Stardew Valley: Starting Over

Sometimes you've got to start anew with something, and I have decided to start a nice new save in Stardew Valley in order to enjoy a fresh start (and buy a JojaMart membership because I'm evil and want the JojaMart achievement). I'm still going to be playing my older save alongside this one, but I thought it was time. It felt right.

One of the first things I've done is get a couple of baby chickens, and I've decided to name them after SHINee members. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is endless fun to be had in games where you get to name stuff.

I'm actually surprised at how smooth and fast everything is going with this new start. Because I know the game inside and out now, it's taking me a lot less time to build up funds and unlock things. I know what the smartest and most profitable early moves are, and it feels great putting all those building blocks in place, harvesting my first crops, and racing down the mine as fast as possible to collect a gargantuan amount of ore.

It's quite serene in a strange way to start all over again from scratch. No-one in Pelican Town knows me, so it's like I've time-travelled, or everyone's been struck with mass amnesia. There's something so satisfying about getting to go back to the beginning. I won't waste time crafting useless items, or putting my new farm buildings in awkward places.

I also like my character's design a bit more this time around, although I went with a very similar look to my old save, but the ponytail is a bit fancier. That probably reflects my life goals quite well. I just want a cuter ponytail.

I think I'll have four hens, named after Onew, Taemin, Key, and Minho - but Jonghyun is my dog, because it's the perfect name for a boisterous, playful puppy. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an awful lot of grass to cut.