Stardew Valley's Multiplayer Is Turning Pelican Town Into A Soap Opera

screenrant.com:

may be a game known for its peaceful energy and wholesome characters but introducing multiplayer can result in some hilariously dramatic stories. As players progress through the game and befriend the many citizens of Pelican Town, they'll eventually have the option to date and marry their preferred NPC. That generally goes off without a hitch but when playing in co-op mode, some wires can be crossed, sparking chaos and drama that belongs on the set of a soap opera.

Over on Reddit, user sleep-deprived-thot recounted how playing with their mother and sister resulted in a hilarious love triangle between the players and the long-haired poet Elliot. They write:

I got to ten hearts with Elliott and gave him the Mermaid's Pendant. Eventually, he asked to have a baby. A few days later, he let me know that he would be gone for a work trip for however many days.

At this point, my mom had ALSO gotten ten hearts with him. She went to the beach and guess what… he took my mother out on a boat and kissed her. While i was pregnant and he was allegedly on a «work trip.»

While this scenario is a dramatic piece of storytelling given that expressly only allows players to marry one person at a time (there's even a secret cutscene if Farmers are caught dating multiple NPCs), it's likely just an issue with how the game is instanced. Heart Events haven't been coded to lock after one player earns them, meaning others can also experience them if they level up a character's friendship level.

The post regarding Elliot's infidelity prompted many other players to recount their dramas, most of which are simply results of the aforementioned Heart Events not being tied to a single player. User mothmomdotcom described how they once found Shane drunk and depressed in the woods before he was meant to marry their co-op buddy the next day only for the NPC later ask that they not tell a soul about the event. Another player recounted how Leah drops hints that they should get together even though the