Stardew Valley 1.6’s most impactful updates are big, small, and dumb
Stardew Valley developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone wasn’t lying when he said update 1.6 was going to be huge. The new patch, released on Tuesday, is packed with changes to virtually every aspect of the game, from story events to fishing, endgame content and even the maps. Of course, there are also the typical bug fixes, which lead to some hysterical listings in the patch notes.
It’s not enough to feel like you’ve played a brand new game, but it is a huge innovation, which is impressive considering the original game came out over eight years ago. And while some changes may seem minor at first, they could have lasting impacts on the way players approach the game. Sure, there’s a new farm option and new events, but what about NPCs that no longer destroy your chests when they come across them? That can be life-changing for the right person.
From major to minor changes, here are some of the most impactful updates we found in the official patch notes.
(Ed. remark: This post is in 1.6 updates, so there will be minor spoilers for new content. Avoid if you want to be surprised.)
Added a new farm type: Meadowlands Farm
To encourage multiple playthroughs and cater to different types of players, the game has multiple farm types and layouts to choose from early on. Update 1.6 added a new type: the Meadowlands Farm, which is aimed at animal lovers. Your farm starts with a chicken coop and two chickens, along with new blue grass for them to eat. There’s also the chance to get your hands on a matching blue chicken in Marnie’s shop. Remember to clean the path to the chicken coop first before doing anything else.
Added a mastery system, accessible through a new area, that offers powerful perks and items…
Stardew Valley has a lot of things to do, but it has an endgame problem. What the end of a farm might mean varies from player to player – getting married, unlocking all the skills, getting your farm in a great place – but the game undoubtedly struggles to maintain interest past a certain point. There have been many updates to add late game content, and the latest big one is the new mastery system. Once you’ve maxed out all your skills, you can open a door in Cindersap Forest, where you’ll find the Mastery Cave and unlock new perks. Skills in general are getting a major overhaul, with new books that give you experience, and notifications when you improve a skill during the day instead of after you go to sleep.
New festivals and events added
Another problem with the Stardew Valley late game was how repetitive festivals and other events became after about three years. The point of festivals and events like birthdays is to have them every year, so update 1.6 added some new dialogue to change things up every two years. There are also four new events: a three-day desert festival (only available after you repair the bus), two fishing festivals, and a new environmental event.
You can now have up to 8 players on PC
One of the biggest changes in Stardew Valley history was the addition of co-op, although you could only team up with a maximum of three other players. That’s been expanded to a total of eight players in update 1.6 — one step closer to running a commune with all your friends.
The world map now shows your actual position in the world in real time
This world map update is aimed at those of us who have poor navigation skills in video games. While the previous map would tell you what area you were in, it didn’t specify it Where That was exactly the case, which made it difficult to figure out how to get to new areas. Now the world map will be updated with the actual positions of you and your party members. The world map also received some other much-needed upgrades, including a map for Ginger Island and more detail in general.
You can now get multiple pets
It’s wonderful to have a dog or cat running around your farm, but other than being cuddly, they don’t do much. Update 1.6 has brought a ton of changes to pets, and perhaps the biggest is the ability to own more than one pet. Once you’ve maxed out your starter pet’s hearts, you can buy another one – and you’ll want to, since pets sometimes give gifts now too. (Although hopefully your cat doesn’t bring you any dead animals.) There are also new breeds of cats and dogs, and now even a tortoise!
Gender-specific clothing variations can now be worn by any gender
Over the past decade, games have gotten better at offering diverse character customization options, though they often still struggle when it comes to gender. While Stardew Valley Doesn’t have the most robust character creator, but has made some progress. In update 1.6, players can now choose any clothing variant regardless of their chosen gender (still only male or female, unfortunately, although you can use they/them pronouns). You are also no longer stuck with the gender you choose at the start of the game; you can change your name and gender in the wizard’s basement.
NPCs now push chests aside instead of destroying them
Players who prefer to place save chests all over the map instead of just on their farm used to face a major obstacle: destructive NPCs. Before update 1.6, if an NPC came across your chest on their walkway, they would destroy it instead of walking around it or moving it. Previously, this required players to look up the walking patterns of specific characters. Luckily the new one Stardew Valley now they just have to move the boxes aside. Feel free to place chests wherever you like.
With Pet Catalog you can access Marnie’s store without her having to be there
One of the most frustrating things in… Stardew Valley is when you need to go to a store, but the NPC in charge isn’t there. Marnie, owner of the pet and food store, is one of the worst offenders in the game in this regard, which is why the new pet catalog – which isn’t included in the official patch notes – is so useful. As with other catalogs in the game, you can now access the store without her. Never be without hay in winter again!
You can now drink mayonnaise
This inclusion was definitely a joke on Barone’s part, who highlighted this in a post on X in the weeks leading up to 1.6’s release. However, if you use the Meadowlands Farm type, which allows you to start producing eggs early in your run, you can start making mayonnaise earlier. And since you can drink it, you can use it as great early game fuel to get into the mines. As one Redditor noted, “a normal quality mayonnaise gives no less than 50 energy and 22 health! And that only increases with the quality.” We will definitely benefit from this gross new strategy.