole designer, programmer, animator, artist, composer, and writer, reputedly working ten hours a day, seven days a week, for four-and-a-half years straight.
During this time, Barone lived with his parents and later his girlfriend, who worked two jobs to support this shared dream (Barone also worked part-time during this period as a cinema usher).