Stardew Valley is often hailed as the pinnacle of cozy farming sims, and that’s largely down to the fact that every save file you make can be entirely different from the last. Choice is a huge part of Stardew Valley: who to marry, which side to pick, and which farm to opt for. 

As of the 1.6 update, there are a total of eight different farm types to pick from when starting a new virtual life in Pelican Town. Each farm type has particular pros and cons, so it can be hard to pick which one you want to live on for the rest of your save file. Without mods, some farm types can be downright impossible to work with if you’re going in blind and not aware of the pitfalls.

On top of that, each farm type has a particular perk and is linked with a particular skill, so if you’re looking to quickly level up one skill in particular, you should know what farm is best suited. With that in mind, here are all the farm types and what they can offer when starting a new game. 

How to choose a farm type in Stardew Valley

You can choose one of the eight different farm types at the beginning of a new game while customizing your character. It's worth knowing what each type of farm can offer before pressing "Ok", because you cannot change your mind once you've started your save file.

The farm type is chosen on the right side of the character customization box, and the types are:

1. Standard Farm
2. Riverland Farm
3. Forest Farm
4. Hill-top Farm
5. Wilderness Farm
6. Four Corners Farm
7. Beach Farm
8. Meadowlands Farm

All farm types and what they offer in Stardew Valley

Standard Farm

This is definitely the easiest type of farm for a new player of Stardew Valley, as it offers mostly tillable and buildable land and is as close to a blank canvas as you’re going to get. It has the most tillable land of any of the farm types, so you can grow as many crops as you like without feeling limited. 

Sadly, this map doesn’t come with any additional perks, but sometimes those are worth sacrificing for prolonged ease when playing through years of life on the farm. 

Riverland Farm

The Riverland farm slashes the number of tillable tiles by a huge amount, so it’s probably not best suited if you want to focus your energies on growing crops or rearing livestock. However, the river that separates the islands on this map is rich with fish to reel in, including those in Pelican Town (70% chance) and those in Cindersap Forest (30% chance). 

One of the perks of using this map is that it comes equipped with a Fish Smoker, which can significantly increase the profit you can make with Fish, especially early into a playthrough. On any other map, the recipe for the Fish Smoker must be purchased for 10,000 Gold at Willy’s Fish Shop, then made using one of each Jelly. 

Forest Farm

The Forest Farm map is ideal for anyone who wants to excel in the Foraging skill, but it’s not great for those who want to focus on Farming thanks to the lack of tillable soil tiles. This map comes with multiple Berry Bushes and resembles the appearance of the Secret Woods, so it’s aesthetically pleasing to look at if nothing else. 

One huge perk boasted by the Forest Farm is the eight renewing Large Stumps that spawn in the western clearings, which drop Hardwood when destroyed. Alongside these stumps, various forageable items also spawn in these clearings. These change according to the season, but you’ll always get Mixed Seeds as an additional bonus when foraging.

Each of the following forageables has a 25% chance to spawn in the western clearings of the Forest Farm:

Hill-top Farm

Thanks to the personal quarry located on the lower half of the Hill-top Farm, this map is perfect for those who want to focus on Mining. The quarry will reproduce around 10 nodes every four days. However, when you begin a playthrough using this map, the quarry is initially blocked by large items that cannot be removed until you’ve upgraded your tool to the correct level. 

Due to the number of levels and cliffs on this map, the number of tiles available for farming is limited, and there aren’t many large areas where Coops or Barns can logically be placed, so it’s not the best for animal rearing either. On the plus side, the river that separates the two halves of this map is filled with fish that can regularly be found in Cindersap Forest. 

Wilderness Farm

The Wilderness Farm offers ample space for farming and animals, but it does come with the added threat of monsters spawning at night, as long as you have the “spawn monsters on the farm” option enabled. This is true for all farm types, but this one can spawn more Wilderness Golems, which can be a rich source of resources. 

After reaching Combat level 9 on a Wilderness Farm playthrough, there’s a 50% chance that Iridium Golems can spawn after dark. This can be an easy way to get Iridium Ore and other drops, but it’s a risky strategy when the material is available elsewhere. 

