Competition vs. Collaboration

As someone who primarily played competitive multiplayer games, Stardew Valley was an entirely unique experience as a simulation, role-playing game. It was interesting that although the world that I am traversing is entirely a virtual simulation, my interactions with the game do not feel that way. While all the game elements are computer generated with predictable behavioral patterns, I engage with them as if they were real, showing genuine concern for the townspeople I care about as well as the well-being of the chickens and cows that I am raising. My initial expectation was that the solitary nature of the game would make it less engaging; after all, Stardew Valley is meant to be a game with no single decisive objective where the player interacts in a world solely full of non-playable characters. However, ironically I realized I humanize the characters in Stardew Valley while I dehumanize my teammates and opponents that are being controlled by real life people in multiplayer games. In multiplayer competitive games, there typically involves combat and a clear objective attainable within a single match, and the interactions with other individuals within that space only serves to further that objective. Because the other people are the means to a desired outcome, their roles are perceived as tools to achieve a goal. On the other hand, the liberated nature of Stardew Valley’s gameplay eliminates these expectations. Because the game mimics life and consists of little competition through the form of combat, the player naturally proceeds through the gameplay as if they are trying to grow their lives through the identity of a playable character. All the townspeople, animals, plants, and other growth factors are viewed as supporters of the player’s progression through the game rather than uncontrollable factors that can hurt or hinder the gameplay. 

Additionally, another idea to consider is that since I inherently associate multiplayer games with competition, they naturally cause me to become extremely invested in winning and I easily “tilt” or become angry at anything I perceive to be inhibiting my goals, which usually involves frustration at my teammates or hatred towards the enemy team. However, when playing Stardew Valley in a multiplayer mode, the group nature fostered feelings of collaboration rather than competition. Because there is no defined way to “win” the game, the dynamic of Stardew Valley is drastically different from the multiplayer environments I am accustomed to. Through our recent multiplayer lab, I noticed that I experienced no performance anxiety through the lax nature of the gameplay; although this game is less mechanically and mentally challenging, the collaborative efforts needed to grow the farm led to positive and supportive interactions with other players. In competitive games, the player’s teammates are factors out of their control that can directly cause them to lose. However, if teammates mess up or fail tasks in Stardew Valley, there are no major consequences for the other players and any issue that arises can be fixed in time. The multiplayer mode of Stardew Valley can only add to efficiency by increasing the amount of labor that goes into the farm, while in other competitive multiplayer games, players can serve as hindrances that cause an immediate loss. 

I have played without consulting guides in order to have what I perceive is a more genuine experience of the game. Based on my perception of Stardew Valley so far, I am less intensely driven and stressed to complete my goals when compared to playing other games; even though I feel certain pressures to generate income, the long-running, low-stakes milestones within the game allow me to focus on my personal enjoyment rather than hyper-fixating on a specific task. Because of my background of mainly engaging in competitive games, playing Stardew Valley is a breath of fresh air as it manages to be engaging without competitive gameplay. Because a collaborative effort is present, the encouraging dynamic of the game allows me to immerse myself in the world and engage in a positive but admitted idealized way through interacting with supportive game elements through my virtual character.