Summary
- 1.6 update for Stardew Valley brings a host of quality-of-life improvements, making gameplay smoother and more dynamic overall.
- New tools, events, and a mastery system in 1.6 offer fresh content while also enhancing gameplay experiences for players.
- Even the new content in the 1.6 update contributes to quality-of-life improvements, showing a focus on player convenience.
Stardew Valley just hit the scene with its recent 1.6 update. It's a huge content update that adds a lot to the title, but many of its best attributes lie in how 1.6 polishes up Stardew Valley, rather than simply what stuff it brings to the table.
With the addition of new tools, new events, a new mastery system, and more, it's no wonder that 1.6 is doing so well. The update has given the already ever-popular Stardew Valley incredible player numbers that break its own records. It's revitalized the game in a big way, providing a long list of new content for players to dig through—to the point where creator ConcernedApe has asked fans to start a new save when exploring the update, enabling a fuller experience.
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Stardew Valley's 1.6 Update Delivers The Most On Quality-Of-Life
While the content portion of the update gives Stardew Valley fans plenty to chew on, the best of what 1.6 has to offer runs a bit more under the hood. A lot of what this new update does might go unnoticed at first glance, but to those taking heed of ConcernedApe's advice and starting the game anew will certainly notice these background elements. From greater convenience in fruit farms to some solid map overhauls, the quality-of-life changes made in 1.6 stand head-and-shoulders above the rest of the update.
1.6 Makes Every Part Of The Game Smoother
Few stones go unturned in 1.6 when it comes to quality-of-life, with changes reaching just about every aspect of gameplay. For starters, the game's map has received a big revamp. Besides a volley of artistic upgrades to the map, which make the map clearer and more dynamic, it will now show the player's exact location in real-time. All of this makes navigation far easier to follow, an especially useful feature with how much there is to explore in Pelican Town alone. The dynamism given to the map is extended to other Stardew Valley features, such as NPC dialogue—something that makes the world feel more alive.
Moreover, the number of quality-of-life changes doesn't stop there. A notable one is the update to Stardew Valley's fruit trees. Fruit trees now drop saplings, saving time and money for players that want to move their fruit trees. That's without mentioning UI changes, such as better camera angles at certain points, longer notification messages, more helpful tooltips, and much more. While the former stuff surrounding fruit trees could be seen by some as diminishing difficulty, these are all small things that make the player's job smoother—cutting down on busy work. Quality-of-life changes like this shift emphasis to the parts of gameplay that most find fun, rather than some minutia of management.
Even New Content Plays Into Quality-Of-Life
Though 1.6 definitely adds a lot on the side of purely new content, such as the Mastery system it brought to Stardew Valley, some of this extra content also serves to ease things along for the player. This includes the big chest, which can be added onto a regular chest as an upgrade to expand its storage capabilities. The heavy furnace and anvil also do much the same, with the former allowing more bars to be processed while the latter lets the player re-roll trinkets. While these are upgrades that require some material investment, it shows just how much the update is directed toward helping the player and cutting out busy work.
This is all without mentioning many of the other quality-of-life changes, most of which are focused around making certain objects easier to move around and more information in certain sections of the game. All of these tweaks are accessible throughout the title's progress, making a great case for players to begin a new save on Stardew Valley to experience everything in 1.6.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- February 26, 2016
- ESRB
- E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Engine
- Proprietary
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Stardew Valley does not currently support crossplay between different consoles and PC
WHERE TO PLAY
You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!
