Dear Reader:
Stardew Valley dev spent 4.5 years creating the game, talks about solo development
A portion of a Gamasutra interview with dev Eric Barone...
GS: How much time have you spent working on the game?
EB: I’m not exactly sure how many hours I put in, but I did work on the game for at least 4.5 years. I worked at least 8 hours a day on it and only took a day off if it was unavoidable.
GS: One of the unique things about Stardew Valley is that you were the sole developer on the project. What led you to take on such a huge undertaking independently? Did you ever think about bringing in outside help during development?
EB: I like to work alone. I like having complete control, and not having to justify myself to anyone else. I’m a perfectionist and I think it would be difficult for me to work with someone else. I also enjoy doing the music, the art, writing… I wouldn’t want to give any of those things up. They make my job more varied and interesting.