Apple bags Stardew Valley in coup for Apple Arcade

In a major coup for its Apple Arcade subscription gaming service, Apple has announced the imminent arrival of the hugely popular title Stardew Valley.

The game, which blends RPG and farming-sim elements into a simple and relaxing whole, is already available on the iOS App Store (it costs $4.99/£4.99) and numerous other platforms. Some time ago Apple changed its policy of only allowing new original games in Apple Arcade that have never before appeared in the App Store or on other platforms. Now, Arcade includes lots of App Store classics that are only different in that they have no fee, ads, or in-app purchases. These are denoted with a “+” at the end of the title and a slightly changed icon: Stardew Valley+ on Apple Arcade is one such title.

Despite having been created (at least initially) by a single developer, Stardew Valley has proved immensely popular across platforms and frequently appears on lists of the greatest games of all time. More pertinently to Apple, it represents a particular kind of success: a crossover hit that resonates with non-traditional and casual gamers as well as core gamers. As is shown by the inclusion of games such as Disney Coloring World and Cooking Mama, Apple wants Arcade to cover more bases than console ports and the addictive match-three puzzlers that the iPhone is most known for.

There have been some big names on Arcade before now, from The Room and Don’t Starve to Monument Valley and Football Manager 2023, but Stardew Valley is arguably the biggest so far. There are still some who question whether Apple remains truly committed to the service (or what the service actually stands for), but this should silence the doubters for now.

According to the Coming Soon section of Apple Arcade’s games list, Stardew Valley+ is expected to arrive on July 21. Another huge cross-platform hit that already exists in the App Store, Slay the Spire+, drops on July 7. We’d also recommend Ridiculous Fishing EX, which should arrive on July 14.