What we want from Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update

❘ Published: 2024-01-04T23:00:46

Sebastian in his winter outfit over Stardew Valley update 1.6 screenshots

ConcernedApe

Stardew Valley’s long-awaited 1.6 update is in the works, and fans are looking forward to the game’s first major content drop in over three years. Here’s what we’d like to see.

For a while now, Stardew Valley developer ConcernedApe has been teasing version 1.6, which will mark the first significant update the game has received since December 2020.

While we do know some things that are coming in update 1.6, such as new festivals, additional late-game content, and winter outfits for villagers, ConcernedApe has avoided getting into specifics. Fans have instead been treated to some quick teasers.

Though there’s still no release date or window, the latest tease celebrating the New Year has renewed hype for the game, so here’s what we want to see from Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update.

Reasons to return to the Community Center

Newer Stardew Valley updates have helped flesh out the late-game for those dedicated players who have made it through all the existing story content and quests. Things like the Movie Theatre and Ginger Island take time and effort to unlock, and players won’t even be able to start until after they’ve either completed the Community Center or purchased a JojaMart membership.

We know update 1.6 will add more late-game content, including alternative quests for those who got the Joja route, but it would be nice to see the centerpiece of the early-game get some love too.

Once restored, characters will sometimes spend time in the Community Center, but outside of that, there’s not really a reason to go back inside. Considering how important the building is to Pelican Town and the game’s storyline, it would be great to have some more content here that allows players to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Additional romance and marriage content

It’s hard to find a Stardew Valley player who doesn’t have strong opinions on at least one of the game’s romance options. Over the years, players have forged strong connections to their preferred love interests, with fierce debates over who is the best happening daily.

However, once you’ve fallen in love, tied the knot and had a couple of kids, there’s really not much to married life in Stardew Valley. You’ll find yourself exhausting your spouse’s dialogue options pretty quickly, and outside of one-time heart events, there isn’t really anything to do with your partner such as taking them on dates.

We know from ConcernedApe’s sneak peek at 1.6 that there are 100+ new lines of dialogue coming, so hopefully some of those are the spark our digital marriages need.

An image of players getting married in Stardew Valley.

More Stardew Valley worldbuilding and lore

An understandably underrated aspect of Stardew Valley is its universe and lore. Though it’s not a huge part of the game, there are plenty of teases and tidbits included throughout Stardew Valley that hint at a fascinating world with a mix of realism and fantasy involved.

For one, there are several wars mentioned in-game that we know little about. The one Kent returns from in Year 2 is the most obvious, but there’s also the historical Elemental Wars between the Dwarves and the Shadow People that the Wizard references.

Plus, while we do get to meet characters like the Dwarf and Krobus, we don’t know much about the various fantasy races of Stardew’s world beyond these individuals.

With ConcernedApe’s next game, Haunted Chocolatier, said to have some connection to Stardew Valley, it would be great to see the game’s world get fleshed out a bit more before the next game further expands upon it.

That’s what we’re hoping to see from Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update! While you wait for it to release, be sure to check out the rest of our Stardew Valley content, including the guides below: