Ian Bogost, a well-known advocate of proceduralism, defined procedural rhetoric as “explaining processes with other processes in order to persuade users of a particular viewpoint” (Bogost, 2007). Elements of procedural rhetoric in Stardew Valley, where you are tasked with experimenting and interacting with your farm and its surroundings in order to produce two distinct outcomes: generate the highest profit in order to expand the farming community or focus on establishing relationships with other characters in the game. The first approach aims at highlighting the constant conflict between the community and mega-corporations. For example, when building a relationship with Pierre, who works as the local produce merchant, I was constantly in clashing with Joja corporation, who works to drive customers away from Pierre and thus inflict my business. The second way of playing this game aims to target individuals who want to escape their life as an office worker and interact with those in a new environment.
When playing the game, I found it quite difficult to experience both outcomes in one sitting. I spent most of my time tilling the soil, planting which seeds would help me to generate the highest return and spent much of my time fishing, as I could sell it for an attractive price. Despite the fact that the game took place in a farm, I was still more interested in gaining higher rewards and following the money. To be honest, it seemed as if I was only interacted with Pierre, as there was an alignment of interests between me and him. In a way, this game might be commenting on some individuals’ capitalistic tendencies and how those tendencies have been ingrained in our society. Or, for others, this game represents an escape from those ideals and shifts the focus towards community and building new relationships which still remains to be an integral part of farm life today.