May 26th, early morning.
A player logged into Skybound as usual, expecting the familiar login screen. Instead, the moment the launcher loaded, something felt… different.
The bright, corporate "Welcome to Skybound" background was gone.
In its place was a peaceful green landscape, pixelated grass swaying gently under a soft digital sky. A small pixel character stood in the center—wearing a straw hat, gripping a hoe, smiling quietly at the screen. Next to her, in warm, nostalgic pixel font, were two words:
"Stardew Valley."
For a moment, the player thought it was a prank.
Then they entered the platform.
The first promotional banner on Skybound's homepage was Stardew Valley.
The featured slot—normally reserved for blockbuster AAA titles—was entirely occupied by it.
And beneath it, a bold line of text:
"Stardew Valley launches officially at noon today."
Clicking the banner opened a detailed introduction written by Skybound themselves.
Gameplay overview.
Developer information.
Price.
Genre.
Everything was laid out cleanly.
"???"
"What happened? Has Northstar Games become this big already?"
"How much money did Northstar earn for Skybound to get this kind of treatment? Even Pig Farm's Shunhuonuan project didn't get this much exposure!"
"At first I wasn't interested in farming games, but after watching the Stardew Valley videos on BiliZone, it actually looks fun. And it's only 40 yuan… I'll buy it and try."
The news exploded silently in the early hours of the morning.
And then reality hit.
Damn it.
It was a workday.
Skybound announced it at midnight, but the game wouldn't unlock until noon. Even if people pre-ordered it immediately, they couldn't play until after work.
The frustration was real.
But despite the complaints, pre-orders flooded in anyway.
Why?
First—Northstar Games had an excellent reputation.
Second—once you fell into the Stardew Valley rabbit hole on BiliZone, it was impossible not to feel the charm.
Over forty videos, combined views exceeding ten million.
Even accounting for overlapping audiences, the exposure was terrifying.
This time, Northstar wasn't hiding anymore.
They weren't quietly releasing games and hoping for word of mouth.
They stepped into the spotlight.
By 3:00 AM on May 26th, Skybound updated the official listing:
Game: Stardew Valley
Developer: Northstar Games
Genre: Farming sandbox, relaxing and therapeutic
Price: 40
Pre-orders: 70,560
Skybound's recommendation was blunt and confident:
"Stardew Valley will be a groundbreaking title from Northstar Games. Skybound guarantees it will be a phenomenal success. Whether you love sandbox games or not—this is worth playing."
Skybound had openly taken Northstar's side.
The platform long praised for fairness and refusing under-the-table deals was making its stance clear.
Surprisingly, players weren't angry.
If other studios could deliver hit after hit like Northstar did, Skybound would support them too.
The domestic single-player market desperately needed a leader.
And both Skybound—and the players—were waiting to see if Northstar could truly become one.
Skybound Headquarters – 8:00 AM
Luo Feng stared at the data report in his hands, throat dry.
Across from him, Zuo Xuan looked equally excited.
"We finally have a domestic game that might break one million sales in its first month," Zuo Xuan said, voice trembling slightly. "And this is only domestic data. Overseas isn't even included yet."
"With four hours left before launch, pre-orders are already over 100,000," Luo Feng replied. "One million might be conservative. It could be two million. And these people already paid."
Tang Jianghe, seated at the head, frowned.
"Are you sure Northstar didn't inflate the numbers?"
Daily sales exceeding 100,000…
No—looking at the curve, 200,000 in a single day wasn't impossible.
That had never happened before.
A farming sandbox game.
A niche genre.
Selling over 200,000 copies in one day?
It sounded unreal.
Zuo Xuan answered immediately. "Absolutely clean. Mr. Tang, Northstar barely advertised. They only coordinated with us and some creators on BiliZone. Ms. Vivian Frost and Mr. Ethan Reed would never spend money on dirty tricks."
Tang Jianghe nodded. "Fair. I spoke too casually."
"Should we push it further?" Luo Feng asked. "If we help more, maybe it could reach eight million total sales."
Tang Jianghe hesitated. "Public opinion worries me."
Zuo Xuan shook his head. "Players won't complain. Any backlash will only come from developers who feel threatened. But do we need to care?"
Silence fell.
Luo Feng laughed. "Ever since Northstar made Animal Party, they've been on a different track entirely. You can envy someone slightly better than you—but when the gap is overwhelming, envy turns into admiration."
No one argued.
Northstar Games might be small in size—but in development capability, they were leagues ahead.
Northstar Games Office
"Achoo—!"
Ethan Reed turned his head.
Vivian Frost had just sneezed.
"What are you staring at?" she snapped.
The office was small. Avoidance was pointless.
Vivian had spent two days dodging Ethan—sorting out her own heart.
She finally admitted it.
She didn't dislike him.
She liked him.
A lot.
They had built Northstar together, day and night, raising it like a child. How could feelings not grow?
If this didn't count as attraction, then the only option left was becoming sworn brothers—and that thought alone made her furious.
Ethan spoke gently. "Boss, take care. Don't catch a cold."
She rubbed her nose. "I'm fine. Maybe someone's talking about me behind my back."
Then business returned.
"First-month sales should reach around 1.5 million," Ethan said calmly. "Word of mouth will carry it further. By summer vacation, students will push it higher."
Vivian smiled brightly.
She loved money.
"Pre-orders are past 100,000," she said excitedly. "By 6 PM, we'll hit 150,000. If we break 200,000 today, that's history."
Ethan laughed.
Stardew Valley's charm was timeless.
Seeing his smile, Vivian felt her heart race.
"We made the best sandbox game," she said softly.
"There won't be a sandbox game better than this, right?"
Ethan didn't answer.
Instead, he silently opened the system vault.
Terraria – Emotional Value: 250,000
Don't Starve – Emotional Value: 150,000
Minecraft – Emotional Value: 1,500,000
He closed it.
Out loud, he smiled. "No. There won't be a sandbox game better than Stardew Valley. Even if there is—it'll be one I make."
Vivian nearly screamed.
But she held it in.
"Let's prepare a celebration banquet," she said instead.
She grabbed her bag and left immediately.
A woman of action.
Ethan leaned back in her chair, eyes closed.
Northstar had grown too large for small projects now.
This year wasn't just another year.
This year belonged to the Southern Star.
And the gaming industry would remember it.
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Extra chapters available on patreon
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