A new Stardew Valley mod adds a hardcore mode to the game

‘Hardew Valley’

Stardew Valley has skyrocketed into my “most played games of all time” list these past couple of years.

Free substantial updates help (there’s more on the way!), but co-op single-handedly sealed the deal. I literally doubled my playtime with that in the bag. While the future of the base game is still very bright and the community is extremely active, the modding scene is arguably as strong as ever: as evidenced by this new hardcore mod.

Dubbed “Hardew Valley,” the simple 31KB mod severely cuts down on your earnings in the game (about three times less), materials needed to manufacture items has been increased, makes home upgrades more expensive, requires more work to complete the civic center (the main quest) and all enemies have had their health increased by two times. The only buff is weapon damage.

While a lot of people may scoff at the idea of making a chill simulator tougher, I actually like the idea of a “hard mode” for the civic center bundles, without the help of a guide. I could probably do without the other changes, but a modified critical path is another opportunity to play through the game: that’s a win!

Hardew Valley [Nexus Mods]