The Stardew Valley board game replicates a regular game of Stardew Valley. Players need to save the valley from the nefarious Joja Corporation, which means restoring the Community Center through completing a set of random goals and making friends along the way.
Time passes and weather patterns change as players draw a card from the season deck each round. Just like regular Stardew Valley, forging friendships with the town’s various characters unlocks new Community Center bundles, and players upgrade their various skills, such as fishing and mining, by completing challenges.
The biggest challenge, though, is coordinating actions each round to get the maximum amount done and push towards completing one of the required goals. Barone said the Stardew Valley board game’s “depth and complexity” means it’s intended for those experienced with tabletop games already. He also provided the game’s full rule book so players can see for themselves whether it’s the right choice before purchasing.
It sounds as if the Stardew Valley board game is a separate project from the other two new SV games Barone is working on, which means there’s even more Stardew Valley in store aside from the recent 1.5 update.
[Source: Stardew Valley Developer Blog]
