Stardew Valley Companion
Overview
A UX-focused companion app designed to reduce early-game overwhelm for first-time Stardew Valley players through structured scheduling, NPC tracking, and lightweight onboarding.
User Researcher
UI/UX Designer
Competitive Analysis
User Interviews
Figma
June 2025 – Present
View interactive Figma prototype →
My Role
This was a self-initiated, solo UX project. I owned the full design process—from research and problem definition to wireframing, interaction design, and high-fidelity prototyping. The project was approached with production constraints in mind, as if it were shipping alongside a live game.
Design Constraints: Short in-game day cycles, spoiler sensitivity, and maintaining Stardew Valley’s cozy tone.
User Research
This application targets beginner Stardew Valley players, and the design was inspired by sites such as Stardew Wiki and Notion. As a newer new Stardew Valley player myself, I experienced firsthand how unclear early-game systems can disrupt immersion.
Research Findings
To understand the pain points of new Stardew Valley players, I conducted informal user interviews with friends who have varying levels of experience with this game, specifically targeting their cons from the beginning of their experience. I also performed secondary research by analyzing discussions and complaints across online platforms, such as Reddit threads, Steam Reviews, and fan forums.
78% frequently reported feeling rush due to lack of structure.
38% had a proper routine during the first in game year.
84% felt overwhelmed by the number of actions and consequences each day.
Topics Addressed
- What part confused you the most?
- Did you feel rushed during in-game days? When and why?
- How do you currently keep track of what to do?
- Was it easy to forget important details like an NPC’s birthday?
Insights
Common frustrations included:
- A sense of time pressure during in-game days, especially when unfamiliar with efficient routes or NPC schedules
- Unintuitive systems that result in unexpected penalties
- Difficulty tracking social interactions, birthdays, and seasonal activities without external support
A recurring theme across discussions was frustration with how much essential knowledge felt hidden or reliant on external resources. Some players expressed that needing to constantly search for information online disrupted the immersive experience and detracted from the game’s cozy atmosphere. They felt that a well-designed game should provide that clarity intuitively, without needing to consult a wiki just to understand how to play.
Ideation
The official Stardew Valley Wiki offers every answer that you could ever think of. However, it requires a search first. As a beginning player, this could be quite daunting if you don’t even know where to start.
When creating this project, I wanted it to be simple to curate and look at. I created a starting page with headers for each section, and a separate page that goes more in-depth into the characters you may want to research.
Iteration & Refinement
Early designs emphasized feature density, but feedback revealed that new players felt overwhelmed by the number of choices presented at once. I iterated toward clearer hierarchy, progressive disclosure, and fewer simultaneous decisions per screen to better support early-game onboarding.
Solution
UX Rationale: Separating daily goals from long-term progression mirrors Stardew Valley’s short-session loop, reducing time pressure while preserving player agency.
The app was designed to address core early-game pain points in Stardew Valley: information overload, time pressure, and hidden system knowledge, by introducing scaffolding systems that preserve player agency while reducing cognitive load.
UX Rationale: NPC tracking was designed around progressive disclosure, allowing players to access detailed schedules only when needed, preserving discovery while reducing reliance on external wikis.
Next Steps
- Conduct usability testing with first-year players
- Introduce dynamic recommendations based on season and player progress
- Add accessibility options such as text scaling and colorblind-safe modes
- Explore spoiler-safe settings for discovery-driven players
Conclusion
The pixelated art of Stardew Valley draws players in with its relaxing, cozy aesthetic. As a game designer, I recognize that this visual style not only supports the genre’s appeal but also enhances the immersive, long-term engagement encouraged by the game’s rich content. However, user research revealed that Stardew Valley presents a steep learning curve for newcomers. These insights informed my design of a companion app that helps players navigate the early game with more confidence. By offering lightweight, in-game, contextual guidance, like personal scheduling tools and NPC trackers. The app aims to ease pressure, reduce confusion, and let players enjoy the relaxed, exploratory nature of Stardew Valley on their own terms.
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