Supercell on Hay Day and the success of other farming games

...Elements of virtual farming have existed in video games for years, even before the first Harvest Moon released for Super Nintendo in 1996, but the genre has recently seen a resurgence thanks primarily to the massive success of Stardew Valley. It would be easy to be bitter over the success of a farming game arriving years after you've released and maintained your own for years, but there is no ill will over the success of other farming games. "I think it's fantastic! Stardew Valley is such an amazing game that it deserves all the love it can get. We love to see games achieve success and each new success story shows how the community and the desire for games like these continues to grow," Joas says. There is just something about the concept of maintaining plants in a virtual setting that reverberates with players. "Building and maintaining your very own farm and the wonderful products and recipes you can create as a result of your care and effort give people joy, pride, satisfaction--a sense of achievement."