Stardew Valley 1.6's Most Underrated Feature Will Keep The Game Alive Forever

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’s 1.6 update packs a lot of exciting changes into the farming and life simulation title, but there’s one in particular that could carry the future of the game on its shoulders. Ever since its release in 2016, has received a lot of support from its solo developer ConcernedApe, making what was already a polished experience at launch even better and more robust. Although the future is more likely to be focused on ConcernedApe’s next title,, it’s hard to ask for much more than what has already provided.

’s update history has covered a wide range of targets, from minor fixes to sweeping changes. One of the most exciting steps for the game was the 1.3 update, which introduced a whole new social experience in the form of multiplayer. The 1.6 update revisits this core addition and the way in which it expands the concept has the potential to keep the game in conversations for years to come.

Up until 1.6, multiplayer allowed a maximum of four players, a number that has now been increased to the less common number of eight players. Packing that many people into one experience can definitely have its foibles, but it’s also one of the most unique additions that the game has ever received. Cooperative multiplayer titles tend to fall in the two- to four-player range, and the options are significantly slim for every additional player allowed beyond that point.

There’s no denying that is a game with a lot of market presence, but the addition of eight-player multiplayer is something that could maintain that relevance for even longer than might otherwise be expected. Farming and life simulation games have spiked in popularity in the years since ’s initial release, and a genre that used to be thoroughly dominated by (now known as outside of Japan) is full of options for every preference. Support for eight-player co-op, however, is something that keeps noteworthy in a sea of alternatives.

Even for those who aren’t specifically looking to play a farming game, eight-player multiplayer