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Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone is still considering following through on his quarter-joking suggestion that a good life sim should include homewrecking and all of its ugly aftermath.
Stardew Valley is a farmland sandbox, and Barone explains to GameInformer in a new interview that he believes, "In a sandbox game, you should be able to do wicked things and then face the consequences." So while he disclaims he's against destroying a household just because you find kindly step-father of two Demetrius too erotic to bear – "I'm against that on a moral level," Barone says about infidelity – being able to do so slots perfectly into his game where almost anything is possible.
"I would be open to doing something like that," he continues, "but I wouldn't baby people about it. There would be very serious consequences."
But Barone's commitment to realism, when it comes to making sure Caroline would have an awkward time at aerobics class should she become an adulteress, is also what's keeping his foot on the brake. He hasn't yet introduced the divorce update that lingers on his mind, he says, because he's scared of what fans will think.
"Part of me is like, 'Well, maybe this is just too real,'" Barone says. "Maybe Stardew Valley is supposed to be, to some degree, an escape from those kinds of things. It's too realistic, you know?"
He certainly isn't wrong – Stardew Valley helped popularize the cozy game genre around 2020, and many veteran players return to the game for its sleepy moments and meditative tasks, like weeding the garden, or making crab cakes. But Barone must remember that we are all freaks for love, and there's an r/StardewValley post discussing his occasional threats about a divorce update with nearly 10,000 upvotes.
"I have no idea how mods work," says one comment with almost 500 upvotes, "but everyday I want to download the one where I can breakup Pierre for my future wife Caroline."
Another comment reminds a divorce skeptic that some Stardew players have never been completely kindhearted, saying, "I just spent 6 hours murdering dust sprites for an achievement." You hear that, Barone? Give them the scarlet letter!
