[Taking Part in the NEXON PEAK Post Challenge]

Some games make you hesitate when you see the price, only to leave you wondering, “Why didn’t I buy this sooner?” once you finally start playing.

For a few tens of thousands of won, you end up with dozens or even more than a hundred hours on the clock, having spent barely anything extra along the way. (Granted, some were so much fun that I did end up buying additional content...)

Today, I’ve picked 3 games from my own library that I feel truly gave me my money’s worth.

A little farming, a little mining—and there goes my day

Stardew Valley (STAREW VALLEY) - (128 hours played)

My first recommendation is Stardew Valley. (Regular price: 16000 won)

The story begins with a protagonist worn down by city life who inherits their grandfather’s old farm and heads to the countryside for a fresh start.

Harvesting crops and expanding my farm gave me the satisfaction of a tycoon game, while exploring caves and taking part in all sorts of events delivered the fun of an adventure game.

I found it interesting that my choices could shape the town’s future, and raising cute animals was a pleasure in itself. Together, those touches gave the game a soothing quality, too.

What surprised me most, though, was that the town has a range of characters of the opposite sex, and giving them gifts or helping them out can eventually lead to marriage...

I found the default portraits downright unattractive when I first bought the game, but the option to replace them meant I could pick portraits I actually liked and make the NPCs look as though they belonged in a dating sim.

The catch? I spent my time hunting down relationship-boosting items for a Stardew Valley guide, then put the game down without ever trying the marriage system... Still, improving your relationships unlocks various events, so alongside farming, fishing, and exploring, it’s worth remembering that the game has dating-sim elements as well.

I made the mistake of starting during exam season and found it so hard to stop playing that I ended up botching an exam. That should give you some idea of why it’s my first recommendation.

Survive the wilderness—and the monsters!!

Don't Starve Together (Don't Starve Together) - 142 hours played

My second recommendation is Don't Starve Together. (Regular price: 15500 won)

Don't Starve Together brings a different set of challenges each season. At its heart, it’s a survival simulation about making it through those challenges alive.

Depending on the season, food can spoil quickly or become difficult to find, while monsters may attack the place you call home. Your job is to weather it all and survive, whatever it takes.

I started out playing without mods and enjoyed the extra tension and more hardcore experience compared with playing with them. These days, though, I seem to be past the point of returning to a world without mods.

I still reinstall it occasionally when I’m bored. It earns my second recommendation because it’s a great way to pass the time and remains plenty of fun even after a long break.

I ate sushi three times in one week while playing this game...

DAVE THE DIVER (DAVE THE DIVER) - 56 hours played

My final recommendation is DAVE THE DIVER (DAVE THE DIVER). (Regular price: 24000 won)

It struck me as an interesting new venture for NEXON, and I had a genuinely great time with it. Recently, I even bought the DLC and have been playing that, too.

I usually stick to the base game and won’t even consider DLC unless I’ve really enjoyed myself. This is one of the games that got me to make that extra purchase—and actually play it.

DAVE THE DIVER revolves around catching fish by day and running a sushi restaurant by night. That’s an entertaining setup in itself, but I also thought it had a well-crafted story.

I enjoyed the variety of storylines, from sea-related quests during the day to VIP events at night, where I might compete in a cooking showdown or serve a meal to a character with a personal story to tell.

The cooking showdowns stood out for their wonderfully absurd reactions, which gave me plenty of laughs. Each showdown offered a different reaction, and before long I was wondering, “When do I get to see the next cooking showdown?”

It never felt overwhelmingly hardcore—just a game I could settle into and thoroughly enjoy. That makes it my third recommendation.