A Critical Role

I have been re-playing Stardew Valley recently and delving into why it entertains me for so many hours on end. How can a game comprised mostly of mindless chores and long walks across a pixelated town engulf me so ravenously? After completing my modes of engagement quiz I began to understand. So there I was: a girl displaced from reality and my all-too-familiar city life into a virtual town that had been basically abandoned with a plot of land to cultivate however I pleased. Plus, it’s cute! These aspects of the game hit home with my top three modes of engagement: expression, submission, and sensation. I found the sauntering around town doing chores and collecting forage items to be a soothing form of submission, taking my mind off the taxing stresses of real life. Grooming my farm and decorating my house with furniture gifted to me by Gunther, the museum keeper, came to be some of my favorite past times. When I had finally saved up enough money to buy a coop and a barn and raise animals, I rejoiced. I could finally get that chicken named Jerry and cow named Pookie I had been longing for all my life. A great deal of this game also appeals to my appetite for discovery–whether it’s mining for missing dwarf scrolls to decode the dwarvish language or unlocking a bus to the mysterious desert (complete with a casino!). I learned that my desire to cultivate land and raise animals with silly names perfectly coincided with the type of gamer I am. At the end of the day, I just wanna craft a beautiful home while wearing a fun hat.