Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a self-published cross-platform country-life RPG developed by ConcernedApe LLC (Eric Barone) and distributed directly across PC, console, mobile, and Apple Arcade storefronts, with 41M+ copies sold as of December 2024 and ancillary licensing revenue from cookbooks, board games, merchandise, and concert IP extensions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Stardew Valley does
Stardew Valley is a self-published country-life role-playing video game developed by ConcernedApe LLC (Eric Barone) and released on February 26, 2016 after roughly 4.5 years of solo development. The core product is a single cross-platform C# game in which the player inherits a farm plot, grows crops, raises animals, fishes, explores caves, befriends Pelican Town residents, and can date or marry one of twelve townsfolk; a 1-4 player online co-op mode was added in the 1.3 update. The game is distributed by ConcernedApe directly via Steam, GOG, Humble, the Microsoft Store, the PlayStation Store, the Nintendo eShop, the iOS App Store, Google Play, and Apple Arcade (as the platform-exclusive Stardew Valley+ variant), with native localization in 13 languages and full controller support on consoles. The title has sold over 41 million copies across all platforms as of December 2024, with PC accounting for 26M+ and Nintendo Switch for 7.9M units.
The business is operated by ConcernedApe LLC, a Washington limited liability company headquartered in Seattle, with a founder-owned structure (no institutional investor or external publisher disclosed) and a headcount in the 1-10 range — originally a single developer and, since the 1.4 update, a small internal team. Revenue is generated through a one-time perpetual license (USD $14.99 / EUR €13.99 / CAD $16.99 / GBP £10.99) on digital storefronts, supplemented by licensing royalties on a broad set of officially licensed physical and adjacent-media extensions: the Penguin Random House cookbook, an officially licensed board game, an officially licensed Stardew Valley controller, a symphonic concert recording (Symphonic Tale), a live concert series, and merchandise distributed through Fangamer, Sanshee, The Yetee, Artovision, and Hot Topic. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and community-led: marketing is essentially organic (developer blog, official forums, Discord, Twitter/X via @ConcernedApe, an officially surfaced SMAPI modding ecosystem, and explicitly licensed monetizable YouTube content), with no traditional paid advertising or external PR agency referenced.
Operationally, the company is privately held, profitable on the strength of cumulative unit sales and licensing royalties, and remains an active single-IP studio with no disclosed acquisitions, funding rounds, or diversification beyond the Stardew Valley brand. The principal commercial risks are platform-decision dependence on a small number of storefront gatekeepers (Steam, Nintendo eShop, Apple App Store), key-person concentration on founder Eric Barone, and long-tail decay inherent to a 10-year-old single-title back catalog.
Stardew Valley firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stardew Valley
- Legal name
- ConcernedApe LLC
- Website
- https://stardewvalley.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Stardew Valley is a self-published cross-platform country-life RPG developed by ConcernedApe LLC (Eric Barone) and distributed directly across PC, console, mobile, and Apple Arcade storefronts, with 41M+ copies sold as of December 2024 and ancillary licensing revenue from cookbooks, board games, merchandise, and concert IP extensions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stardew Valley industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indie Video Games (Farming/Life Simulation RPG)
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Economy & Monetization Tools for UGC (tips, subs, rev share, payouts) (MPAFAIAI)
Keywords
Where Stardew Valley is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Stardew Valley business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Digital game sales (one-time license): Self-published one-time-purchase sales across Steam, GOG, Humble, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS App Store, Google Play and Apple Arcade. Regular price USD $14.99 / EUR €13.99 / CAD $16.99 / GBP £10.99. As of December 2024 the title had sold over 41 million copies (26M+ on PC, 7.9M on Switch).
- Licensed merchandise (physical goods): Revenue from licensed branded merchandise — plushies, pins, apparel, collectibles, controller, collector's edition — sold through authorized partners Fangamer, Sanshee, The Yetee, Artovision and Hot Topic.
