After 8 years, Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe has finally unlocked every achievement in his own farming sim - and he has some tips, too

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Of course, his final achievement was Fector's Challenge

Stardew Valley
(Image credit: ConcernedApe)

It's official - solo Stardew Valley developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has unlocked every single achievement in his own game, and he's now got some tips for players looking to do the same.

Stardew Valley released on PC in 2016, marking a solid eight years since the beloved farming sim's launch - but in that near-decade, even ConcernedApe himself has struggled to master one of the game's most difficult feats. With only 1.2% of all total players on Steam having overcome Fector's Challenge, this comes as little surprise. After all, the grueling achievement requires fans to beat the minigame 'Journey of the Prairie King' without dying.

I honestly personally can't even count how much time I spent in The Stardrop Saloon myself, but it's comforting to know that even ConcernedApe only just unlocked Fector's Challenge. As the dev's recent post highlighting his new 100% in Stardew Valley showcases, he beat the achievement on October 25. According to the creator, he actually "deliberately worked on Fector's Challenge because it was the only one I didn't have."

He also jokes that "the dev gave me a pat on the back," but offers advice for hopeful fans of the sim, too. "You need money, so don't use the 'nukes' because the enemies don't drop anything from that," explains ConcernedApe. "Purchase the best item you can afford in this order: ammo > revolver > boots. Save a machine gun powerup for fighting Fector, you can take him down before he even has a chance to attack."

These are some solid tips that I think I'll take to heart myself - maybe I'll unlock the achievement one day as well. At least I know I'm not alone, with the comments under ConcernedApe's post are proving as much. "Damn," writes one player. "I think I've got renewed hope now to get this achievement!" Elsewhere, a fan questions how they can beat Junimo Kart instead of Fector's Challenge - yet another unforgiving Stardew Valley minigame.

Craving a new cozy adventure? Here are our favorite games like Stardew Valley, as well as our picks for the best farming games.

Anna Koselke
Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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