Stardew Valley Creator Hits 100% Completion

Do game developers play their own games? Not always, but Stardew Valley creator Erik Barone, better known as ConcernedApe, not only plays his game but has also mastered it. This week, Barone announced that he achieved a 100% completion in Stardew Valley on Steam, tackling even the game’s toughest challenges. For any seasoned fan, the feat is impressive; for the game’s creator, it’s a unique badge of honor.

Erik ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone Takes on His Own Game

In a post on X, Barone shared, “Finally got 100% achievements in Stardew Valley.” The final achievement he needed was “Fector’s Challenge,” which requires players to beat the arcade minigame Journey of the Prairie King without a single death—a task so difficult that only 1.2% of players have done it.

Barone’s challenge was no easy feat. Journey of the Prairie King, which players can access in the Stardrop Saloon, is a dual-stick shooter game where enemies charge from all directions. The goal is to shoot each wave of enemies, all while dodging their attacks and avoiding fatal collisions. Barone himself acknowledged the difficulty of “Fector’s Challenge,” which combines player skill with the luck of finding game-altering power-ups at the right moments.

The fact that Barone had yet to conquer this achievement adds a relatable touch for Stardew Valley fans. Despite being the developer, he is not immune to his own game’s challenges. As he noted, tackling this feat amidst his work on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, brought its own time crunch.

Have you managed to complete Fector’s Challenge, or does Barone’s success inspire you to try? For fans and fellow gamers, his achievement stands as a reminder: even the game’s creator finds joy in mastering his creation.