Stardew Valley enters the third dimension thanks to this in-development mod that even comes with VR functionality

I don’t need to tell you that Stardew Valley is not a 3D game, and if I do, your understanding of dimensions is unsettling to me. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way, as a modder has done the unthinkable by adding an extra dimension to the beloved farming sim, turning it into something else entirely.

The mod, which is being made by kittycatcasey, is an odd one to look at (ta, PC Gamer). This is clearly Stardew Valley! You can walk around your home, talk to your spouse, watch the weather report, harvest your crops, the fundamentals do appear to be there. There’s also just an unnerving quality to being able to see all of it in a three dimensional space. It’s like the one Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode where Homer turns 3D. Familiar, but not quite right.

Still, it’s impressive in that it genuinely does work! Sure, there are certain bits of walls missing here and there because clearly however the mod is being built is taking the pre-existing assets and mapping them onto a 3D plane as opposed to making everything from scratch. But the important thing is that it works. And also has VR functionality! Which extends to being able to hold individual tools, so you can swing an axe around to chop down some trees, for example. Pretty nifty.

The mod itself is called The Third Dimension, and according to kittycatcasey, it’s mostly just a “decent proof of concept.” They explain, “Right now just about almost everything besides the terrain is billboarded sprites, but the plan is to over time give everything a unique 3D model,” so it sounds like that slightly off vibe won’t be as present given enough time. Oh, and great news: “No AI is involved in the making of this project.” Hurray! Now we just have to wait and see whether this mod or Haunted Chocolatier comes first. My bets are on the mod.