We're a little bit amazed that, given how big indie farming sensation Stardew Valley is, there isn't an official Lego set. But perhaps this award-winning set from this year's BrickCon in Bellevue, Washington will convince the wizards at Lego to hire the man who created this 75,000-piece build (thanks, IGN and PC Gamer!).
Brick building enthusiast and Stardew Valley fan Steven Jensen has been working on his Pelican Valley build for nearly two years. Over on the Stardew Valley forums, Jensen has been going into painstaking detail since September 2023, where he's talked about what sets he's used for each section.
Okay, we're a little late to the party on this one (BrickCon was 7th-8th September), but goodness me, what a build, right? Jensen's recreation of the entire base map in Stardew Valley is 1:1 accurate by our eyes. The travelling merchant is there; the ice cream stand sits proudly next to the museum; the vines on the Community Center cover the dilapidated building; even the Wizard's Tower is present.
Steve Jensen on Instagram: "The build is DONE! Now, it only took me 5 hours to separate and pack up from home, and other 11 hours to unpack and set up at BrickCon 2024 (whew, never again), but that included finally placing bushes, trees, and people.
2,034 likes, 27 comments - stevedj9999 on September 9, 2024: "The build is DONE! Now, it only took me 5 hours to separate and pack up from home, and other 11 hours to unpack and set up at BrickCon 2024 (whew, never again), but that included finally placing bushes, trees, and people. The...
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One important thing to note, from Jensen's Instagram, is that "A fair bit of artistic creativity" was needed to recreate many elements from the game. First up, Jensen had to "generate unseen game elements" such as the sides and the backs of buildings as well as "converge" map spaces together. He also combined multiple elements and events from different moments, characters, and seasons into the build. Lastly, the map is based on the base version of the game Jensen has on his Switch.
Well, it's clear that a lot of love has gone into the build. It's perfect — so perfect, in fact, that Jensen won the "People's Choice" award at the convention. Oh, and that's not all — Stardew's creator Eric Barone, better known as ConcernedApe, turned up to the show to marvel at the build.
"While People's Choice was big news, this is even BIGGER NEWS!" Jensen wrote on Instagram "It's ok if you don't recognize him... I didn't either. And yes, I did a brief fan-boy moment when Concerned Ape introduced himself!!! Naturally, I brought him "backstage" for a closer look (...and this pic)!!"
Steve Jensen on Instagram: "While People's Choice was big news, this is even BIGGER NEWS! Guess who stopped by Saturday afternoon (before any awards had happened). It's ok if you don't recognize him... I didn't either. And yes, I did a brief fan-boy
2,826 likes, 91 comments - stevedj9999 on September 10, 2024: "While People's Choice was big news, this is even BIGGER NEWS! Guess who stopped by Saturday afternoon (before any awards had happened). It's ok if you don't recognize him... I didn't either. And yes, I did a brief fan-boy moment when...
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We're big fans of your shirt, too, Jensen! And congrats on your award and meeting ConcernedApe himself. He deserved the win in our eyes, and not just because he made Krobus minifigure! Along with every other villager.)
Beyond the Brick originally shared a video of the build on TikTok, but there's now a more detailed video on YouTube highlighting all of the sections of the map, and you can see all of the elevation changes, characters, and even the crops on the farm. You can watch that at the top of the article.
So, what's next? Calico Desert? Ginger Island. We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, you can follow Steve Jensen on Instagram to get a better look at all aspects of the build.
Let us know what you think of the build in the comments.
