Stardew Valley has tonnes of new stuff to do thanks to an exhaustive update for the blissed-out farming game.
Released on PC yesterday (March 19), update 1.6 delivers a mix of new achievements, quality-of-life improvements, and quirky new features befitting a game that lets you hatch blue chickens.
Fans are raving about the additions on social media, calling them the “biggest update yet” and praising developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone. Stardew Valley notched a new milestone following its release with 146,000 players jumping on the game immediately.
So, what’s all the fuss about? Here are the biggest new features included in Stardew Valley’s latest update.
Stardew Valley’s new farm types, pets, and achievements
After teasing new features over the past week, including a major festival and end-game content, Barone has officially released update 1.6.
The accompanying changelog reveals the lengthy laundry list of the game’s new stuff. It confirms some of the features teased recently, from 8-player multiplayer to new dialogue lines for townsfolk. Meanwhile, the major new festival is a three-day spring event called The Desert Festival.
Plus, there are two mini-fishing festivals: the Trout Derby and SquidFest. Keeping things fresh, festivals now have map and dialogue changes every second year.
Elsewhere, the new farm type is called the Meadowlands Farm and includes “chewy blue grass” for your livestock to devour. Furthermore, animal lovers can get multiple pets, including turtles, after maxing out their starter pet’s hearts. There are also two new cat and dog breeds, new rare butterflies fluttering around in the summer, and you can catch a Goby fish.
Long-time players may also be drawn back to Pelican Town with the addition of eight new achievements. More broadly, the game’s visual improvements include new natural and man-made sights such as waterfalls, jack-o-lanterns in the autumn, and winter outfits for townsfolk. It will also get darker an hour earlier in the colder months, so prepare for the January blues.
Some of the more cryptic new features include “mystery boxers, a big tree with its quest line, and a “mastery system” with the power to grant powerful perks and items. All will inevitably be revealed as players dig into the new update.
Speaking of new goodies, Stardew Valley has a big chest, a dehydrator for fruit and veg, a fish smoker, a mini-forge, and tent kits. And that’s just a taster of the riches in the expansive new update.
They’re available only on PC via digital stores including Steam and GOG. Barone says the Game Pass version should arrive once a new build has gone through. The developer previously said that updated console and mobile versions were due “as soon as possible”.
