Peace in the Valley: A Media and Discourse Analysis of Eric Barone's Stardew Valley Through Utopian Theory

Abstract

Eric Barone's successful Stardew Valley game epitomizes the genre of farming role-play gaming. This article uses utopian theory to explore how the game economically and socially presents a liberal utopia that reimagines the 1990s with progressive values of the 2010s. Within the game, expenditure is encouraged to be communal, assigning value to socialist economics. Support for recreational cannabis usage is symbolically constructed through the character of Caroline, while queer love is established as both widely accepted and societally beneficial through dialogue with a local drunkard named Shane. Similar constructs of acceptance and acknowledgment are observable in the game's presentation of interracial relationships and mental health issues. In all cases, we concluded that this liberal utopia is reminiscent of Barone's home state of Washington, as the socioeconomic values promoted through the game tend to align with left-wing developments within the state.