Four Corners Farm

Rather than being set up to cater to a particular skill, the Four Corners Map is designed to allow for multiplayer gameplay while each player maintains their section of the map. The map is split into four quadrants, with each being reminiscent of a different map:

While it’s possible to play on this map in single-player, it’s definitely geared towards multiple players who want to focus on different skills. The sectioning reduces the number of tillable tiles, although there are still enough to allow for lots of crops and large enough areas for animals to live comfortably. 

Beach Farm

Often described as the hardest of all farm types to work with, the Beach Farm definitely shouldn’t be chosen if you’re new to Stardew Valley. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that even though there are many tillable tiles, growing crops isn’t advised because sprinklers do not work on the sandy soil. Instead, you’ll have to hand-water all of your crops and this will take up valuable time every single day. 

The advised strategy when playing on a Beach Farm is to focus on animals, as grass can still grow on the sandy soil, and there are large areas where animals can have large fenced-in pens. Most of your time on a Beach Farm will be spent fishing, with the majority of the catches on this farm being those usually reeled in at the Beach, unsurprisingly. 

Meadowlands Farm

The latest addition to the list of farm types, the Meadowlands Farm was added as part of the 1.6 update. It’s the only map that boasts Blue Grass, which not only boosts the speed at which your animals will gain hearts but also gets eaten at half the speed.

Aside from the Blue Grass, the biggest benefit of opting for a Meadowlands Farm is that it comes prepared with a Coop and two Chickens. These Chickens are randomly named (although their names usually relate to one another) and have some hearts as soon as you move in, allowing you to quickly start getting Eggs to sell or grow your brood.

The post All farm maps in Stardew Valley and their bonuses appeared first on Destructoid.

Eric Barone – also known as ConcernedApe – is most known for being the creator of Stardew Valley, which has gone down as one of the era-defining indie games in recent memory. Seriously, if you haven't played it, you are urged to treat yourself. However, years later, people have been wondering where Barone's next project is.

Although the developer has already said their next game, Haunted Chocolatier, is currently in the works, there have been very few, if any, updates since. But in a recent post on the upcoming game's website, Barone has made it clear that progress is underway. In fact, the message goes on to say they've "already done a ton of work on the game," adding that "essentially a skeleton of the game with most (not all) of its bones" is now in place.

As you can imagine, what's halting development is the sheer popularity of Stardew Valley. The post says that the big 1.6 update that rolled out this year required much work and time. Barone says the patch was originally intended as more of an "under the hood" update rather than anything substantial. However, as they got more involved, version 1.6 became a much bigger project, which diverted attention away from Haunted Chocolatier.

What's next?

The bones of the developer's next project are just the beginning. The next phase is to tweak these aspects and then "add all the rest of the bones, and then flesh it all out with all the content that will need to be in the game." This is, as you can imagine, going to take some time.

But Barone does make it clear that creating video games is something they intend to carry on with, saying, "I like making games, and I have a lot more that I want to share." Unlike Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier won't be available for pre-order or be out in Early Access. This is so ConcernedApe doesn't "feel a ton of external pressure to finish the game on a timeline."

Haunted Chocolatier will not be abandoned, even if the developer doesn't give updates for a while. Much like the Stardew 1.6 update, there are likely to be periods of radio silence so Barone can "work in isolation" and "only emerge when I have something complete and worthy, rather than share a bunch of stuff that is unfinished." It's coming, folks. Just give it time.

The post Stardew Valley dev on Haunted Chocolatier: a ‘skeleton of the game’ is now in place appeared first on Destructoid.

For as long as there's been Doom, there's been a way to modify and tinker with id Software's iconic FPS. Indeed, the original has been ported in so many interesting and bizarre ways, including on a smart toothbrush. Did you even know there were smart toothbrushes?

Anyway, the time has come to unleash it unto Stardew Valley. You can see it in action on the Reddit thread below, but it does exactly what it says on the tin by adding an arcade cabinet into the game that will allow you to play the original Doom.

Simply referred to as "DoomValley," you can install it yourself by downloading the file from GitHub. User wojciech-graj provides installation instructions for both Windows and Linux. However, do note that it doesn't work with sound. But you all know what Doom sounds like at this point.

I should have said StarDoom Valley...it was right there!

