The latest Steam Deck charts for July reveal that a familiar cozy farming simulator reigns supreme as the most played Steam Deck game, a spot it regularly fights for against the roguelite card game Balatro. While some may dispute it, Stardew Valley absolutely deserves its reputation as a top cozy game contender for its accessible gameplay and consistent updates, features that arguably make it one of the best gaming experiences of all time.
In June, Balatro held the top rank for the most played Steam Deck game, but Stardew Valley has now surpassed it. This puts relaxed, cozy gamers ahead of their dopamine-obsessed roguelite peers, at least for now. Both games are typically priced at $14.99, but Stardew Valley received a larger discount during this year’s Steam Summer Sale, which took place primarily in July.
During the sale, copies of Stardew Valley could be purchased for only $7.49, which likely contributed to it getting more play this month than Balatro at $13.49. Historically, Balatro has never received more than a 15% discount on the Steam platform. Still, it’s impressive that 2024’s Balatro can compete against 2016’s Stardew Valley, which has been around for a much shorter time and lacks official multiplayer functionality like the farming sim does.
Developer Concerned Ape’s Stardew Valley was released to nearly universal acclaim from critics. It is currently the #2 highest-rated game on the Steam platform, with over 97% positive review scores from users. The only game that slightly edges it out is Valve darling Portal 2, which has nearly half the number of reviews that Stardew Valley does and was previously overthrown by the farming sim. Stardew Valley has the 6th highest number of reviews on Steam, trailing behind Terraria, Garry’s Mod, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring, and Left 4 Dead 2.
If one has never played the game, they may be confused as to why Stardew Valley has achieved such accolades over the years. After all, the game, initially developed by a single person, seems quaint compared to the amount of money and the scores of staff invested into the average AAA gaming title. The answer to this question is that, despite many games trying to emulate its success, Stardew Valley managed to strike a chord at the heart of the genre comparable to what the Mario games did for platformers.
Stardew Valley draws inspiration from classic farming sim games like Harvest Moon, but manages to bring the best aspects of the genre and make them more accessible to a broader audience.
In a 2016 interview with PC Gamer, developer Eric Barone met Harvest Moon series creator Yasuhiko Wada for the first time, describing it as an “honor” and discussing how the decades-old game had inspired him to create Stardew Valley.
“When I played Harvest Moon as a kid, it just really gripped me in some way,” said Barone in 2016. “It’s hard to really know why, but I think… there’s just something really satisfying about growing crops and just doing the little domestic activities that you do in these kinds of games.”
While Stardew Valley is currently at regular price after the conclusion of the Summer sale, Steam’s Autumn sale will be coming up at the end of September. It’s possible that during this upcoming sale, players who haven’t yet played it will have another chance to enjoy it on the Steam Deck at a discounted price.
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