Hello everyone,
It’s been a while since I’ve posted here. That’s because we’ve been really busy this year preparing another big free update for Stardew Valley… the 1.5 content update. It’s available right now on PC, and will come to consoles early next year. Mobile should follow later, but there’s no timeline yet.
This is Stardew Valley’s biggest update yet!
This update adds some significant “late-game” content to Stardew Valley. It’s by far the biggest solid chunk of new content that’s been added to the game since launch. I won’t go into too much detail right now because I don’t like spoiling things, but if you don’t mind spoiling the surprise for yourself, here’s a link to the full changelog.
The update is full of new things for you to discover (that I won’t spoil), but I want to share some info here that might be important to know before starting:
New Game Options
If you’re considering starting a new save file for this update, there’s a few new character creation options:
- There is a new farm called “Beach Farm“. It’s big, with good fishing and foraging opportunities, and the chance for rare supply crate to wash up on shore. But there’s a catch… the majority of the farm is covered in sandy soil that prevents you from using sprinklers (they get clogged with the sand). If this is your first time playing Stardew Valley, I recommend trying one of the other farms for a more classic experience, but if you’re coming back for another playthrough, Beach Farm might make your experience a little more fresh (it also has a unique look).
- There is a new “Advanced Game Options” button in the bottom left of the character creation menu. From here, you can select a variety of options to customize your playthrough. For returning players, I’d recommend trying out the “remixed” Community Center bundles, which randomizes the bundles you’ll get, adding in brand new ones as well as variations of the originals. Remixing the mine rewards can also shake things up… this adds randomized variety to what you can get out of the mine chests.
- Make sure to check out the new hairstyles at the end of the hairs list.
Split Screen (Local) Co-Op
To play splitscreen, build a cabin (from Robin’s) for up to 3 other players who will be joining (if you’re starting a new game, you can also select to have cabins already placed at the beginning in the advanced game options menu). Once the cabins are there, open your game menu, scroll down to multiplayer, and select “Start local co-op”. The other players can now join by pressing start on a controller connected to the PC. Please see the options tab in the game menu to adjust the zoom level and UI zoom level to a setting that works well for you. Otherwise, split screen works exactly the same as online multiplayer.
Modding
Some prominent modders were given early access to 1.5 so that they could update their mods in time for release. If you play with mods that you can’t live without, check to see if they might already be updated!
A spoiler-free list of some of the new features to expect:
- New people to meet
- New goals
- Many new items
- A new type of quest
- A new farm layout
- New character events
- A new Community Upgrade
- Home renovations (after you’ve fully upgraded your house)
- Ducks can now swim
- You can sit in chairs
- You can move your bed
- Fish Tanks
- A bunch of new furniture items as well as new furniture types like wall sconces
- New secrets
- 9 new music tracks
- And so much more… you’ll just have to see, I can’t bear to spoil it
While 1.5 should be bug-free, there’s always a chance that we missed something.
If you encounter any bugs or issues while playing 1.5, please check the Stardew Valley Forums to see if the bug has already been reported. If so, please comment on the thread and let us know that you are also experiencing the bug. If you can’t find an existing thread, then please make a new one.
Also, in general it’s a good time to join the Stardew Valley Forums if you haven’t already!
Next year, there will be more Stardew Valley related announcements (and possibly beyond…) to look forward to.
Have fun!
-Ape
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