During this period, Aiko, Oto-chan, and Hazumi went to Gastar Electronic Entertainnt's headquarters every chance they got to watch Takayuki develop his ga.
Sotis, Takayuki would even go without sleep to work on Stardew Valley. His dedication and passion for what he was doing deeply impressed Aiko.
Aiko had always been a proud person — she rarely admired others.
But Takayuki was one of the few living people she genuinely admired. Most of the people she looked up to were already deceased — ancient or modern-day figures of historical importance.
In response to Hazumi's earlier question, Aiko simply shook her head as she installed the Battlenet platform according to the instructions and said,"I don't know either, but Mr. Takayuki is different. If he makes a promise... maybe he really can make it happen."
Hazumi was full of anticipation. She idolized Takayuki more than anyone else — after all, it was he who had inspired her to think, "Maybe I could make a farming and mining ga."
And now Stardew Valley was exactly that — a farming and mining ga. Her admiration for Takayuki skyrocketed.
Oto-chan, on the other hand, was more indifferent. Stardew Valley just wasn't her thing. She didn't enjoy the slow, repetitive nature of farming and mining. She had never understood why Hazumi could spend hours collecting mushrooms or mining in Monster Hunter — clearly just side chanics in that ga.
...
...
Oto-chan preferred more exciting, action-packed gas, or sothing simple and satisfying like Fruit Ninja — fast, direct, and stress-relieving.
So she didn't think much of Stardew Valley.
However, she did respect the fact that Takayuki had made the entire ga by himself just to encourage the three of them. That gesture deeply moved her.
It also helped her begin to let go of the belief that great gas required huge budgets and teams.
She realized that if soone had the sa passion for gas as Takayuki — the sa willingness to go all-in — then whether a ga was AAA or not didn't really matter anymore.
The Battlenet platform downloaded quickly — the installer was only a few dozen MB.
Following the instructions, Aiko entered the ga's activation key into the Battlenet platform's activation field. Then she clicked "Activate."
The ga appeared in the first slot of her personal ga library.
The cover of Stardew Valley was simple — entirely composed of 2D pixel art. A small house, and the English title "Stardew Valley" spelled out in what looked like nailed-together wooden planks.
"Wow, it looks kind of cute," Hazumi said, clearly excited. She really liked this art style — warm and charming. Pixel art seed to naturally carry that vibe. It was like animation in film — sothing about it could soften even the most serious stories and make them feel more accessible.
Aiko and Oto-chan didn't have strong feelings about it. They'd already decided they were just there to accompany Hazumi in trying the ga.
Once they found out it was about farming, mining, and mushroom picking, their interest had pretty much faded.
Maybe only soone like Hazumi could really enjoy that kind of slow-paced gaplay.
That's what Aiko and Oto-chan were thinking.
Aiko clicked the download button. The ga started downloading.
The total size was a little over 100MB — pretty small, especially in an era when ga sizes were growing larger and larger.
But it was a 2D pixel ga, after all. You couldn't expect it to be massive. Maybe future updates and added features would increase its size.
The download finished in just a few minutes.
This was the first ti the three girls were playing a ga outside of a console — but it didn't feel that different from playing on one.
The girls entered the ga's main nu.
A soft, peaceful lody began to play.
"Aiko, can I try it first?" Hazumi asked, unable to hide her excitent.
"Of course — you're clearly the most interested. Go ahead."
Hazumi bead and imdiately sat down at the computer.
Thanks to over a year of experience with ga developnt, Hazumi was now a mber of the school's ga developnt club, so operating a computer was no issue. She quickly got the hang of the ga by following the on-screen instructions.
Aiko and Oto-chan sat nearby, watching as Hazumi dove into the world of Stardew Valley.
The ga began with a very simple pixel scene — the protagonist working at a computer in an office.
He looked like a classic corporate office worker — overworked and lifeless.
Then the screen darkened. The protagonist ended his workday. Even with only pixel art and basic animations, the ga managed to convey his fatigue.
Work after work, day after day — until one day, he couldn't take it anymore. That's when he rembered sothing his grandfather had once told him.
"Child, if there ever cos a ti when life becos too much to bear... open the letter I left you. I hope it can bring you so peace."
At that mont, the pixel protagonist couldn't help but open the drawer at his workstation — neatly inside was the letter his grandfather had left behind.
The ga prompted the player to click and open the envelope.
Hazumi didn't hesitate. She clicked to open the letter — the scene transitioned, and an image of a kind elderly man wrapped in a blanket appeared, along with slowly rising text:
Dear child,
If you're reading this letter, it ans you're in need of a change.
Years ago, I found myself in the sa place. I had forgotten what really matters in life... real, human connection. So I left everything behind and moved to a place I could truly call my own.
Enclosed is the deed to that place — along with my pride and joy: a farm. It's located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast in a place called Pelican Town. It's the perfect place to start a new life.
I hope you'll find peace there. And please, say hi to Mayor Lewis for .
It was a heartfelt letter.
Even through just text and pixel art, Hazumi felt as if a loving grandfather were gently speaking to her one last ti.
Aiko and Oto-chan were also watching the scene.
It was just the prologue of the ga — but the letter still managed to touch them both.
Genuine emotion always finds a way to resonate — especially with girls, who tend to be more emotionally attuned. They felt it even more deeply.
The letter ended, and the protagonist boarded a bus to Pelican Town — ready to begin a completely new life.
A life completely different from the stressful one he had left behind.
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