- Licensed publishing — cookbook and board game: Official Stardew Valley Cookbook (Penguin Random House) and Stardew Valley: The Board Game (board game retailers) generate royalty revenue from licensing the IP into adjacent physical media.
- Concert / music licensing: Symphonic Tale: The Place I Truly Belong (Music from Stardew Valley) is sold via Amazon, and stardewvalleyconcert.com is an official merchandise partner — generating licensing/royalty revenue from the game's soundtrack.
- Direct e-commerce (official shop): shop.stardewvalley.net (powered by Shopify) operates as the official storefront driving traffic to partner product pages, contributing indirectly to merchandise sales via fulfillment partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | One-time game purchase at USD $14.99 / EUR €13.99 / CAD $16.99 / GBP £10.99 |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels18 records
Marketing channels8 records
Stardew Valley product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stardew Valley is a country-life RPG video game developed and self-published by ConcernedApe LLC (Eric Barone) in which players inherit a farm, clear overgrown fields, raise animals, grow crops, fish, explore mines, befriend Pelican Town residents, and can date or marry one of 12 townsfolk. The game supports both single-player and 1-4 player online co-op multiplayer (added in the 1.3 update), runs on a single C# codebase across 9+ platform categories (PC, consoles, mobile, Apple Arcade), and is sold as a one-time digital purchase at USD $14.99. Around the core game, ConcernedApe licenses the IP for physical merchandise, a cookbook, a board game, a guidebook, a soundtrack album, a branded controller, and a live concert experience distributed via authorized partners.
Product overview
Stardew Valley is a single core country-life RPG video game published and self-developed by ConcernedApe (Eric Barone) and licensed across many third-party product extensions. The unified core product — Stardew Valley — is a country-life RPG available on PC (Windows/Mac/Linux via Steam, GOG, Humble), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, supporting both a single-player mode and a 1-4 player Co-op multiplayer mode (added in update 1.3). Around the core game, ConcernedApe operates supporting official properties: the Stardew Valley Forums (community platform), the Stardew Valley Wiki (knowledge base), the Stardew Valley Shop (Shopify-powered e-commerce platform), and the official Press/website (stardewvalley.net). The brand has also been extended through licensed merchandise partners and physical products, including the Stardew Valley Collector's Edition (Switch/PC), the official Board Game, The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook (Penguin Random House), the Stardew Valley Guidebook, the "Before The Farmer" Comic, Symphonic Tale: The Place I Truly Belong soundtrack album, the official Stardew Valley Controller, and the stardewvalleyconcert.com live concert series, with partners such as Fangamer, Sanshee, The Yetee, Artovision, and Hot Topic handling merchandise distribution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stardew Valley (Core Game) Open-ended country-life RPG in which the player inherits a farm plot in Stardew Valley, clears overgrown fields, raises animals, grows crops, fishes, explores caves, befriends Pelican Town residents (30+), and can date/marry one of 12 townsfolk. Supports single-player and 1-4 player online co-op multiplayer (added in 1.3) on supported platforms; available globally on PC, consoles, mobile, Apple Arcade, and Tesla with 13-language localization.
- The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook Official Stardew Valley cookbook published by Penguin Random House, featuring in-game recipes adapted into real-world form, sold through traditional book retail channels.
- Stardew Valley: The Board Game Official tabletop board game adaptation of Stardew Valley, sold through board game shops and specialty hobby retailers.
- Symphonic Tale: The Place I Truly Belong (Music from Stardew Valley) Official symphonic arrangement album of Stardew Valley soundtrack music, distributed via Amazon and the official concert merchandise partner.
- Stardew Valley Controller Officially licensed Stardew Valley-branded controller, sold via the official shop and partner channels.
- Stardew Valley Collector's Edition (Switch / PC) Official Collector's Edition of Stardew Valley for Nintendo Switch and PC, distributed via Fangamer and featuring premium physical collectibles.
