As I’ve mentioned, Stardew Valley primarily derives its fun from the expression, submission, and discovery core engagements. However, this game has an extremely loose structure in that it does not require the player to engage in any of the core mechanics. I can wake up and go straight back to bed if I so desire, moving the timeline forward without making any actual progress in the story of the game. If we choose to entertain the mechanics, the primary purpose of the game is to grow crops and raise farm animals to earn money to re-invest in your farm. These mechanics lean into the submission and expression aspects of the game. Simultaneously, a storyline plays out as I earn more money, grow new crops, catch new fish, make new friends, mine new ores, discover new artifacts, and attend new community events. This storyline plays into the discovery aspect of the game, as I can learn more about the individual lives of the other members of the community and unlock new areas of the town map. Additionally, if I choose to direct my resources to the overgrown “community center” of the game rather than sell them for monetary gain, I can unlock even more interesting aspects of the game, which removes much of the monotony and submission from everyday chores, and repurposes them into a discovery mechanic, or perhaps even a challenge mechanic. As new areas are unlocked, such as new levels of the mine, the enemies that must be battled increase in difficulty, and I often find myself actually struggling to fight monsters. The challenge of acquiring the materials necessary to discover new aspects of the game could be seen as a distraction from this mechanic, but it also increases the stakes and appeal of the discovery. At the end of the day though, the true “purpose” of the game is entirely dependent on the player, which is why it appeals to so many types of gamers. I can choose to play the game without engaging in just the challenge aspects or just the discovery aspects or even just the expression aspects. Without engaging in these aspects though, the game would not be much of a game at all.

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.

Throughout the course of my college career, I have continuously been faced with divergent paths. Will I study Education? English? Within English do I want to focus on Creative Writing? Literary Criticism? Well, maybe a little of all of the above. I do not know much about game-writing, programming, coding, or even analysis. I do know, however, that the game industry is one of the most profitable, extensive creative field in the world right now. Regardless of my path, an understanding of the way games are made and enjoyed will benefit me. Throughout this class, I hope to put my critical analysis skills to the test against interactive experiences as well as apply my own creative prowess to games of my own creation. The additional element of player input will force me to contemplate plot choices and character development in a new way, and hopefully inspire me in all areas of writing and criticism.