Stardew Valley has become one of the greatest farming sims of all time, due in no small part to the variety of animals that players can encounter. While most of Stardew Valley’s animals are typical farm creatures, some of the more unexpected ones add to the game’s X factor. With that in mind, a few extra inclusions could spice up the game in brand-new ways.
From the ordinary horses and pigs to the unusual void chickens and dinosaurs, the animals in Stardew Valley are a major part of the gameplay. Oftentimes, a farming sim is content to let players grow crops without simulating the livestock cultivation that real farmers are also responsible for. The inclusion of livestock, both real and imagined, gives players additional ways to earn money, spice up their farm, and spend their time when living their idyllic farm life. While there’s certainly no shortage of animals for players to raise and encounter, a few new additions would help further the game in ways that players might not even imagine.
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5 Animals Stardew Valley Needs to Add
Alpacas
While Stardew Valley already offers both sheep and rabbits that produce wool, alpacas could be the next step in expanding the game’s wool mechanics. In real life, alpacas are often raised for their wool as an alternative to sheep’s wool. Generally, alpaca wool is softer, more lightweight, and hypoallergenic, leading many to prefer it over the wool of sheep. This has the unfortunate side effect of making it far more expensive though. In the game, alpacas could be more expensive to purchase and yield wool less often than sheep, but their wool might be worth more when sold. They could even be similar to chickens, where different types of alpacas are rarer and give rare items, similar to how void chickens work. Also, it can’t be overstated just how cute and fluffy they are.
Turkeys
Between ducks, chickens, and ostriches, birds are already well represented in Stardew Valley, but it still feels like one is missing. Turkeys are the last commonly raised farm bird left out of the game, and could be a perfect addition to any Stardew Valley player's coop. Alongside them, a new festival or mini-festival could be added, acting as an analog to Thanksgiving. Because Stardew Valley doesn’t allow players to make food from their animals, the celebration would more likely be in honor of the turkeys and other birds. Not to mention that their eggs, and mayonnaise made from them, would be new artisan goods, and might even be incorporated into the Turkey Day festivities.
Mice or Rats
Mice and rats play an unusual role in the society of the real world. Some people keep them as pets, while others see them only as pests that need to be dealt with. On a farm, it’s unfortunately the latter, as they have a reputation for ruining crops and carrying diseases that may harm other farm animals. In Stardew Valley, they could be introduced in both ways. Giving players a new obstacle to their farming could challenge them to find ways of humanely eliminating the pest animals. One way might entail setting up a special area on the farm for them to live as Stardew Valley pets. This would likely require setting aside some of the player’s crops as food for their new companions, but this could come with new types of rewards for forming a strong bond with the new type of pet.
Owls
Technically, owls are already in the game, but only a few lucky Stardew Valley players get to see them. On certain nights, there is a 1% chance that the silhouette of an owl will fly through the night sky. This animation is rare, but because of it, there are files in the game’s data of fully textured owls that go mostly unused.
There are also the mysterious owl statues that players can use as decorations, which are an unusual inclusion given that players can’t naturally come across the birds. With all of this already in the game, it feels like owls might have just missed the cut somewhere in development. If included in future updates, especially if added alongside mice or rats, owls might be used in addition to scarecrows. Part pet and part utility, a playing having an owl living on their farm could ensure that other birds and rodents stay away from the plants they are working so hard on.
Alligators
Reptiles have been done dirty by Stardew Valley. Not one scaly creature currently exists in the game in any meaningful way. The presence of dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs in Stardew Valle y does come close, but the absence of any present-day aquatic lizards is doing the game a disservice. While this void could be filled by snakes, salamanders, or even pet bearded dragons, alligators are by far the best potential choice.
Players could find them lurking near and inside Stardew Valley's sewers, giving an extra chance for some tough combat. Then, when defeated, there could be a chance of finding an egg. Like any other egg, it could be used to make (probably disgusting) mayonnaise, or hatched into an alligator on their farm. Adding such a vicious creature to an area with other livestock might be dangerous, but the rewards of selling their eggs, teeth, and other goods would surely be worth the risk.
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It's Unclear If Stardew Valley Will Ever Add More Animals
It’s worth noting that Eric Barone hasn’t indicated that he has plans to add more animals to Stardew Valley in future updates. In fact, he has indicated that he’s pausing work on the game to focus on his next title, Haunted Chocolatier, but has mentioned the slight possibility of a Stardew Valley sequel sometime in the future. If a full-blown follow-up to Stardew Valley were to be released, the content included would have to justify the title and price tag beyond just being another update to the base game, and these additional animals would be a great start to that content.
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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
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Simulation