Based on the above footage, it looks as though you just have to purchase the cabinet from Gus in the Stardrop Saloon. It'll only set you back 10,000 gold, but if you play it the way my girlfriend does, you're all basically millionaires at this point, I'd wager.

Honestly, given that Stardew Valley already has an arcade machine that plays its own minigame, I'm surprised it's taken this long to add Doom into it. Unless there are multiple instances of this happening in the past, I'm just not with the times anymore.

Be that as it may, it still astounds me that Doom keeps getting all this love some 30 years after it was released. Given that we've seen it running on a John Deere tractor, a pregnancy test, and even E. coli cells (sort of), porting it to Stardew almost seems passé at this point.

The post At long last, Doom can be played in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

There's tons of content in Stardew Valley to keep you busy, but one of the most fun — and financially rewarding — is fishing. There's a wide variety of different fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods to catch in the game, as well as some other exciting surprises along the way.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves; the first step is mastering the basics before you venture out into open waters, and on that front, we've got you covered.

Stardew Valley fishing: A step-by-step guide

There are different levels of fishing poles in Stardew Valley, the first of which is the Bamboo Pole. You can then work your way up to the higher tiers, including Fiberglass Rods and Iridium Rods.

How to get fishing pole in Stardew Valley

The morning of the second day of Spring, you'll wake up to a letter from the town fisherman, Willy, inviting you to come and meet him down at the dock. Fortunately, this event happens early on, as the game always begins in Spring. Travel to the beach area to start a short cutscene for the fishing pole.

Upon taking him up on his offer, Willy will give you the Bamboo Pole, allowing you to catch fish. Hooray!

Once you get your fishing skill to level 3, you can get the next best rod from Willy: the Fiberglass Rod, which you can purchase for 1,800 gold. The Fiberglass Rod unlocks the ability to put bait on your line — more on that later. The final fishing rod you'll have access to is the Iridium Rod, which will run you a steep 7,500 gold and will unlock after you reach fishing level 6. The Iridium Rod allows you to add bait as well as various fishing tackle, but again, we'll cover that below.

How to play fishing minigame in Stardew Valley

Okay, so you've finally got your fishing rod, but how do you actually use it? With your rod equipped, walk up to a body of water. The three main fishing locations in Pelican Town include the ocean, the river, and the lake. Here's what you need to do to start fishing in Stardew Valley:

1. Find a body of water.
2. With your fishing rod equipped, hold down the button 'Use tool' button.
3. A meter will appear to determine how long you'll cast it. Hold and release the button at your desired length.
4. Wait for a bite, displaying an exclamation point near your character, and press the 'Use tool' button.
5. A bar appears, and you must keep the smaller green bar hovering over the fish to capture it (tapping the 'Use tool' button works best).

Holding the 'Use tool' button with the fishing rod brings up a meter that allows you to gauge how far you want to cast your line (holding it longer results in a longer throw). To cast, simply release the button at the right time, and you should be all set.

When you get a bite on the line, you'll hear a sound cue and see a little exclamation point animation pop up. Hit that same button again to start the fishing mini-game. A bar will appear with a smaller green bar inside and a meter to the right. The goal here is to fill the meter on the right by hovering the green bar over the fish icon as it moves upside down. When you press (or hold) the button, the bar goes up, and when you release it, the bar goes down. The key to a successful catch, nine times out of ten, will require you to tap the button to keep the bar hovering.

The key here for beginners is patience and practice because the Stardew Valley fishing mini-game is notoriously difficult, especially at the start of the game. It seems counter-intuitive, but the more fish you catch, the more you'll level up your fishing skills, which will cause your green bar to grow bigger and actually make things easier. If all else fails, Willy sells a practice fishing rod at his shop on the beach, permitting you to get a better feel for it before moving on and up.

How to put bait on a fishing rod in Stardew Valley

Once you're in the big leagues with the more advanced fishing rods, some other elements will come into play. The first of these is bait, which allows you to catch fish more frequently, causing them to bite faster. Bait can be acquired through the following techniques:

• Willy's Fish Shop
• Craft bug meat (kill monsters in the mines)
• Found in treasure chests (can fish these items up)

Putting the bait on your rod is pretty simple. All you'll need to do is pick up the stack of bait in your inventory and hover over the fishing rod. Then, select the "use" button (right-click or the face button in the western position on a controller) to add the bait to your rod. You can take the bait off of your rod by hovering over your fishing rod in your inventory and engaging the "use" button again.

