Surprise, Stardew Valley is a board game now

If you’ve ever played Stardew Valley and thought hey, running a farm seems real nice, I’d like to do that without any of the manual labor, today is your lucky day. The hit indie farming game has been adapted into what may turn out to be a hit board game, and it’s available right now.

The surprise announcement was made by developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone on the Stardew Valley website. In it, Barone notes that he has been working with board game designer Cole Medeiros for a little over two and a half years to adapt Stardew Valley’s cozy blend of manual labor, rural life, and friendship to tabletops, and the result seems just as charming as the digital game. There’s even a trailer:

Per the game’s store page:

Stardew Valley: The Board Game is a cooperative game where players work together to restore the Valley. They accomplish this by growing crops, raising animals, expanding their farm and collecting resources from across the Valley.

By befriending the local villagers, players earn hearts that allow them to reveal hidden goals. Only by working together will they keep Joja Corporation from moving in and spoiling everything.

Barone also warns that Stardew Valley: The Board Game is “not a short, casual game,” emphasizing that he wanted it to have the same level of complexity and customization as the original game — going so far as to share the rulebook online for anyone who isn’t sure if it’s a good fit for their table. With that caveat out of the way, cardboard Stardew looks like just as charming a way to while away the hours as its digital sibling.

Source: Polygon