Since its release in 2016, the indie gameStardew Valleyhas become a powerhouse in the video game industry. It won various awards, but it also revived a genre that many believed to have been past its prime. So, of course, given the massive success thatStardew Valleyhas received over the years, it isn’t surprising that other games would want to follow in its footsteps.
To be fair, it is worth mentioning thatStardew Valleyitself is not entirely an original game, and creator ConcernedApe has been open with how it is inspired and somewhat similar to other titles, most notably,theHarvest Moon/Story of Seasonsfranchise. However, despite having similarities to older farming sims,Stardew Valleydid offer new mechanics that offered unique experiences, and the same can be said for many games that follow it. But while there are many games inspired byStardew Valleyand put their own unique spin on it, some titles take it to a whole different level, with one copying a popular feature while the other having eerily similar graphics.
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Harvest Life
Just a year afterStardew Valley’srelease, another farming sim came into the scene calledHarvest Life. The game is developed by indie studio Bumblebee and is currently available on PC and the Nintendo Switch. LikeStardew Valley,Harvest Lifetasks players to manage and expand their own “sustainable organic farm.” While there is nothing wrong with its concept as a farming simulator, players would notice thatHarvest Life’s fishing mechanic appears to bevery similar toStardew Valley.
Again,Stardew Valleyis not the first farming sim to have a fishing mechanic. However, it is worth noting thatthe fishing mechanic in Stardew Valleyis infamous for its difficultyand its unique take on catching fish. In other similar games, players would only need to cast their fishing line and wait for some sort of movement before they are required to mash certain buttons to catch a fish successfully. InStardew Valley,a meter will appear on screen as soon as the players cast their line that makes the experience much like a mini-game. Similarly, this mini fishing game also appears inHarvest Life, and the mechanics are pretty much the same. As a reference, the image above shows the similarities between the two.
Super Zoo Story
Apart from the fishing mechanic,Harvest Lifedoes offer a unique experience fromStardew Valley,and its overall look is very different. However, the same couldn’t be said ofSuper Zoo Story, an upcoming gamethat was heavily criticized as a clearStardew Valleyripoff. While the premise ofSuper Zoo Storyis different fromStardew Valley, its visuals looked almost the same, from the art style, the general color palette, and even in-game menus.
Looking at previews released bySuper Zoo Storyso far, one can’t help but noticejust how similar it is toStardew Valley,with some players initially thinking that it is an expansion or a new game by ConcernedApe. However, as soon as comparisons of it broke out on Twitter, many fans ofStardew Valleycalled out the upcoming game as a complete ripoff. The issue even trended in social media that ConcernedApe himself was forced to speak about it.
In a tweet, ConcernedApe, whose real name is Eric Barone, stated that while he supports developers who take inspiration fromStardew Valley, he is not okay if it turns out that his assets were actually copied or duplicated. Barone also mentioned thatSuper Zoo Story’sdevs have “taken it a little too far and that their attitude about it has rubbed [him] the wrong way too.” In the end, the team behindSuper Zoo Storyissued an apology and agreed that some of the art in the game appears similar toStardew Valley.However, the devs clarified that it was never their intention to copy art from other games and that they will redesign all assets that are too similar toStardew Valley. Since then, the devs behindSuper Zoo Storyhave made significant changes to their visual design and art style so it doesn’t so closely resemble that of ConcernedApe’s.
Stardew Valleyis out now for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
