Here's why Stardew Valley seems heavily influenced by Harvest Moon

Although Stardew Valley was originally released in 2016, the game became increasingly popular in 2021. The game was developed by one person, Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. The game has become a massive hit. However, people cannot help but notice the resemblance Stardew Valley has with Nintendo's Harvest Moon.

---

Similarities between Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley

Upon first glance, players will notice a glaring similarity between the visuals in both games. The only difference is that the visuals are of better resolution in Stardew Valley, giving the game a clearer look. However, Barone maintained the pixelated effect that was there on Harvest Moon. Frankly, at first glance, Stardew Valley might just come off as an enhanced version of Harvest Moon.

As a game, Eric Barone was highly influenced by Harvest Moon but thought that the title got repetitive after Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. Therefore, he decided to develop a game that would essentially include similar elements but better quality.

The similarities between the two games do not just end at the visuals. Both games have farming as their primary theme, thereby donning the label of farming-simulation games. Furthermore, the gameplay mechanics of both games are very similar, although, in that aspect, Barone borrowed from titles other than Harvest Moon as well. The gameplay of Stardew Valley was also borrowed from early Legend of Zelda titles.

In collaboration with @UnsurpassableZ, I'm pleased to announce the 1st official Stardew Valley Cup! It's a competition of skill, knowledge, and teamwork, with a prize pool of over $40k. See some of Stardew's most dedicated players in their element! Main event is Sept. 4th 9am PST pic.twitter.com/qtDW5e5LvD

— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) August 21, 2021

Many have accused Barone of simply making a "ripoff" of Harvest Moon with his Stardew Valley. However, some elements in Stardew Valley have not been seen in Harvest Moon yet. Barone's major problem with Harvest Moon was that the game always ended after a certain amount of time, which could be a few years. Therefore, he developed Stardew Valley so that players could keep playing the game for as long as they wanted to. Furthermore, the title also offers players a multiplayer mode, which is lacking in Harvest Moon.

The main reason behind the similarities players can spot between Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley is that Barone used the former as a model to learn game development. Stardew Valley was initially simply a "passion project" for Barone. However, the game has now reached immense heights.