The Slow Reveal: Characters Who Unfold Over Years, Not Hours
Most games introduce a character in Act 1 and finish their arc by Act 3. Three hours, maybe twelve, and you know everything. Stardew Valley takes a different approach: You meet Sebastian in Year 1. He’s polite but distant. Year 2, you’re friends. He mentions his motorcycle. His family frustrations. Year 3, he confides in you about feeling stuck. Wanting to leave but being afraid. Year 5, maybe you’ve married him. He’s still smoking. Still a bit aloof. But he’s opened up in ways that took literal years of game time. ...