Stardew Valley is a farming and life simulator. But this isn't like the more modern wave of "simulators" that have dominated the genre. This is old school, Harvest Moon-inspired simulation. It has clear roots in that franchise, but it separates itself with many other mechanics thrown on top of just farming. In fact, there's an entire season (winter) when farming doesn't happen!

Here is a typical day, relatively early on, in Stardew Valley: Wake up, water and pick the crops, refill the dog's water, and feed the chickens. Eat a snack to restore some energy. Head out into the town, check the calendar for anyone's birthday or town events, then check the bulletin board to see if anyone needs something to be done. From there, it depends on how you feel. Maybe today is a fishing day, heading to the different areas to catch all types of fish. Maybe it's an adventurous day in the mines, slaying monsters and collecting gems and ores. Or perhaps it's time to re-plant some of the harvested crops from earlier.

There are a ton of things to occupy any given day. Players start out with a huge plot of farmland and some tools. After clearing some room, it's time to get some crops and plant them. Nothing is really "tutorialized" to the player, but the game does a wonderful job of introducing the player to new things and hinting at the best way of optimizing skills.

Story cutscenes are introduced sporadically, but it's mostly up to the player to advance it as they please. According to the developer, the story does have an end, but that's not the end of the game. Luckily, the community is filled with interesting characters to make the story worth paying attention to, even if it may not seem that way at first.