Stardew Valley Has Become a Bad Influence on Cozy Games

A lot of video game genres are dominated by a few specific titles that are now considered to be the gold standard that every other title should follow. For cozy games, the obvious candidate is Stardew Valley, as despite how simple it may be, it has captured the hearts of millions of players across the globe, and as a result, has become the poster child for what cozy gaming should look like. This has led to hundreds, if not thousands, of cozy games, all trying to emulate that same formula, leading to a pretty major creative drought within the genre.