Stardew valley is a popular game with people in my generation.

[futurebird@sauropods.win]

Stardew valley is a popular game with people in my generation. Like most video games it's a power fantasy.

In this case about growing food, having a functional "third space" in your community and fixing public transit. Pure escapism.

Also there are magic forest spirits and dungeons with monsters and treasures.

[futurebird@sauropods.win]

Two of the most momentous parts of the game are when you fix the public bus and when you get the ferry service working again.

You bring all of the materials to fix the boat but still need to buy tickets to use it because buying tickets for a nice functional local public transit system are kind of part of the whole allure.

[wonkothesane@mstdn.social]

@futurebird And to add to that thought the creator has been really good about making the game accessible to the modding community.

Which makes it even more communal as people share ways to customize the game. You can also do co-op and share a farm with your friends

[count_01@mastodon.social]

@futurebird I get the appeal of buying tickets to ride a magical ferry to the neighboring island, but let me tell you about Island County Transit and the feelings I felt when I asked what the fare was and the driver said there wasn't any.

[carrideen@c18.masto.host]

@futurebird Did you see the announcement about 1.7? Clint and Sandy are now marriage material!

[futurebird@sauropods.win]

@carrideen

aw man I was pulling for Willy or Gunther. Well Sandy is a nice addition. And I guess Clint deserves a redemption arc. Maybe.

[kevingranade@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@futurebird my game is very anti-power fantasy except you can just stop eating and you'll steadily lose weight until you start eating again.

[myerman@turtleisland.social]

@futurebird I just found it on Apple Arcade so I’m gonna try it

[carrideen@c18.masto.host]

@futurebird They gave one to Shane so I suppose Clint was the next step of seemingly irredeemable Pelican Town men. Sandy is a snack though.

[johnbrowntypeface@spore.social]

@futurebird
you term it power fantasy, but it could just as easily be called autonomy fantasy

[earthlightning@sfba.social]

@futurebird

Now I'm imagining an "Ooops, all infrastructure" version of Stardew. You move into a crumbling town, and instead of farming, you spend all your time fixing issues with transit, water, power, and the library.

You could even follow the classic farm arc, where you start out repairing everything by hand and gradually move up layers of abstraction, maybe through organizing fellow townsfolk to pitch in.

Mid-game you think everything is going great, and then someone tells you about the state of the sewer system.

[benroyce@mastodon.social]

@futurebird

my entire stardew valley experience consists of me gawking over my kid's shoulders until they notice and say "go away i'm busy"

[lexyeen@plush.city]

@earthlightning @futurebird "Well, shit."

"Yeah, uh, that's actually one of the reasons why the sewers are a problem..."

[pussreboots@sfba.social]

@earthlightning @futurebird I would play the heck out of that.

[sinvega@mas.to]

@earthlightning @futurebird I swear I have played this but my memory has purged it, possibly as a form of self-defence

[azonenberg@ioc.exchange]

@earthlightning @futurebird krobus complains about sewage backing up into his lair

[coriander@elekk.xyz]

@futurebird It hits a lot of the same fantasies as Animal Crossing but with a little more actual gameplay

[octaviaconamore@cutie.city]

@futurebird @emlove and, of course, the undisputed pinnacle of power fantasy: getting 8 consecutive hours of sleep at a time of day you want to after which you feel well rested

[gnu2@gnusocial.jp]

@futurebird my wife loves it.

[rockario@kind.social]

@futurebird Also, the consistent conversion of labor into product, and then being able to easily and reliably sell that product for the same amount of money and thus have more than enough to live on.