Stardew Valley: the video game that brings children closer to agriculture

In the digital world in which we live, video games have gained total popularity among children and adolescents. While some parents may be concerned about time spent in front of screens, a new strand of games is emerging to prove that gaming time can be more than just entertainment: educational video games, in fact, are paving the way for a new form of learning.

In particular, agriculture, one of the oldest and to date sadly undervalued activities, is also finding its way into video games by offering children the opportunity to explore the dynamics of agriculture in an engaging and fun way, opening doors toward learning about agricultural practices and the importance of agriculture in our society.

An example of an educational video game on this theme is Stardew Valley, a game developed by Eric Barone completely self-taught and to which he devoted a good four and a half years to complete. The game begins in a sad and gray office, but fortunately ai is suddenly catapulted into an enchanted setting of friendship and agriculture. Within the game one must engage in farming and harvesting, then sell the produce, buy raw materials and start a small farm. Added to this are mysteries to be unraveled and many incredible characters. The game, then, also has an even higher ambition beyond bringing young people into the world of agriculture: to encourage what Baron calls conscientious capitalism. In Stardew Valley, in fact, following one’s dreams, creating genuine relationships and helping neighbors gives one a better life within the game than choosing the path of greed.”

Source: https://apps.apple.com/it/story/id1437369473

Official Stardew Valley page: https://www.stardewvalley.net/