Stardew Valley has many secrets hidden in its depths. The newest Update 1.5 for Stardew Valley has even added a higher chance to see one of those secrets: the Strange Capsule event. Players who haven't been fortunate enough to see it before will be exponentially more likely to see it now.
Updated June 7th, 2021 by Mina Smith: As Stardew Valley continues to change and grow, new information and insights on old events have been found. This article needed some updated information and additional information to stay relevant to the game as it currently stands.
The Strange Capsule Event in Stardew Valley
This event is completely randomized, but can only happen after year 1. There does not appear to be anything a player can do to encourage the event to happen, except to leave a tile open on their farm. However, Update 1.5 has raised the daily chance of it happening from 0.8 percent to an undisclosed, but much higher, probability. Unlike events like the Flower Dance in Stardew Valley, the Strange Capsule Event can only happen once per save file.
Players will know when the event has started by the UFO sounds that occur when sleeping. When the player wakes, there will be a weird container in the open tile on their Stardew Valley farm.
What to Do With the Alien Capsule
The Strange Capsule has now crash-landed on the farm. It's filled with goo and something alive; the player can see it through the murky liquid on occasion. Players can now move, place, or pick up the Strange Capsule with a pickaxe. The special event will only take place if players set the capsule down and leave it alone for about three-to-four in-game days. If players interact with it, the text reads that "There’s something fleshy bobbing around in the fluid…"
After some time has passed, players will see that the capsule has changed; it is now empty, and "Part of the glass is shattered.." That means that whatever was alive inside that tube is now wandering Stardew Valley as a secret alien.
Secret Alien From the Capsule
Once the Strange Capsule is empty, players may start to see a strange creature that wanders around at night. It looks a lot like a person dressed all in black, but it only appears at the Bus Station or occasionally in town. The alien is only on the screen for a few seconds, so players will have to be sharp-eyed in order to even see it. Players seem to have the best luck finding it at the Bus Station. Before Update 1.5, the chances of seeing the creature were about 1 percent, but that may have changed with the new update.
Ways to Catch a Glimpse of the Alien
- The alien will only appear at night, so players should not waste time looking for it during the day
- The creature appears at the bus stop more than anywhere else.
- It will always appear in the upper left-hand corner, so keep an eye out. It's a very quick event and the critter will be gone in seconds.
As a side note, Update 1.5 of Stardew Valley is now available for players on console and PC, but these changes have not yet rolled out to mobile. If players are looking to have a Strange Capsule appear on their farms, mobile users may have to wait for the chance to see it a little bit longer.
Stardew Valley is available now on Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One.
Sources: HoldToReset, Stardew Valley Wiki