Up to date November 2024: This story has been up to date with the brand new availability of Stardew’s 1.6 replace.
The favored farming sim and ultimate cozy game Stardew Valley dropped a significant replace on Tuesday after months of anticipation. Stardew’s 1.6 replace has an insane quantity of recent content material that touches each space of the sport, from new menus and DIYs, to a brand new farm structure, new crops, and the power to have a number of pets and play with seven pals directly. It’s sufficient updates to make the sport really feel contemporary, but it surely isn’t so new you can’t ease again right into a beloved farm and toil away.
As of November 4, 2024, the free replace is obtainable for gamers on all platforms. The replace was initially solely obtainable for PC gamers utilizing Steam, but it surely’s now obtainable for console and cellular gamers too. If you do not have the sport but, you may purchase it on Steam for $15 for PC, Linus, and Mac computer systems, or the store to your console of selection, just like the Nintendo Store ($15) or Xbox Store ($15). You may as well buy it for cellular within the Apple Store ($5) or Google Play Store ($5) to play in your cellular units. There are not any cross-saves, so every platform may have its personal information and farms.
As quickly because the PC replace arrived again in March, I opened up Stardew Valley and began a file with the brand-new farm structure (which has me very broke) to dive proper in. The replace additionally works in your present Stardew information, and I’ve been bouncing forwards and backwards between my brand-new file and a later-game file to see what’s new in several seasons. In every single place I look, I see one thing new. Moss to forage off timber! New reactionary dialog from NPCs! A prize machine within the mayor’s home!
If you happen to hate spoilers, I’m truthfully undecided why you learn this far, however it is best to undoubtedly cease studying. I’m about to let you know about a few of the greatest adjustments I’ve noticed since enjoying the up to date recreation.
Screenshot courtesy of Nena Farrell
Ranch Mode
The most important change to see straight away is the brand new farm structure. Stardew’s 1.6 replace provides the Meadowlands Farm, a grass- and animal-focused design for my fellow animal ranchers. This farm grows a special blue grass that recreation creator Eric Barone says animals will love. It will probably increase animal’s hearts quicker, bettering the eggs and milk they offer you. There’s much less farming land obtainable, and some adjustments to preliminary quests. I’m having fun with the Meadowlands Farm to this point—I instantly created one when the sport dropped–although beginning with two chickens and no parsnip seeds is unquestionably a slower path to the infinite wealth I am looking for. However although I am broke, it’s nonetheless been enjoyable to have such a special begin to the sport.
Screenshot courtesy of Nena Farrell
Contemporary Crops
The primary query my sister requested me once I began enjoying: “Are there new crops?” At first, I advised her no. I didn’t see something new to buy within the store. However there are new crops with the replace–you simply received’t discover them in any shops.
As a substitute, you discover 4 new crops (one for every season!) in a number of alternative ways—primarily, digging them up from the bottom within the recreation’s well-known Artifact Spots, though spots with these new crops have a barely completely different model you’ll be capable of spot. You may as well win them within the brand-new Prize Machine within the mayor’s home, when you get your hand on a prize ticket. The brand new crops are carrots for spring, summer time squash for (shocker) summer time, broccoli for fall, and powdermelon in winter. These new crops can be utilized within the recreation’s most important quest, too. Simply select Remixed Bundles for the Neighborhood Middle in your beginning settings.
