Fans of Stardew Valley are finally getting one of the game's most requested features: split-screen co-op. This comes after the addition of online multiplayer as recently as update 1.3, which while well-received, left enough fans craving Stardew Valley's easy-going multiplayer gameplay independent of an internet connection.
Releasing in 2016, Stardew Valley persists as the passion-project of Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, having been developed independently by Barone alone for over four years. Selling over 10 million copies across PC, Mac, several consoles, and even as a mobile game, Stardew Valley stands as one of the world's most beloved and successful indie titles still going strong with a recent port to the Nintendo Switch.
In addition to the long-awaited addition of split-screen co-op, update 1.5 adds a plethora of fun new features, bug fixes, and quality of life improvements. Some of these changes include the ability to not only sit on furniture but re-arrange the player's previously immovable bed, new areas to explore featuring a new resource guarded by new monsters, and new cosmetic additions such as hats and floor tiles.
The surge in popularity of accessible, colorful and usually low-stress games is no accident given the increased demand for a calmer kind of escapism during these turbulent times. Thankfully, Stardew Valley standing shoulder to shoulder with such titles as Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizon continues to inspire new projects and developers through which players are granted increasingly diverse avenues through which they can express their creativity solo or collaboratively together.
Stardew Valley is available now for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.