As a fan of Harvest Moon for many, MANY years, I had to give this game a try and while I was initially wary of it, I have to say that I LOVE it now.
Everything that Harvest Moon did right, Stardew Valley does as well. Everything that Harvest Moon lacked, Stardew Valley improved.

Graphics:
Rpg Maker-esque pixelated characters with lovely little animations, small critters on every map that makes the place feel populated and many characters with individual looks.

Music:
Almost 70 tracks of music keep the game from becoming annoying, with lovely music such as "Dance of the Moonlight Jellies", "The Wind Can Be Still" and "A Golden Star Is Born".

Gameplay:
Naturally, the major part is farming and socialising. You can plant field plants and fruit trees, care for various animals (including slime monsters and DINOSAURS), build buildings such as garden houses, sheds and wells and befriend over 20 characters. Have you been among those that were annoyed that you couldn't see all heart events in HM? Or never could take the gay option? Stardew Valley allows both with 8 bachelors and bachelorettes to choose from, from nerdy to cute to smart. If you heard that Stardew Valley has amazing character development, then be aware that itsn't even getting close to it. Each character has worries and problems that you can help them through, as a lover or a friend. Each character can and will warm up to you, if you steadily improve your relationship with them.
But appart from the classic HM recipe, it also offers fighting, looting caves, fishing, crafting and more.
And will you be ready to be judged after three years about how well your progress had been? Did you do your best in helping Stardew Valley?

Other:
While I am someone that can get lost in farming games, I have rarely enjoyed playing one as much as this one. Whenever I am bored, it feels very natural to start up Stardew Valley and just improve on my farm, follow after Abigail and Sebastian to give them a present or participate in the fun little festivals.
The only things that are somewhat lacking (but thank god for mods) is that you can't see where which character is unless you either stalk the character to know their behaviour, mod your map or look up on the wiki about their timetables. The other issue is the incredibly difficult fishing mini-game. I have a mod which lowers it to the absolute lowest it could possibly go without it just being a instant pull-in and still fail it at times. But once the mine is free, it isn't really necessary to fish at all unless wanting to get the achievements for it.

As a fan of Harvest Moon for many, MANY years, I had to give this game a try and while I was initially wary of it, I have to say that I LOVE it now. Everything that Harvest Moon did right, Stardew Valley does as well. Everything that Harvest Moon lacked, Stardew Valley improved. Graphics: Rpg Maker-esque pixelated characters with lovely little animations, small critters on every map that makes the place feel populated and many characters with individual looks. Music: Almost 70 tracks of music keep the game from becoming annoying, with lovely music such as "Dance of the Moonlight Jellies", "The Wind Can Be Still" and "A Golden Star Is Born". Gameplay: Naturally, the major part is farming and socialising. You can plant field plants and fruit trees, care for various animals (including slime monsters and DINOSAURS), build buildings such as garden houses, sheds and wells and befriend over 20 characters. Have you been among those that were annoyed that you couldn't see all heart events in HM? Or never could take the gay option? Stardew Valley allows both with 8 bachelors and bachelorettes to choose from, from nerdy to cute to smart. If you heard that Stardew Valley has amazing character development, then be aware that itsn't even getting close to it. Each character has worries and problems that you can help them through, as a lover or a friend. Each character can and will warm up to you, if you steadily improve your relationship with them. But appart from the classic HM recipe, it also offers fighting, looting caves, fishing, crafting and more. And will you be ready to be judged after three years about how well your progress had been? Did you do your best in helping Stardew Valley? Other: While I am someone that can get lost in farming games, I have rarely enjoyed playing one as much as this one. Whenever I am bored, it feels very natural to start up Stardew Valley and just improve on my farm, follow after Abigail and Sebastian to give them a present or participate in the fun little festivals. The only things that are somewhat lacking (but thank god for mods) is that you can't see where which character is unless you either stalk the character to know their behaviour, mod your map or look up on the wiki about their timetables. The other issue is the incredibly difficult fishing mini-game. I have a mod which lowers it to the absolute lowest it could possibly go without it just being a instant pull-in and still fail it at times. But once the mine is free, it isn't really necessary to fish at all unless wanting to get the achievements for it.