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Since a lovely new physical collectors edition of Stardew Valley just dropped for Switch, I thought I'd let everyone obsessed with physical gubbins around this cozy game in on a little TRPG secret: There's a free Stardew Valley solo tabletop RPG hack, and it looks incredible.
This is one for the solo RPG gamers, and people obsessed with the best tabletop RPGs, who want to take their love of Stardew Valley to the tabletop. Literally yesterday I discovered Iron Valley, a Stardew Valley-themed tabletop game that lets you play solo using a hack of Shawn Tomkin's legendary solo RPG systems, Ironsworn and Ironsworn: Starforged. The best part? It's totally free to download, print and play.
This PSA comes in wake of Bored Ape's announcement of a gorgeous new physical collector's edition of Stardew Valley, made in collaboration with Fangamer. So if the cutesy little Stardew Valley comic book and deed this thing comes with are getting you excited, Iron Valley is going to be right up your street.
I called it a little TRPG secret above, but this is one of the most comprehensive free rulebooks I've seen for a solo RPG hack. Coming in at 244 pages, designer M. Kirin's Iron Valley rulebook includes everything from crafting rules, to guides for rearing livestock, and of course growing crops. The main things that make the Ironsworn and Ironsworn: Starforged systems work so well within the world of Stardew Valley are the mechanics for nurturing bonds, and making promises.
As you get closer to completing your promise, you mark off ticks on a progress tracker to earn favor. With the favor, you can do all kinds of things like spending it to make a special memory with a Townie when nurturing a bond.
It's a delightful hack, and one I did not expect would work so well, but now having read through the rulebook I can't wait to get stuck in. There's even a whole bunch of community content for the game such as a one-click Townie generator, which can be found on the Iron Valley website.
And if just one solo RPG farming sim isn't enough to sate your agricultural appetite, here are some games like Stardew Valley to keep you busy.
