Stardew Valley 1.6’s most impactful updates are big, small, and stupid

Stardew Valley developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone wasn’t mendacity when he stated that replace 1.6 was going to be big. The brand new patch, launched Tuesday, is chock-full of modifications to only about each side of the sport, from story occasions to fishing, endgame content material, and even the maps. In fact, there are additionally the standard bug fixes, which result in some hysterical bullet factors within the patch notes.

It’s not sufficient to really feel like a complete new sport, nevertheless it’s an enormous refresh, which is spectacular contemplating the unique sport got here out over eight years in the past. And whereas a number of the modifications really feel small at first, they will have lasting results on how gamers method the sport. Certain, there’s a brand new farm possibility and new occasions, however what about NPCs not destroying your chests anymore in the event that they run into them? That may be life-changing for the proper individual.

From large modifications to small ones, listed here are a number of the most impactful updates we discovered within the official patch notes.

[Ed. note: This post goes into 1.6 updates, so there will be minor spoilers for new content. Avoid if you want to be surprised.]

Added a brand new farm sort: Meadowlands Farm

To incentivize a number of playthroughs and to cater to completely different sorts of gamers, the sport has a number of farm sorts and layouts you’ll be able to select from at first. Replace 1.6 has added a brand new sort: the Meadowlands Farm, which caters to animal lovers. Your farm will begin off with a rooster coop and two chickens, together with new blue grass for them to eat. There may be additionally the possibility to get a blue rooster to match in Marnie’s store. Simply keep in mind to wash out the trail to the coop first earlier than doing the rest.

Added a mastery system, accessed by way of a brand new space, which grants highly effective perks and gadgets…

Stardew Valley has a ton of issues to do, nevertheless it has an endgame drawback. What the tip of a farm would possibly imply differs per participant — getting married, unlocking all the abilities, getting your farm into an ideal place — however undoubtedly, the sport struggles to take care of curiosity after a sure level. There have been lots of updates so as to add late-game content material, and the newest big one is the brand new mastery system. When you max out all of your expertise, you’ll be able to open a door in Cindersap Forest, the place you’ll discover the Mastery Cave and be capable to unlock new perks. Expertise, generally, get a giant overhaul, with new books that grant you expertise, and notifications once you stage up a ability in the course of the day as an alternative of after going to sleep.

Added new festivals and occasions

One other drawback with the Stardew Valley late sport was how repetitive festivals and different occasions received after three or so years. The purpose of festivals and occasions like birthdays is to have them yearly, nevertheless, so replace 1.6 has added some new dialogue to vary issues up each second yr. There are additionally 4 new occasions: a three-day Desert Pageant (solely accessible after you restore the bus), two fishing festivals, and a brand new environmental occasion.

Now you can have as much as 8 gamers on PC

One of many greatest modifications in Stardew Valley historical past was the addition of co-op, though you could possibly solely group up with as much as three different gamers. That’s been expanded to a complete of eight gamers in replace 1.6 — one step nearer to working a commune with all your pals.

The world map now exhibits your precise place throughout the world in actual time

Picture: ConcernedApe by way of gamerjive

This world map replace is for these of us who’ve poor navigational expertise in video video games. Whereas the earlier map would inform you which space you had been in, it wouldn’t specify the place you had been precisely, which made determining find out how to get to new areas tough. Now, the world map will replace with you and your occasion members’ precise positions. The world map received another much-needed upgrades, too, together with a map for Ginger Island and extra element general.

Now you can get a number of pets

It’s beautiful to have a canine or cat working round your farm, however in addition to being pettable, they don’t do a lot. Replace 1.6 has gotten a ton of pet modifications, and the largest is arguably having the ability to personal multiple pet. When you max out the hearts you have got together with your starter pet, you will get one other one — and also you’ll wish to, as a result of pets will now typically present items. (Though, hopefully, your cat received’t convey you useless animals.) There are additionally new breeds of cats and canines, and there’s now even a turtle!

Gender-specific clothes variants can now be worn by any gender

Over the previous decade, video games have gotten higher at offering various character customization choices, though they usually nonetheless battle relating to gender. Whereas Stardew Valley doesn’t have essentially the most strong character creator, it’s made some headway. In replace 1.6, gamers can now select any clothes variant no matter their chosen gender (simply male or feminine nonetheless, sadly, though you should utilize they/them pronouns). You’re additionally now not caught with the gender you select at first of the sport; you’ll be able to change your title and gender within the wizard’s basement.

NPCs now shove chests out of their approach as an alternative of destroying them

Gamers preferring to position storage chests in all places on the map as an alternative of simply on their farm used to face an enormous impediment: damaging NPCs. Earlier than replace 1.6, if an NPC bumped into your chest on their strolling path, they’d destroy it as an alternative of strolling round it or shifting it. Gamers used to must lookup particular characters’ strolling patterns for this. Fortunately, the brand new Stardew Valley now simply has them shifting the chests out of the way in which. Be at liberty to position chests wherever you need.

Animal Catalogue helps you to entry Marnie’s store with out her needing to be there

One of the vital irritating issues in Stardew Valley is when you could entry a store, however the NPC in cost isn’t round. Marnie, proprietor of the animal and feed retailer, is likely one of the most severe offenders within the sport on this rating, which is why the brand new animal catalog — not listed within the official patch notes — is so useful. Like with different catalogs within the sport, now you can entry the shop with out her. No extra working out of hay in the course of the winter!

Now you can drink mayonnaise

This inclusion was positively a joke from Barone, who highlighted it in a submit on X within the weeks main as much as the 1.6 launch. Nonetheless, when you use the Meadowlands Farm sort, which lets you begin producing eggs at first of your run, you can begin making mayonnaise earlier. And since you’ll be able to drink it, you should utilize it as some nice early-game gasoline for going into the mines. As a Redditor famous, “a standard high quality mayo offers a whopping 50 vitality and 22 well being! And that solely goes up with high quality.” We’ll positively be making the most of this gross new technique.