The First One…

What’s all this, then?

Hi Folks!

Welcome to Just A SDV Girl. This is a blog for things Stardew Valley-related, that may end up spilling into other areas like baking or some other games. I’m only just starting out, so let’s see where it goes!!

So, to ask the obvious question, why Stardew Valley? I first played this game after my then-boyfriend introduced me to it, after he’d came back from a night out crashing with a friend. It scratched that Animal Crossing itch, but I didn’t have to log on every day to do things: I could step away from it for a bit if I needed to, and it would be where I left it when I came back.

It was love at first game. I’m not 100% sure what it was about this game that drew me in, but it has become one of my most played games ever. I have been gaming since I was 10, so there are games that have claimed hundreds of hours of my life (looking at you Final Fantasy VII!), but Stardew? Across several platforms I have access to, I’m at a thousand hours and counting!

Fast-forward a couple years, my then-boyfriend was my fiancé and we were picking music for our wedding — in the middle of a global pandemic. Since before we were engaged I knew what I would be walking down the aisle to: “Aerith’s Theme” from Final Fantasy VII. That was an easy pick for me. It was all going swimmingly until we had to choose the music that would play in the background while we signed the marriage certificate. Cue hours of listening to potential ideas as we searched for something that had meaning for both of us. That drew us to the Stardew Valley soundtrack, and from there we found a wonderful orchestral album where we found the one: “A Golden Star is Born.” More than just a beautiful piece of music, to us it represented hope for our married life and our shared love of gaming. Even listening to it now brings a smile to my face, because of how it brings back those memories. We were lucky enough to get tickets for the Stardew Valley Festival of Seasons date in London, and hearing Golden Star in the encore was a very emotional moment for both of us.

Stardew Valley has been a huge part of my life for a long time. I’ve made this site as a place to share some of the tips and tricks I have picked up along the way, along with maybe a look at how I’m playing the game now.

I hope you enjoy sharing the journey with me!

Jas.