On 12th December, you'll be able to enjoy the simple life in the valley with up to three friends, on a communal farm of your own – and no, not as part of a cult (unless you’re into that sort of thing).
Announced just days before its release, the free patch for Stardew Valley on the Switch will be available to download this Wednesday. The update for the game will enable you to invite between 1-3 friends – both via Nintendo Switch Online and local play – and either create a brand new farm together or use one of your existing save files.
If you've got access to Nintendo Switch Online, you'll be able to utilize voice chat, as well as the new chat box feature (with nearly 200 emojis custom-made for the game). Playing via local communications allows up to four consoles to connect, so players can also engage over short distances without the need for an online account.
Each player has a separate cabin on the shared farm – similar to Animal Crossing, but way cooler. The multiplayer functionality will enable players to complete numerous tasks with their friends – including farming, mining, fishing and foraging – as well as participate in festivals together. You can even “choose to woo the eligible folks of Pelican Town, or craft a wedding ring to propose to a fellow player. If the other player accepts the ring, the couple becomes engaged!”. But don’t make it awkward for the rest of your friends…
New single-player content will also be available in the patch. For those who’ve recently played the PC version of the game, you’ll be familiar with these updates – but we won’t share any spoilers for the dedicated Switch fans. Just know there will be new festivals, new character events, new adventures and even hats for your horse – an equestrian dream come true!
Here are some more details from the game's developer ConcernedApe:
The state of the Stardew Valley game world, including the main storyline, is shared between all players on the farm, as well as the pool of money you accumulate. However, each player will have their own private inventories, skills, achievements, collections, individual relationships, quests, and crafting/cooking recipes. As more hands are better than one, you may wish to change the difficulty level of your collective farm, which you can achieve by scaling the profit margins.
Just when you thought Stardew Valley couldn't get much better, they've found a way to make it legendary. This holiday season is shaping up to be a fantastic time for gaming with friends & family.
Are you still actively playing Stardew Valley? Do you plan to test out the multiplayer functionality? How many real-life proposals do you think will happen with this game now? Let us know your thoughts below…
[source stardewvalley.net]
Comments 23
Yays! Looking forward! Need to find new online friends! Excitement!
So you need each player needs their own Switch to play multiplayer?? You can't play multiplayer on the same Switch?
Oh, great! I've been saving space on my farm for the shacks.
@Tasuki it's not the couch co-op kind of multiplayer. It's more like a mini mmo.
I actually just started a new farm a few weeks ago. I just started summer of year 2.
I’ve had this game for a few months, but never got past summer, year 1. Now I actually have a reason to play.
Is it limited to Switch players only or there's a cross-platform support too?
@Delibheel That's disappointing. Guess I will be playing it on PS4 with my son cause I can't afford another Switch.
@Tasuki do you have two ps4 then, because as far as I know it will be the same on the other consoles too.
Thanks guys, now my life is TOO complete. Smash AND this update?! It's too much.
@ReaderRagfish Yep, it’s creeping me out as well.
Very happy about this, I’ve been itching to play this game again. After 150 hours you start to run out of stuff to do ahah!
I will have to dust off my farm, and find a friend to join... oh! :-/
@Tasuki i dont think that was ever ambiguous, dude. you cant play multiplayer on the same pc and wont be able to on the other console either. the only way multiplayer works is by linking two units. what you thought they were gonna try and split that tiny screen?!
I've been waiting for this. Iirc, we'll be able to marry other players as well? 😂😏
@companyoflosers To be fair some games have employed a single screen-at-a-time affair where both people need to walk to the edge to enter the next area.
Would have been difficult for the town area though obviously.
Probably would cost a lot of resources too.
This game made me understand why so many people love Farm Sims. Can`t wait for the update!
I'll have to play this again
I can't even remember how many hours I've sunk in to this game on Switch already, I love it!! Can't wait to see if I can convince some of my friends to start communal farming with me!
Super jazzed about this It’s still my most played Switch game and I haven’t played it in 6 months as I decided to take a break awaiting this update I didn’t think it would take this long but I look forward to returning to my farm and I’m hoping my 6 months away has helped my rocky marriage to Abby.
@DABYX well yeah, theyde either have to zoom out further as the players get further apart, or wait for both characters to head in the same direction but stopping the panning when they get too far apart, effectively making them both stuck in the same place walking against the boundaries of the screen until the other gives up. it only makes sense to require two switch consoles.
@companyoflosers Oh yea totally makes more sense this way. Very excited!
@Delibheel So there is not going to be any couch co-op at all? Well that's completely stupid if that's the case. Looks like I wasted money buying this. Guess I will be deleting it from my harddrive now.
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