Stardew Valley, a game inspired by Harvest Moon, was coded and designed by one man – Eric Barone.

It has been six years since Barone started working on Stardew Valley. It was a huge gamble that paid off. To commemorate this special day, Barone has shared a special message with fans on Nintendo Switch, thanking them for their support and calling the Switch a “perfect home” for Stardew Valley.

Read his full comments below.

“Six years ago, I began working on a simple farming game as a project to improve my programming skills. Over time, the scope of the project grew and grew until it had become something bigger than I ever imagined… Though I was proud of what I had created, I never dreamed the game would become so popular and make so many people happy. Having grown up as a huge Nintendo fan, seeing my game on the Nintendo Switch feels surreal but also brings me a lot of joy.

I’m still very excited about Stardew Valley and what its future holds. With the upcoming multiplayer update there is so much life left in the valley… and Nintendo Switch is truly a perfect home for the game.”