The much anticipatedStardew Valley1.6 Update has dropped, and fans are abuzz with all of the changes, both big and small, that the update brings. Some are fun, such as new festivals and a new farm. Others, such as the ability to drink mayonnaise, are a little sillier.
This update fixes glitches across the board, including NPC issues, multiplayer problems, and more. It also adds new content, and makes a lot of things just a little bit better. There are new clothing options, new dialogue from NPCs, and fun items to discover. As you’re playing, look out for new surprises around every bend. Below you’ll find a list outlining the major updates and changes made, and how they affect your playthrough.
11A New Farm
One of the biggest changes is the addition of the Meadowlands farm. This farm starts you out with a coop, and two adorable little chickens. Instead of having to build a coop, the game suggests feeding them, letting them mature, and harvesting an egg in order to get one of your very first achievements.
The farm itself has a lot of open space. What is very exciting is that the farm also comes with a waterfall right next to your coop. This is a beautiful addition, and one that hasn’t been seen before.
Due to the layout of this farm, it should be picked if you’re interested in fishing or if you enjoy raising and taking care of animals, and NOT if you rely on crops.
10New World Map For Ginger Island
The new world map for Ginger Island is incredibly helpful for locating where you are on that huge island! It shows exactly where you are in real time, instead of a general location. They already had this feature for your farm, but added it to the island!
This can also be used to see where you’ve been, because places that you haven’t traveled to yet will have three question marks atop them on the map. This should make hunting downGolden Walnutseasier.
9Mystery Boxes
One of the coolest new additions is Mystery Boxes. These are crates that Mr. Qi himself created. These need to be taken to Clint, the blacksmith, to open them!
These mystery boxes can be found in many ways, including Artifact Spots, Fishing, and Mining.
8NPC Updates
There are a lot of changes to the NPCs. First and foremost, there are a ton of new lines of dialogue, including individualized reactions to gifts, which is exciting to explore. There are also specific fixes, such as fixing giving gifts not counting towards the socialization quest, spouses watering plants that were already watered and being able to invite Leo to the movies before he moves to the island.
Lastly, when you marry a new spouse, you have a honeymoon period, where they can’t get mad at you and lay in bed all day.
7New Home Renovations
Upgrading your house in Stardew Valley has always been an option. With the 1.6 update, you have more upgrades than ever before.
The farmhouse can now have a dining room, cubby, attic, and an expanded corner room. There are also 280 new furniture pieces, including a wizard’s furniture catalog!
6Extra Pet and Animal Content
The updates to the animals and pets are nothing short of adorable. The most notable update is that you can now have multiple pets as long as you have maximized the hearts of your first pet, and you can now have turtles as pets as well.
There is also a new animal tab, where you can check on your friends, see how many hearts you have, and if you’ve pet them yet today.
You’re also now able to put hats on your pets. Furthermore, sometimes your pets might even give you gifts. This does depend on how many hearts you have with them, though. Lastly, you can build pet bowls inRobin’s shop. There are three different variations.
5New Festivals
The update includes two new mini-festivals and one large festival. The Desert Festival is a three-day festival that takes place in Spring after the bus has been repaired. It includes several activities, including a race, a spicy food vendor, and a knowledge scholar.
The two smaller festivals are Squidfest and Trout Derby. Squidfest is an all day festival located on the beach. Youfish in the oceanto catch squid, and trade them in for prizes. The Trout Derby takes place at the Forest River in the summer. This festival allows players to catch Rainbow trout to get rewards.
Tip - For Squid fest, to win the grand prize, you need at least 8 squid!
4Prize Machine And Bookseller
Stardew Valley always has quirky and fun challenges, and this update is no exception. There are now new ways to unlock seeds and items, including the Prize Machine andBookseller. The prize machine lives in Mayor Lewis’ house.
You earn tickets from festivals, and you can exchange those tickets for rare seeds, saplings, and more.The Bookseller, Marcello, comes to visit twice a season. You can choose from his selection of skill books, and there is always a random assortment to scroll through. One example is Horse: The Book. This helps you gain extra speed when riding your horse.
3Mastery System
The Mastery System is a fun new way to gain extra XP, skills, and recipes. After five skills at level 10, you will obtain a new XP bar. This is called the Mastery System.
You can build this up by building your XP in any skill. You access this through a new door in Cindersap Forest with a note from your grandpa that will help you gain new skills and recipes for combat, fishing, foraging, and more.
2New Outfits and Items
Stardew Valley 1.6 comes with a myriad of outfits, items and furniture. The most obvious update is that NPCs now have winter outfits. Male farmers can also choose their own outfits on their wedding day.
There are a slew of new items, some unlocked through the mastery system, and others unlocked through buying recipes. Some examples of these are the Big Chest, which is twice the size of the regular chest, the Dehydrator, Tent Kits, and Treasure Totems.
