Stardew Valley is about to turn 10 this month and I’m turning to literal dust as I type this sentence. However, that isn’t stopping Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) from updating the incredibly successful life/farming sim in big ways.
Following a quick update on the state of his new game, Haunted Chocolatier, IGN had the opportunity to sit down with Barone to discuss Stardew Valley’s past, present, and future. The full interview is long and deep, a must-read for anyone interested in the hit game, but those looking for an excuse to get back into the cozy grind of this modern indie classic are waiting for news on what’s coming with the 1.7 patch, and we thankfully have two biggies to share.
While it’s going to be a while before we get a definitive release date and full patch notes, the developer was kind enough to share a couple of nuggets of information even if he wants the update to be a “surprise” for the most part. Think of it as a big 10th birthday gift.
First, following fan noise, he’s worked on an upgrade of sorts to the children, who will be “a little more interesting” after the patch arrives. What that entails is currently unknown, but it’s not unreasonable to expect a deeper family experience on that front. Players had been saying for the longest time that there was no point to them and they mostly felt like “set dressing” when compared to other social elements in the game, so that’s a victory.
A second update to families will arrive in the form of “two more marriage candidates” that he wasn’t ready to reveal yet. You’ll have to wait until 26th February to learn about those, and you can start placing your bets now. Will they be new characters or veterans that players have been wanting to romance for ages? Everything’s possible.
In any case, it’s nice to see Stardew Valley receiving extra love after 10 years that many indie studios would kill for. At this point, it’s reminding me of Terraria’s endless “actually, more patches are happening” state, and you won’t be hearing me complain even if the massive game sits barely touched in my Steam library.