Longtime Fans Share Their Dos And Donts For Those Just Starting Out In Stardew Valley

1 week ago 10

At long last, Stardew Valley's 1.6 update has been released on consoles and mobile devices, and it is enticing many who were considering trying the game to take the plunge. Though the game has been available since 2016, the changes made with patch 1.6 revitalized the experience with a massive amount of changes, including even adding a new farm type. This cozy farming and life simulator is receiving a lot of attention again with the update, leading some people to pick up the game for perhaps the first time.

Stardew Valley has become such a well known game that it can be overwhelming for new players to approach it. Because of this, Conscious_Contact_21 started a Reddit thread asking what advice other players would have for those coming into the game for the first time. In just one day, the post received nearly 700 comments, opening up a large discussion about what to do and what to avoid.

Although a cozy experience at its core, there are a lot of things for someone to learn which can make it easy to make some mistakes occasionally. Messing up isn't the end of the world, but it can cause some frustrations.

Stardew Valley Players Discuss Their Biggest Regrets When First Starting Out

Tips For Players Just Starting Out

Nobody is expected to make their Stardew Valley farm into a masterpiece, particularly the first time they play, but with the tips that are collected on this Reddit thread, people can at least avoid some of the biggest regrets of others. Helpful information about saving basic resources, feeding livestock, focusing on crops first, and even how to place hats on pets fill the forum. Topping the list is advice to not cut all the grass before the Silo is built, as that grass can become valuable hay.

Of course, several responses were humorous, albeit true, warnings regarding how easy it is to become sucked into the Stardew Valley experience, such as this comment from wildawg.

Numerous people agree with the statement that once a person gets hooked in Stardew Valley, it can take up a large amount of a person's free time. Although, several also wrote about regretting how they initially would get overwhelmed by the seasons passing. It is always important to remember that it is meant to be a relaxing game, and seasons will come back around in no time at all.

Our Take: Stardew Valley Is Almost Better After Making A Mistake

Learning Through Trial And Error Can Lead To Some Fun Situations

It can be incredibly helpful to follow the advice of others before playing a game like Stardew Valley, however, sometimes making mistakes can lead to the best experience. Following everything that is said on threads like the one above, or even the wiki, can take the fun out of the experimental nature of the game. Sometimes, making a mistake in a layout on the farm or even in dialogue choices with NPCs can lead to some memorable and occasionally hilarious results. Even something as small as having a villager catch you digging through their garbage leads to some funny interactions where the personalities of these characters shine. And no matter what, players can always start over or change things up.

Personally, I think the best advice is the warning to not allow the passage of time to take away from the enjoyment the game can offer. Just like in the real world, I can become focused on my to-do list and become stressed at not having enough hours in the day, when it is really much more meaningful to enjoy the journey, whether in Stardew Valley, or real life.

Grandpa's Ghost, Mr. Qi, and Mayor Lewis in front of the Meadowlands Farm from Stardew 1.6.

Should You Start A New Farm For Stardew Valley Version 1.6?

Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update is finally on its way to consoles, but is it worth starting a new farm over? These are the pros and cons of starting over.

Source: Conscious_Contact_21/Reddit, wildawg/Reddit