Stardew Valley developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone wasn’t lying when he said that update 1.6 was going to be huge. The new patch, released Tuesday, is chock-full of changes to just about 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 bullet points in the patch notes.
It’s not enough to feel like a whole new game, but it’s a huge refresh, which is impressive considering the original game came out over eight years ago. And while some of the changes feel small at first, they can have lasting effects on how players approach the game. Sure, there’s a new farm option and new events, but what about NPCs not destroying your chests anymore if they run into them? That can be life-changing for the right person.
From big changes to small ones, here are some of the most impactful updates we found in 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 new farm type: Meadowlands Farm
To incentivize multiple playthroughs and to cater to different kinds of players, the game has multiple farm types and layouts you can choose from at the start. Update 1.6 has added a new type: the Meadowlands Farm, which caters to animal lovers. Your farm will start off with a chicken coop and two chickens, along with new blue grass for them to eat. There is also the chance to get a blue chicken to match in Marnie’s shop. Just remember to clean out the path to the coop first before doing anything else.
Added a mastery system, accessed via a new area, which grants powerful perks and items…
Stardew Valley has a ton of things to do, but it has an endgame problem. What the end of a farm might mean differs per player — getting married, unlocking all the skills, getting your farm into a great place — but without a doubt, the game struggles to maintain interest after a certain point. There have been a lot of updates to add late-game content, and the latest huge one is the new mastery system. Once you max out all your skills, you can open a door in Cindersap Forest, where you’ll find the Mastery Cave and be able to unlock new perks. Skills, in general, get a big overhaul, with new books that grant you experience, and notifications when you level up a skill during the day instead of after going to sleep.
Added new festivals and events
Another problem with the Stardew Valley late game was how repetitive festivals and other events got after three or so years. The point of festivals and events like birthdays is to have them every year, however, so update 1.6 has added some new dialogue to change things up every second year. 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 up to 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 within the world in real time
This world map update is for those of us who have poor navigational skills in video games. While the previous map would tell you which area you were in, it wouldn’t specify where you were exactly, which made figuring out how to get to new areas difficult. Now, the world map will update with you and your party members’ actual positions. The world map got some other much-needed upgrades, too, including a map for Ginger Island and more detail overall.
You can now get multiple pets
It’s lovely to have a dog or cat running around your farm, but besides being pettable, they don’t do much. Update 1.6 has gotten a ton of pet changes, and the biggest is arguably being able to own more than one pet. Once you max out the hearts you have with your starter pet, you can get another one — and you’ll want to, because pets will now sometimes provide gifts. (Although, hopefully, your cat won’t bring you dead animals.) There are also new breeds of cats and dogs, and there’s now even a turtle!
Gender-specific clothing variants can now be worn by any gender
Over the past decade, games have gotten better at providing diverse character customization options, although they often still struggle when it comes to gender. While Stardew Valley doesn’t have the most robust character creator, it’s made some headway. In update 1.6, players can now choose any clothing variant regardless of their chosen gender (just male or female still, unfortunately, although you can use they/them pronouns). You’re 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 shove chests out of their way instead of destroying them
Players who prefer to place storage chests everywhere on the map instead of just on their farm used to face a huge obstacle: destructive NPCs. Before update 1.6, if an NPC ran into your chest on their walking path, they would destroy it instead of walking around it or moving it. Players used to have to look up specific characters’ walking patterns for this. Thankfully, the new Stardew Valley now just has them moving the chests out of the way. Feel free to place chests anywhere you want.
Animal Catalogue lets you access Marnie’s shop without her needing to be there
One of the most frustrating things in Stardew Valley is when you need to access a shop, but the NPC in charge isn’t around. Marnie, owner of the animal and feed store, is one of the most serious offenders in the game on this score, which is why the new animal catalog — not listed in the official patch notes — is so helpful. Like with other catalogs in the game, you can now access the store without her. No more running out of hay during the winter!
You can now drink mayonnaise
This inclusion was definitely a joke from Barone, who highlighted it in a post on X in the weeks leading up to the 1.6 release. However, if you use the Meadowlands Farm type, which allows you to start producing eggs at the start of your run, you can start making mayonnaise earlier. And because you can drink it, you can use it as some great early-game fuel for going into the mines. As a Redditor noted, “a normal quality mayo gives a whopping 50 energy and 22 health! And that only goes up with quality.” We’ll definitely be taking advantage of this gross new strategy.
