"I don't know what I was thinking": Stardew Valley came together at the last moment

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Stardew Valley, creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has shown off a bunch of early versions, saying the game never really came together until the last minute. Just over 10 years ago, Stardew Valley launched, and the Harvest Moon-like indie hit did pretty well all things considered, given that it's now sold over 50 million copies.

The 2015 prototype from around six months before the game's actual launch in 2016 shows many unfinished elements. "There are a ton of things that are just like, not finished yet," Barone says, adding, "This shows just how much Stardew Valley just kinda came together at the last moment." He points out the farmhouse's odd layout, with a "nose"-like block of floor where the door should be, and admits, "I don't know what I was thinking there." Barone recalls doing "a ton of work in the last like six months," saying he knew it was so close that he had to finish it.

stardew valley, concernedape, eric barone, 10th anniversary, 2016 launch, 2015 prototype, 50 million, harvest moon, indie game, game development