I finally got around to trying Stardew Valley (no spoilers please!) and I have all sorts of thoughts about it.

First: Woah they added an official local coop mode? And it’s not even bad?? “Retrofitted splitscreen coop for a single-player story game” sounds so dubious, but honestly it’s only very slightly janky!

It’s delightful how well the game still works with a tacked on extra player. You can work together, or split up and specialize. There’s still a narrative, but most of the character and relationship stuff is separate, so you can make your own choices there.

Several aspects of the game feel like they should break with the addition of a second player, but it kinda just works anyway. Cutscenes just run duplicated, side by side, somewhat out of sync (this isn’t as bad as it sounds, honestly). Certain special objects are soul-bound to your side of the game, and just invisible to the other player. Occasionally it’s a little weird, but mostly it’s just fine!

As the person I am, I strongly prefer playing games *with* people. Decently made local-coop games that match my preferences are quite rare, so it’s a treat to get to play this beloved game with my partner.

My only complaint: They won’t let me romance Player 1. Rude.