- Stardew Valley Shop (Official E-commerce) Official Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront (shop.stardewvalley.net) for Stardew Valley licensed merchandise, routing customers to authorized merchandise partners such as Fangamer, Sanshee, The Yetee, and Artovision.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 41 million copies sold across all platforms as of December 2024
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Stardew Valley
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Stardew Valley technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature5 records
Stardew Valley partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- FangamercoreOfficial merchandise partner. Fangamer operates the dedicated Stardew Valley collection at fangamer.com/collections/stardew-valley and is the primary source for high-end physical goods including the Stardew Valley Collector's Edition (Switch/PC), Krobus plush, Junimo plush set, the Stardew Valley Guidebook, and the 'Before The Farmer' comic.
- SansheecoreOfficial merchandise partner. Sanshee runs the dedicated sanshee.com/collections/stardew-valley and produces character-themed collector plushies (Abigail, Shane), pixel pins, animal hanger blind boxes, and apparel.
- The YeteecoreOfficial merchandise partner. The Yetee operates theyetee.com/collections/stardew-valley and produces apparel (Bachelorettes/Bachelors tees, Junimo Anatomy shirt), hats (Junimo Hat), and sticker packs.
- ArtovisionminorOfficial merchandise partner for 3D shadowbox art (Stardew Valley Shadowbox). Sells through artovision3d.com.
- Hot TopiccoreOfficial merchandise partner listed on the FAQ. Hot Topic is a national specialty retailer that brings Stardew Valley apparel/accessories into its physical and online storefronts.
- Penguin Random HousecoreOfficial publishing partner for The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook. Penguin Random House produces and distributes the cookbook through traditional book retail channels (referenced on the official shop).
- ChucklefishcoreLong-running collaboration: Chucklefish programmer Tom Coxon authored the multiplayer network code shipped in the 1.3 update; Chucklefish previously operated the Stardew Valley wiki page; and the Android package id remains com.chucklefish.stardewvalley, indicating ongoing technical involvement. ConcernedApe remains the sole publisher.
- stardewvalleyconcert.comminorOfficial merchandise partner listed in the FAQ — concert/music experience related to the Stardew Valley soundtrack, complementing the Symphonic Tale album sold via Amazon.
- Sterling AdventuresminorCreator of the official avatars used across stardewvalley.net, the contact page, and the forums. Attribution 'Avatars by Sterling Adventures' is shown site-wide.
- SMAPI / Pathoschild (modding ecosystem)corePathoschild maintains SMAPI, the de-facto modding framework that powers the official mods forum. The forum formally hosts the 'Unofficial mod updates' thread (5,400+ replies) and routes players to smapi.io and Content Patcher compatibility tooling — an officially surfaced community infrastructure.
- Stardew Valley: The Board Game (publisher)minorLicensed board game adaptation sold in board game shops, referenced as 'a legitimate product' on the FAQ — extends the IP into the tabletop hobby category.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform powering shop.stardewvalley.net and processing sales on the official store; uses Shopify cookies and shares order/fraud-prevention data with ConcernedApe.
- Google AnalyticscoreWeb analytics provider used across stardewvalley.net, the forums, and the shop for usage analysis and service improvement.
- National Grange of the Order of Patrons of HusbandryminorLicensor of the GRANGE trademark, which ConcernedApe uses in the game under formal license.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Stardew Valley competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Glumberland: Small studio behind Ooblets, a cozy farming/creature-collection/life-sim with early access launch on Xbox/PC. Direct genre competitor targeting the same cozy-farming audience as Stardew Valley, though at meaningfully smaller scale.
- Thunder Lotus Games: Independent studio behind Spiritfarer and other cozy/life-sim titles. Comparable on cozy-game positioning, small-to-mid team indie profile, and multi-platform self-publishing on PC and consoles.
- Studio Drydock: Developer of Wylde Flowers, a cozy farming/life-sim with witchy theming. Comparable genre and target demographic to Stardew Valley, though with a smaller install base and more recent release.
