The Stardew Valley creator, Eric Barone, is now one of gaming’s biggest success stories. Before the farming sim took off, though, he was a broke graduate with no job. A viral video is now reminding fans who kept him going during those years: his girlfriend, Amber Hageman.
How did the Stardew Valley creator get started?
Barone graduated with a computer science degree in 2011. However, he struggled to find work as a programmer. So he decided to make a small game instead.
The plan was modest. According to his Wikipedia biography, he wanted a project to sharpen his skills and show employers. In other words, Stardew Valley started life as a CV booster.
That is not how it turned out. Barone chose to do everything himself, including the code, art, writing and music. He also took a part-time job as an usher at a Seattle theatre to earn a little money.
Who is Amber Hageman?
Amber Hageman was Barone’s girlfriend throughout development. While he worked on the game, she covered most of the household bills. Seattle radio station KNKX reported that she was 25 at the time and paid most of the couple’s costs.
The video goes further. It claims Amber worked two part-time jobs while attending college. It also says she used her own savings to rent a small studio, so Barone could focus fully on the game. Wikipedia backs up the two jobs, but we could not confirm the studio detail.
Why did Stardew Valley take so long?
The Stardew Valley creator is a perfectionist. As a result, he kept scrapping work he was not happy with. A project meant to take around six months, according to the video, stretched into more than four years.
Eventually, the money ran low. The video says he moved into Amber’s parents’ house, and that they were not thrilled. Reportedly, they urged him to give up and find a “real job”. Amber, by contrast, did the opposite.
How did Amber support the Stardew Valley creator?
Above all, she believed in the project when few others did. Her income kept the Stardew Valley creator afloat. Meanwhile, Barone worked long days, often seven days a week.
The Stardew Valley creator later admitted he put on a brave face for friends and family. Privately, he worried that failure would let everyone down. That pressure makes Amber’s support even more important.
How many copies has Stardew Valley sold?
Stardew Valley launched on PC in February 2016. According to the video, Barone would have been happy with 10,000 sales. Instead, it sold nearly half a million copies in its first two weeks.
The video quotes a total of 40 million copies, but that figure is now out of date. In February 2026, the game passed 50 million sales worldwide. That makes it one of the best-selling games ever, let alone indie games.
It is also a regular pick for stress relief. In fact, cosy games like it often feature when psychologists rate video games for burnout.
What can indie devs learn from the Stardew Valley creator?
Firstly, a small idea can grow into something huge. Secondly, a support system matters as much as talent. Barone wrote every line of code, but he did not do it alone.
Of course, not every solo project ends like this. Many indie games launch quietly and vanish. That is why fans love quirky indie stories like Ball Boy Simulator’s Czech translation. Steam keeps growing too, with one collector who owns every single Steam game ever released. For completionists, Valve’s new Achievement Sets could change how we chase 100%.
Our take
The “living off his girlfriend” framing used in some clips misses the point. This is really a story about two people betting on one dream. The Stardew Valley creator built Pelican Town, but Amber helped keep the lights on while he did it. Every time a new player starts a farm, that sacrifice is part of the reason the game exists.