ConcernedApe's Stardew Valley was originally released in 2016, with some hefty updates since then. However, with ConcernedApe (the pseudonym for Eric Barone) now working on Haunted Chocolatier and having no immediate plans for another Stardew update, it's unclear if this will be the final version of the game. As recent as last year, Barone tweeted that there were still mysteries to be found in the expansive world of Stardew Valley, and while some fans believe they have now found them all, a lot of these mysteries remain unsolved.
It's important to remember that part of the charm of a game like Stardew Valley is that not all mysteries will have definite answers. For example, Abigail's true parentage is a well-documented mystery referenced in multiple lines of dialogue. The hints at deeper and hidden connections between various villagers help to flesh out the characters in Pelican Town and make the game all the more immersive and engaging. However, some of the game's mysteries have little to no explanation, leaving the fans to wonder and imagine.
Pierre's Secret Stash
While the mystery of Abigail's true father gives the player plenty of clues to form their own opinion, there's much less to go off for Pierre's secret stash. This stash is found during Pierre's six heart event, in which the player can choose to agree to keep Pierre's secret or advise him to tell his wife. The latter of these results in losing some friendship points with Pierre, and the whole thing casts more aspersions on Pierre and Caroline's marriage. However, since the player never gets to know what is actually in Pierre's secret stash, whatever Pierre is hiding is a complete mystery as is his reasoning for hiding it from his wife.
Mysterious Items
There's plenty of magical and mysterious items in Stardew Valley, but some have less explanation than others. In particular, certain items can appear randomly on the farm and these rare events have had fans interested since the game came out. The strange capsule is probably the most mysterious of these items. After appearing spontaneously on the farm, the capsule incubates something strange for three days and then appears to be cracked open. There's no further use for this item, but after it cracks players have a 1% chance of witnessing a mysterious shadowy figure rushing around Pelican Town. Unlike with Krobus, the player never has any further interaction with this creature, and while most fans believe it to be an alien of some sort, there's never any further clarification given.
The owl statue is another mysterious object that can appear on the farm, without explanation. There's no real significance to the owl, at least none that has been discovered yet. This is unlike some of the random events triggered on the farm that have simple explanations, such as the Witch that can fly over the farm being the Wizard's ex-wife that players learn about later in the game. Players can also find a strangely written lost book for the museum, that when solved leads the player to discover three secret statues. These statues look exceedingly strange and no explanation is ever given for what they are or where they may have come from.
Secret Note #11
The secret notes scattered throughout Stardew Valley usually lead players to a hidden item or give them clues about the Pelican Town villagers. It's not always clear who's written each one of these notes, but again that mystery is probably intentionally left vague. One particular secret note, #11, has had a lot of fans scratching their heads. The note is a photo taken outside Marnie's barn, that depicts a woman and a young girl.
The two main theories are that the photo either shows a young Marnie and her mother, or Marnie and a younger Jas. If it is Jas, this may imply that Marnie is her mother. It's particularly strange though that finding this note does not open up any new dialogue with Marnie or Jas, and has no apparent use at all in the game. There's never any further information given on this photo, although it is a nice keepsake to find even if players don't fully understand it.
Skull Cavern Plaques
The plaques found in certain levels of the Skull Caverns were a big Stardew mystery until savvy Reddit users managed to decipher them. One plaque reads "we are cursed, too much iridium" and the other has been translated to "wizard sealed us in this prison until the day a hero puts us to rest." Both of these messages are somewhat strange, but they have big ramifications for what the caverns are.
While the mines are implied to simply be populated with monsters, Skull Cavern may be more of a prison. If it is the monsters fought in the caverns that wrote these messages, it is unclear why the wizard trapped them and it's also a big revelation to find out they're sentient. The wizard mentioned may not even be the Wizard players are familiar with from the game, and it seems strange that he would never mention the nature of Skull Caverns to the player.
Again, part of the joy of Stardew Valley is the mysteries with no answer, as it gives the player plenty of material to imagine what else exists in the deep lore of this game. There's plenty of mysterious sounds and sights throughout the game that makes the game a more enjoyable experience, but other mysteries could certainly do with some answers.
Generally, the Stardew Valley mysteries listed above are the ones fans of the game most frequently inquire about in forums. While it is unclear right now if any answers will come, it is possible and fans can always headcanon their own answers anyway. The good news is that everyone who enjoyed finding the mysteries in Stardew Valley, even if they remain unsolved, will very likely have plenty to look forward to in ConcernedApe's next game, Haunted Chocolatier.
Stardew Valley is available now for mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.