Stardew Valley Provides A Sense Of Normalcy For People With Chronic Illness

thegamer.com:

I have never been one for hobbies. I grew up glamorizing grind culture and believing that any activity I couldn’t put on a college application or resume was a waste of time. That changed when I came down with a virus at the age of 19, just three months after starting college. Now 23, I have developed several chronic illnesses that cause severe fatigue, pain, and cognitive dysfunction. Although I was able to finish my college degree, I have never been well enough to have a full-time job. While my peers have moved to big cities to launch their careers, I have watched via Facebook while laying in bed with my heating pad.

I’m not alone — in the US, only 19.1 percent of disabled people are employed, compared to 63.7 percent of non disabled people. We often don’t get to enjoy age-related milestones like college graduation, marriage, or the start of our careers like our non-chronically ill peers. Games like Stardew Valley can help fill that void.

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“For those with chronic illness, we are limited in what we can do each day,” says Lucy, a 20 year old in Fort Worth, Texas. Lucy has been diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, an inflammatory bowel condition. Although her disease is in remission thanks to medication, she still experiences nausea, abdominal pain, joint pain and fatigue. “Merely brushing our teeth, taking a shower, or other basic hygienic tasks can wear us out. In Stardew Valley, you have energy and can do all the physical tasks you can’t in real life. You have so many things to do and can expend all the energy you want with no real repercussions.”

Stardew provides a variety of goals and thus a sense of accomplishment, especially for