Stardew Valley is an idyllic digital space to escape after a long year – and thanks to its 1.5 update available today on PC, you can now bring friends and family to your farm with your local split-screen co-op. The multiplayer update a few years ago made it possible to play and share farms online, but this local cooperative addition allows you to do the same with the people you actually live with, even if they don’t have their own copy of the game.
You can add the ability for local cooperation by having Robin Carpenter build booths on your farm, or if you start from scratch, you can choose to have booths already built when you play a new game. Once the cabins are built, you can start local cooperation for three more people on the game menu. Update 1.5 also adds a new “Beach Farm” map that includes sandy soil that can clog sprinklers and “Advanced Game Options” in character creation, allowing you to randomize packages in the Community Center and rewards in Me.
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The full release notes for the update contain even more surprises. The notable ones they had Stardew Valley fans at The Verge excited to return to the game are the ability to sit on the chairs (yes, indeed), a change in the social tab of the game so you can show who you’ve already talked to every day and a new article for coffee filter who prepares a fresh cup every morning.
The special thing about Stardew Valley is that it is so full of features and so constantly updated that every little change could mean something to someone. Having a routine that you follow every day in the game, it is easier to appreciate the little things that simplify these processes.
There was an updated social tab and a coffee filter in this update, but it could just as easily be something else next time. No matter how small the feature or fix, Stardew Valley the updates remind you that the game is always interesting and surprising to return to. It’s a comfortable game “forever” in a normal year and a nice remedy against the blues pandemic, if you need it.
Stardew ValleyUpdate 1.5 is now available on your computer. The update will arrive on consoles in early 2021 and on mobile phones after that.