A Night in Pelican Town – A Tale of Lonely Avatar

The journey back home feels longer every night. It’s snowing heavily as I run through Pelican Town, the clock already showing ten at night. This time of year, darkness descends dangerously fast, forcing me to quicken my pace. The mines, located almost on the other side of town, require me to cross the bridge, traverse the village center, and navigate all the way through the dark, snowy streets to reach Miele’s farm. Forgetting my torch makes the trip more challenging, but luckily, I have made this journey numerous times, so I know the way by heart.

I cut across the Community Center yard; everyone in the valley seemed to be sleeping as usual. My black T-shirt, the one I got when I was created, is already wet from the snow. The wind whistles in my ears when I arrive around the corner of Pierre’s shop—the shop that has been in trouble since the arrival of JojaMart. Lately, it has felt like this new corporation absorbed the last bit of vitality from the valley, and now it’s downright withered in place. Everyone knew it would be that way, but I guess we all still hoped people would realize how much harm it does to all small business owners and start doing their shopping elsewhere. Pierre has decorated the shop with beautiful Christmas ornaments, and although I can’t smile, it’s almost as if I could feel a warm hug spreading all over my chilled, pixelated body.

Once I arrive at the farm, I take a long glance at the yard before entering my small cottage. In front of my home is an empty area surrounded by a weathered fence. In my early days on the farm, it was the place where all the beautiful cauliflowers were grown and then sold to Pierre. Not only was it a favorite spot for me, but even the villagers would sometimes wander into Miele’s farm, appreciating all the hard work I had put into it. Suddenly, I can recall it all as clear as day: working with the stables through the days, the sounds of hammering echoing in the woods, and Cookie running around the farm, warmly greeting all visitors. Those were beautiful days, as they would be for any game character. The whole village was more energetic back then; I can’t remember many days without markets or at least a fishing competition getting underway. I, too, participated in many of them when I had the time between my work. That’s how it should have been for many more years, but for some reason, it has just been downhill from there.

Behind the garden are the stables for chickens and my one and only cow. I haven’t had much time to go and see them lately since I’ve been working long days in the mine on those rare occasions when My player has come to meet me. Fortunately, they have heaters that will do over this winter. After standing in the yard for a while, I became aware of the silence around me and set off toward the cottage. A lonely scarecrow in the corner of the garden looks at my way. On this moonlit night, its outline looks almost frightening.

I’ve heard a few things from my friends’ farms in different game worlds. They are similar characters with the same story yet live in the middle of abundant gardens and lively animals. They are famous among the villagers, but when I think about myself, I haven’t even got to know everyone around here, not to mention making real friends. I don’t know if it’s true, but one of the characters who started at the same time as me has many horses, ducks, and even pigs. She knows how to construct things I haven’t even heard of.

And it’s not like I don’t have money; in fact, I have a lot. I just haven’t had the chance to experience or try new things much after… well, you know. I’m not created to be a bitter character, but on this lonely night, I feel a bit of sadness surfacing. Winter isn’t easy for anyone, but here on my farm, it feels so… quiet? I crawl into my small bed, waiting for My player to put me to sleep. Only now I notice that she has decorated my home with beautiful yellow flowers, and it makes me feel hopeful.

They have talked about characters like me – characters who have less use every day and one day will be totally forgotten. I wonder what that one day will look like for me and if it will be snowing. I close my eyes and hear Cookie breathing peacefully beside my bed. For dog characters life must be a little easier, I ponder, and pull the blanket tighter around me. Tomorrow, I hope My player will understand that I need firewood so I’m not cold anymore, I think as I sink into sleep and the game closes for the last time.

 

 

The story is written based on the game Stardew Valley.

Publishers: Eric Barone, Chucklefish, Fangamer, 505 Games
Developers: Eric Barone, The Secret Police Limited, ConcernedApe, Sickhead Games
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft Windows, Mac operating systems, iOS, Linux, PlayStation Vita
Release Date: February 26, 2016
Genres: indie, roleplaying game, life-simulation, fighting game, strategy, simulation
PEGI: 12

Photos are screenshots of the gameplay, taken by the author.  

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