I do agree with the author that Stardew Valley can be stressful. A day is too short, and you want to cream in as much as you can. We play coop together with my girlfriend and we still feel overwhelmed sometimes.

But I do admit, this just might be because of our playstyles. We actually enjoy chaotically cramming in everything in one day, and we have roles and usual chores assigned. She usually grinds the mines and takes care of animals, I take care of the crops and community house stuff.

We didn't even touch NPC interaction yet, might be missing a lot!

All I'm saying is, I never got the laid-back, slow, relaxed feeling from Stardew. Yes, it's serene and peaceful in theme, but it's as fast-paced as you want it to be. It really respects your time I think.

However I do want to try something similar where I can play it slowly, and meanwhile I can watch some trash in the TV with one eye, and don't have to worry about short days or energy bars.