Stardew Valley Creator Achieves Incredible 100% Completion Milestone

n a delightful twist, Stardew Valley’s solo developer, Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, has finally completed every achievement in the game he created. This milestone includes one of the toughest achievements, Fector’s Challenge, which proved elusive for even its own developer until recently.

Stardew Valley’s ultimate achievement, known as “Perfection,” demands dedication and thorough gameplay. However, to achieve Perfection, players aren't required to accomplish every single goal in the game. Ironically, Perfection wasn’t the achievement that delayed ConcernedApe's 100% completion—it was an arcade minigame within Stardew Valley that stood in his way.

Announcing his accomplishment on social media, Barone shared that he had finally conquered all 49 achievements in Stardew Valley. The last hurdle? Fector’s Challenge, which involves beating the in-game arcade shooter Journey of the Prairie King without dying once. Barone finally cleared this challenge on October 25, 2024—an impressive eight years after Stardew Valley first launched.

Stardew Valley’s Arcade Challenges are Infamously Difficult

Longtime Stardew Valley fans can appreciate why completing Fector’s Challenge took so long, even for the game’s creator. Both Journey of the Prairie King and Stardew Valley’s other arcade game, Junimo Kart, have earned reputations as difficult feats. Players first encounter Journey of the Prairie King during Abigail’s 2-heart event, and the game’s unforgiving mechanics are clear from the start—even NPCs struggle with it! Since Barone’s announcement, fans have shown up online to congratulate him on his achievement, jokingly admiring his own skill in the game he crafted.

For those aiming to follow in his footsteps, Barone shared his strategy for tackling Journey of the Prairie King. He suggests avoiding nukes to maximize earnings and then prioritizing upgrades in this order: ammo, revolver, and boots. For the final showdown with Fector, he recommends saving a machine gun power-up to eliminate the enemy before he can even make a move.

Players still grappling with Fector’s Challenge can take comfort in knowing that even ConcernedApe faced difficulties with it. With his expert tips in mind, giving Stardew Valley’s most elusive achievements another shot might just be worth the effort.