In examining Stardew Valley, it is easy to identify the absorption of capitalist values into gameplay. While the game generally operates and upholds a capitalist framework, cutscenes, character scripts, and plots that emerge throughout gameplay expose critiques of the market economy within its design, whether intentional or not. Systemic social implications caused by the demands of capitalism can also be observed in the villagers’ various identities and interactions.The influence of capitalism on gameplay in Stardew Valley is clear from the beginning.
After moving to the farm, notably after being worn out by the day-to-day boredom and monotony of working for a large corporation, the player is immediately able to begin working as they are provided with land, tools, and starter crops. While most likely done to make gameplay easier, this choice to provide the player with the capital and tools needed to attain financial stability shows a disregard for the real difficulty of accumulating the capital necessary to pursue an independent venture. The player is not responsible for purchasing land, starter crops, or tools, which is often the biggest barrier to what proponents of capitalism often refer to as “picking oneself up by the bootstraps.” The farm being inherited reflects the importance of generational wealth and assets, without which, it is extraordinarily difficult to achieve social mobility and financial stability. Unlike other games that prioritize farming, the game does not seek to revert to idyllic representations of cultivation informed by the aesthetics of Agrarian economy; players cannot trade or barter, nor can they meaningfully practice subsistence farming. As a result, the value of crops and the time and labor associated with their cultivation is derived from their monetary worth instead of their utility. The importance of gift-giving in forming relationships between villagers can also be interpreted as an example of the pervasiveness of capitalism, wherein it is suggested reciprocity is required for human connection and points towards a degradation of humanistic values.
The player is unable to seek employment at various village establishments and can only contribute to the economic system through farming. The player’s lack of agency in relation to their work recalls Marx’s idea of the illusion of greater freedom under capitalism. In reality, capitalism produces conditions where workers cannot simply quit their jobs and find a new one for various reasons (loss of healthcare, barriers to education, lack of viable employment alternatives). Another example of the illusion of freedom can be seen in which crops the player is encouraged to produce. While there is a lot of choice in what crops one can plant, internet guides written to aid players suggest planting potatoes to maximize profit. If a player seeks to improve their living conditions or farming capabilities, they must save money to purchase these upgrades and logically would plant potatoes in order to reach this goal. Following Marx, the inability of workers to easily shift career paths, in addition to the copious time they spend working, results in the conflation of the self and worker and the individual is unable to create an identity separate from their work. This idea is perhaps best exemplified by the introduction challenge, where the player must meet every villager. In each interaction, the other villagers refer to the player as “the new farmer” suggesting that one’s calling is a primary component of their identity. Just as output produced retains no utility value, these interactions and the depersonalization that occurs suggest the value of the player corresponds to the monetary value their work produces.
The most obvious references to capitalism in the game can be observed in the conflict between Joja Mart and Pierre’s General Store. Joja Mart symbolizes hyper-commodification and consumption; it is filled with goods one can buy on demand and is never low on stock. Despite this excess of food, food insecurity persists because corporations value profit over human life and show no compassion for those without the means to sustain themselves. This is why when Linus is found digging through trash for food, it is the owner of the local saloon who sympathetically offers him free food regardless of financial loss. Because Joja Mart is run by a corporation, it is separated from the monetary constraints local businesses may face; It can afford to sell goods at lower prices (with a membership) and can stay open every day for longer periods of time (opens at 8 am as opposed to 9am like Pierre’s). Joja Mart can also shirk ethical responsibility because of the wide distance between shoppers and those in charge. Characters often voice concerns over the opening of the supermarket, but without corporate representatives present in the village these concerns are spoken into a void. The working conditions at the supermarket are much more rigid and oppressive than at other establishments, as employees work longer hours and are unable to engage in conversation during work. It is also the only setting in the game without music. These all suggest the harshness that often accompanies corporate work designed to maximize efficiency and are ways in which corporations exert control over employees. Perhaps this rigidity as well as the loss of satisfaction from completing meaningful work contributes to Shane’s struggle with depression, which in turn causes him to abuse alcohol. Despite all of these ethical shortcomings associated with Joja Mart, its practical benefits incentivize villagers to shop there as opposed to Pierre’s, with Jodi even commenting, “The food at JojaMart might not be the healthiest for my family, but with such low prices you’d be crazy to shop anywhere else.” This quote again points to the illusion of freedom, as the excess of choice in consumption at Joja Mart masks consumer’s limited choice in where to buy goods (in this case, limited by monetary constraints).
