Stardew Valley is a game that at first glance might seem anti-capitalist. The game’s story, after all, begins when the player’s character quits their desk job at a soul-sucking corporation to leave the big city and revitalize a small farm that their grandfather left for them. After taking a closer look, however, one might find that certain aspects of the game certainly possess bases that are built on the same key pillars of the critical theory of capitalism. Capitalism is an increasingly controversial theory that has been implemented across many prominent nations over the past few centuries. Key aspects of capitalism include private control of the factors of production, the accumulation of capital (Hayes), and private property (Columbia). This post will analyze one aspect of the game in particular that draws on capitalism: the fishing mechanic. While many aspects of the fishing mechanic cross paths with capitalist theory, three features in particular that spur thoughts of capitalism are its encouragement of the accumulation of capital, the mitigation of living creatures to private property, and Willy’s control of the factors of production.
The first trait of Stardew Valley’s fishing mechanic that makes it appear capitalistic is its encouragement of the accumulation of capital. On the second day of Spring in Stardew Valley, the player’s character receives a letter that has the potential to turn their innocent new life into a return to being another cog in the capitalistic wheel: a shady business owner named Willy invites you to participate in a financial market that he essentially has a monopoly over, and invites you to turn a wholesome hobby into a money making opportunity. He shows you the ropes and implies that you should sell the fish that you find for profit at his store. Early on in the game, fishing is one of the easiest ways to get money so that you can afford to pay for seeds and other necessities for life in Pelican Town. This game mechanic makes fishing, an activity often associated with wholesome family excursions, an almost completely monetary affair intended to promote the garnering of wealth. The fishing mechanic’s encouragement of the accumulation of capital makes this aspect of Stardew Valley appear capitalistic.
Another trait of the fishing mechanic that makes it appear rooted in the pillars of capitalism is its emphasis on private property. Live fish, living creatures with hearts and feelings, are simplified to private property that are subsequently crammed into a backpack, and then assigned a dollar value by a single arbiter based on their mechanistic worth. They are not complex and beautiful creatures that exist independently of the system, but objects to possess. The player’s character also has the opportunity to take the meat of bugs that they’ve slaughtered and turn them into bait. This simplifies another complex life form into a usable object to be sold or utilized to acquire more ‘property.’ The fishing mechanic and its associated gameplay places heavy emphasis on private property, giving it the appearance of a capitalistic system.
A third aspect of the fishing mechanic that appears capitalistic is Willy’s private control of the factors of production. Willy and his shop are the private entities that control the fishing implements industry, the rod production, and the fish trade in Pelican Town. Do you want a better rod to help put food on the table for yourself and your family? Too bad, you have to save up and buy it from Willy at whatever inflated price he deems fitting. Want barbed hooks and magnets to find the fish necessary to have the level of energy required to slave away in the mines all day? Too bad, you have to save up and buy it from Willy at whatever inflated price he deems fitting. What prevents fish from being more valuable and how are they resold so that Willy can live his life of luxury? Nobody knows. He controls the factors of production and doesn’t share any further information with the player. And why wouldn’t he keep that crucial financial information to himself? That’s just business. In Pelican Town, you can’t go to the government to sell your fish or buy new rods. This is done privately and seemingly monopolistically in this society. The private control of the factors of fish and fishing implement production make the fishing mechanic in Stardew Valley an apparent supporter of capitalist ideologies.
Perhaps you are now in agreement with me that the fishing mechanic in Stardew Valley and the gameplay that stems from it is capitalistic. Perhaps not. I hope that those of my fellow students reading this will continue this conversation online and offline in the future. To summarize, the fishing mechanic in Stardew Valley appears rooted in capitalistic principles due to its encouragement of the accumulation of capital, the mitigation of living creatures to private property, and Willie’s control of the factors of production.
Hayes, Adam. “What Are the Most Important Aspects of a Capitalist System?” Investopedia, January 18, 2022.
The Center on Capitalism and Society. Columbia University. Accessed January 27, 2022. https://capitalism.columbia.edu/theory-capitalism
