Leah: Stardew Valley’s Favorite Queer Artist

Stardew Valley offers a variety of love interests for the player character. Leah, my personal favorite from the vanilla game, is one of these bachelorettes. She loves nature and creativity and wants personal freedom, which led her to move to the valley in the first place. Her journey is about self-discovery and breaking through the societal mold to just fit in, get a regular job, and be content with a life you aren’t enjoying.

Leah can often be found hammering away at a sculpture in her cottage just near the lake below Marnie’s house. Sculpting is quickly revealed to be her passion, and art is her entire life. Just to be in nature is a blessing for her, but she has an internal conflict revolving around rejection. Her ex (who is a female if the player character chooses a female farmer) thought her art was stupid, wanted her to get a ‘normal’ job, and just forget about her needs. This fostered a struggle that is present in all artists: What if people don’t like it? It’s a terrifying thought, but people have to find their confidence to show the world the beauty they made, and that’s exactly what Leah does.

The expectations humans have created include going to school, going to more school, working a nine-to-five, and then dying. Maybe have a family in the middle of all that, but society’s gonna judge you if your family isn’t ‘straight’ or ‘conventional’. Leah kind of represents that core of humanity in wanting to escape this cycle. You, specifically, may love your job or your house, but there’s still a part of you that doesn’t want to do something society has made you conform to. I’m not talking about taxes, I’m talking about your true passion that you have just been denied. For Leah, this rural simplicity has allowed her to embrace her passions. Queer people know more than a lot about what it’s like to break free of these expectations. We are told you’re gonna find the perfect straight partner, pop two and a half kids, then everything’s gonna be fine, but the kink is… What happens if you don’t want a straight partner? It’s terrifying. Like Leah, embracing that scary part of being an artist, queer people are having to do this every single day.

With encouragement from the farmer, Leah gains the confidence to host an art show. This moment is one of my favorite heart events because it is about the town coming together to support her. In a world where minorities are constantly lacking support, this helps create a safe space. As a queer woman myself, I always found that moment particularly hard hitting because the town truly is a family.

Leah’s journey to self-acceptance is such an incredible thing to witness. We get to see her grow and watch her truly embrace her passion. This represents what Stardew Valley is. It is a palace for people to celebrate their path in life. For queer individuals, we often have to carve our own path and chop through the forest just to see the light. It is a welcoming place for all.