05/26/2026
These 4 undergrads reimagined the popular video game Stardew Valley as a research tool, modifying the game to explore degrowth and what it could look like in real-world communities.
A large part of the original game is centered on steady, often exponential growth; expanding farms, profits and progress with almost no consequences. Their modified version, Stardew Valley: Big Ag Mod, challenges that and asks what happens when growth is no longer treated as endless or automatically beneficial.
By redesigning characters, systems and storylines, they highlighted how constant growth can affect the environment, local communities and political structures. The result is a version of the game that encourages players to think differently about sustainability, scarcity and alternative futures.
Check out the game at the link in our bio!
