As I scrolled through dozens of Stardew Valley mods as a part of this week’s assignment, one in particular caught my attention. It was titled “Slightly Cuter Character Sprites,” and as the name suggests, its purpose is quite simple: this mod exists to make the in-game sprites more attractive. The changes this mod offers are objectively quite small; even after playing the game for many hours I probably wouldn’t have noticed many of them if they weren’t pointed out. Yet with over 100,000 downloads, the mod is still quite popular. I argue that the popularity of a mod like this provides unique insight into the goals and desires of many of Stardew Valley’s players.
To better understand the significance of the mod, it’s important to know what it actually changes. Slightly Cuter Character Sprites tweaks the game’s character designs to make them more aesthetically pleasing. In addition to fixing some visual inconsistencies, the mod makes broader changes as well, removing bow legs and enlarging eyes in the pursuit of a cuter look. It even offers an option to remove Maru’s glasses. Comments on the mod’s download page are generally very positive, with many users suggesting additional changes for the developer to implement.
How do we feel about physical attractiveness? It’s a tricky question to answer accurately since conversations about the topic are often considered taboo. However, our perception of others, which includes attractiveness, influences how we interact with people on a daily basis. For example, political candidates that are judged to be more attractive tend to perform better at the ballot box. In this case, while few people would say that they vote based on a candidate’s physical characteristics, the numbers suggest a different reality.
If people are downloading the Slightly Cuter Character Sprites mod, it’s clear that they care about having more attractive characters in the game. To quote one comment on the mod’s page, “This is one of those mods that are subtle, but make a big difference aesthetic wise!” While it is difficult (and perhaps unwise) to draw any broad conclusions beyond this, I would hypothesize that many players want their Stardew worlds to be a perfect environment that they can escape to when they play. In my own experience, I found that I really like to design the optimal farm layout for my crops. With this goal of an ideal world in mind, it’s not surprising that players would want to interact with (and especially date) cute versions of the game’s characters.
In the end, everybody chooses to play a game like Stardew Valley a little differently. By looking at the numerous mods that have been created for the game, we can catch a glimpse of what people want from the game by considering what aspects of it they choose to modify or enhance. In the case of the Slightly Cuter Character Sprites mod, I believe that it represents players’ desire to escape to a more desirable world—one with independence, simpler choices, and even more attractive neighbors.
