Stardew Valley Progress Tracker (Legacy)

Project Overview

The Stardew Valley Progress Tracker (Legacy) was a personal pandemic project developed in 2020. After spending time playing Stardew Valley with my wife, we both found it frustrating that there was no easy way to track what in-game milestones or achievements we were missing. To solve this, I developed a web app that allowed players to upload their save files and track their progress in the game. This tool quickly became useful not just for us, but for the Stardew Valley community as well.

Project Scope

The main objective of the Stardew Valley Progress Tracker was to provide players with an easy-to-use platform that could analyze their game progress and offer clear guidance on how to achieve 100% completion. The app would:

• Parse the player’s save file, extracting key information about in-game progress.
• Present this information in a clear and organized way, showing what achievements and milestones were still missing.
• Guide players by integrating helpful information directly from the Stardew Valley Wiki on how to complete the remaining milestones.

The tool was designed to simplify game tracking for players, helping them stay on top of complex achievement systems.

My Role

As the full-stack developer for this project, I was responsible for:

• Front-end and back-end development, ensuring the app was both functional and easy to use.
• Implementing the design created by Ookamijime, my collaborator on the project.
• Developing the parsing logic that would read and extract data from the player’s save file, including all players in the save, not just the main player.
• Setting up and maintaining the CI/CD pipeline, which handled testing and releases of the application.
• Managing updates and ensuring the site remained operational during its active period.

Unique Features

The Stardew Valley Progress Tracker included several unique features designed to enhance the user experience:

• Save file analysis: The app could read the game’s save file and extract progress for all players in a multiplayer save.
• Milestone tracking: It provided players with an overview of their in-game achievements, detailing exactly what tasks or milestones were still incomplete.
• Wiki integration: The app pulled relevant information from the Stardew Valley Wiki, offering players guidance on how to complete missing achievements and milestones.
• Multi-player support: The app displayed information for every player in the save file, making it easier for teams of players to track their collective progress.

Technology Stack

The project was developed using the following tools and technologies:

• React, JavaScript, and SASS for the front-end development.
• Express (back-end) for save file management, though this feature wasn’t implemented due to low demand.
• GitHub and GitHub Pages for hosting, version control, and deployment.

This setup allowed for efficient, modular development and smooth integration of the app’s unique features.

Challenges

The primary challenge for this project was ensuring the parsing of save files worked correctly for all possible game scenarios, including multiplayer saves. Another challenge was designing a user-friendly interface that could display complex game data in an easily digestible way. Both of these were addressed through thorough testing and the application of a clean, simple UI based on the design by Ookamijime.

Client Collaboration

This project was developed as a personal labor of love, with myself and Ookamijime as the primary contributors. We were our own “clients,” designing and developing the tool for our own use and for the broader Stardew Valley community.

Results & Impact

The Stardew Valley Progress Tracker was well-received by the Stardew Valley community, with a peak of over 1,000 monthly users during its active period. It was particularly praised on Stardew Valley’s subreddit, where players found the tool to be a valuable resource for tracking their in-game progress.

For me personally, the app was a success—it helped me achieve 100% completion of the game, fulfilling the original purpose of the project. The tracker’s popularity and usefulness demonstrated its value within the community, even if only for a limited time.

Timeline & Delivery

The project took a little over one month to develop from start to finish, including all front-end and back-end components. The development process was smooth, and the app was fully functional by the end of the month.

Post-launch Support

The Stardew Valley Progress Tracker remained live and active for about a year and a half. During that time, I provided updates and maintenance as needed. Eventually, the game introduced features that allowed players to see similar information directly in-game, reducing the need for external tools like this. As my available time became limited, I decided to stop updating the app, though it remained a valuable resource during its active period, you can still visit the app though it is limited to the 1.15 version of the game.

Final Thoughts

The Stardew Valley Progress Tracker (Legacy) was a rewarding personal project that filled a real need for players looking to track their in-game achievements. By combining save file analysis with helpful wiki integration, the app provided a simple yet effective way to monitor progress. The positive reception from the community and the satisfaction of using the tool to achieve 100% completion made the project a fulfilling success.

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