Broad incumbents
- Nintendo EPD (Animal Crossing): Developer of the Animal Crossing series, the dominant incumbent in the cozy life-sim category. Same genre and overlapping audience; larger budget, platform-exclusive distribution, and stronger marketing — the principal above-Stardew competitor in life sims.
- Marvelous Inc. Publisher/developer of Story of Seasons (formerly Harvest Moon) and Rune Factory — the most direct genre competitors to Stardew Valley in the farming-sim/life-sim category. Comparable on gameplay loop, target audience, and platform footprint, though much larger and with a published-AAA-style release cadence.
- Mojang Studios: Developer of Minecraft, the canonical 'solo-built indie blockbuster turned evergreen franchise.' Comparable on origin (small-team breakout hit), self-publishing legacy, and long-tail, multi-platform, multi-decade sales trajectory — albeit now operating inside Microsoft as a much larger entity.
Direct peers
- Re-Logic: Small independent studio behind Terraria, a solo-/small-team-built 2D sandbox with 44M+ copies sold and a multi-year, multi-platform update cadence. Closest direct comparable to Stardew Valley on team size, indie-breakout profile, self-publishing model, and long-tail evergreen sales.
- Monomi Park: Small indie studio behind Slime Rancher, a cozy life-sim/creature-collection title. Comparable to Stardew Valley on cozy-game genre, small-team development, multi-platform self-publishing, and content-update-driven engagement.
- Supergiant Games: Small privately-held indie studio behind Hades, Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre. Comparable on team size, self-publishing model, critically acclaimed indie profile, and a multi-title back catalog built up over a decade — a model of multi-IP indie sustainability that ConcernedApe could emulate.
Others
- Chucklefish: Long-standing development partner of ConcernedApe (wrote the 1.3 multiplayer network code and publishes the Android build). Adjacent as a fellow indie game studio/publisher in the farming-sim space (publisher of Wargroove, Starbound) and the closest ecosystem partner to Stardew Valley.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Stardew Valley social profiles
Digital presenceStardew Valley compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Stardew Valley financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stardew Valley leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Stardew Valley funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stardew Valley M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Stardew Valley
What does Stardew Valley do?
Stardew Valley is a country-life RPG video game developed and self-published by ConcernedApe LLC (Eric Barone) in which players inherit a farm, clear overgrown fields, raise animals, grow crops, fish, explore mines, befriend Pelican Town residents, and can date or marry one of 12 townsfolk. The game supports both single-player and 1-4 player online co-op multiplayer (added in the 1.3 update), runs on a single C# codebase across 9+ platform categories (PC, consoles, mobile, Apple Arcade), and is sold as a one-time digital purchase at USD $14.99. Around the core game, ConcernedApe licenses the IP for physical merchandise, a cookbook, a board game, a guidebook, a soundtrack album, a branded controller, and a live concert experience distributed via authorized partners.
Is Stardew Valley a public or private company?
Stardew Valley is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Stardew Valley founded?
Stardew Valley was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Stardew Valley based?
Stardew Valley is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Stardew Valley make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Digital game sales (one-time license) is the primary driver. The others are licensed merchandise (physical goods), licensed publishing — cookbook and board game, concert / music licensing and direct e-commerce (official shop).
Who are Stardew Valley's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Glumberland, Thunder Lotus Games and Studio Drydock. Broad incumbents are Nintendo EPD (Animal Crossing), Marvelous Inc. and Mojang Studios. Direct peers are Re-Logic, Monomi Park and Supergiant Games. Chucklefish is listed as an others.
Does Stardew Valley have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stardew Valley.
What industry is Stardew Valley in?
Stardew Valley's product category is Indie Video Games (Farming/Life Simulation RPG). Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAIAI, Creator Economy & Monetization Tools for UGC (tips, subs, rev share, payouts). Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 3944.