I didn’t dive into the details of what each other dev contributed, but I would believe that given what I know of the project. The game has such a focused and meticulous art, music, and gameplay direction that I can see how he would want to exercise full control and not dilute it.

I’ve always thought the game was a huge undertaking for a solo dev also so I’m glad he didn’t burn himself out. The game being a massive commercial success probably helps immensely though.

Coincidentally I started a brand new farm when I was having a bad day a few days ago. The work that was out into the game shines through brightly every time.