The Iridium Rod allows you to add tackle as well, including items like bobbers, spinners, and weights that give you different advantages and will enable you to catch some of the game's more challenging fish. Any tackle can be added to your Iridium Rod using the same technique you used to add bait.

All fish in Stardew Valley

Since Stardew Valley showcases various seasons and locations, there is a vast array of fish types out there. We'll break down each type, including standard seasonal, Legendary, Legendary II, Night Market, and Crab Pot fish.

Seasonal fish

Legendary fish

The Legendary type goes a step above the normal ones, displaying a crown on their icons for their elite status. They can only be caught once with each save file, which is why they are so rare. You'll need to have a higher Fishing Level, as they cannot be acquired with lower ranks like the Bamboo Pole.

Night Market fish

The three-day festival, Night Market, gives you the chance to obtain various unique goods. Go to the Submarine to start fishing for exclusive fish, including other types that are available throughout the seasons.

Extended Family quest Legendary fish

In addition to Stardew Valley's standard Legendary fish, you can get ahold of the Extended Family quest's Legendary IIs. Go to the same spots as the Legendaries to uncover other variants.

Crab Pot fish

Craft or buy a Crab Pot to discover more fish in Stardew Valley. They'll float on any body of water, luring in critters with their bait.

Miscellaneous captures

Sometimes, you'll catch miscellaneous items that aren't a fish at all. These objects can be used in multiple recipes or sold through the shop.

If you want the ultimate angler experience, check out our guide on the best fish for your fishing pond. There are sure to be even more fish as more Stardew Valley updates roll out, so come back to see what other critters you can find.

The post How to fish in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

An extremely useful building in Stardew Valley is the Fish Pond, allowing you to generate specific resources each day based on what fish you put into it. There are all the best fish for your Stardew Valley Fish Pond that will generate some very useful resources.

How to build the Fish Pond

First, you'll need to actually build a Fish Pond back at your farm in Stardew Valley. In order to build a Fish Pond, you need to visit Robin at the Carpenter's Shop between 9:00 am - 5:00 pm on any day other than Tuesday. Robin can build a variety of important structures at your farm including the Fish Pond. Building the Fish Pond has the following building material costs:

• 5,000 Gold
• 200 Stone
• 5 Seaweed
• 5 Green Algae

The Fish Pond itself takes up a 5x5 surface area and will take two days to be built. You can actually build more than one Fish Pond, and it's recommended you build a few of them to make the most out of your Fish Ponds as they can only hold up to ten fish.

How the Fish Pond works in Stardew Valley

Once you've built a Fish Pond, you can stock it with up to ten fish at a time, or just a single fish if it is a Legendary Fish. You can only have one type of fish in your Fish Pond at a time, with each type of fish resulting in different items being generated by the Fish Pond based on which fish you have put in it.

You can put fish in your Fish Pond by holding the fish in your hands and then right-clicking on the Fish Pond which will throw the fish into the Fish Pond. You can then harvest the fish by fishing in it with your fishing pole, though the fish will automatically be caught and do not require you to complete the fishing minigame.

Alongside various materials and items, the fish in your Fish Pond will also produce Roe.

Farming Roe with your Fish Pond

Every fish that can be placed into a Fish Pond except for the Squid will produce Roe each day. The more fish you have in the Fish Pond, and the fish type you have in it, will determine the actual chance of generating Roe each day.

Sturgeon Roe specifically can then be crafted into Caviar using a Preserves Jar, while all other types of Roe can be used with a Preserves Jar to create Aged Roe. You can sell then sell the Aged Roe and receive double the value of the Roe, making it an extremely worthwhile Gold farming method in Stardew Valley.

Best Fish for Ponds

Depending on which item you are trying to generate, each fish in a Fish Pond has its own specific uses. However, these are the best fish overall for your Fish Pond and will generate some of the most important items in Stardew Valley.

Rainbow Trout

Stocking your Fish Pond with entirely Rainbow Trout is the best use for your Fish Pond in Stardew Valley. Although it's a low chance, a fully-stocked Rainbow Trout Fish Pond has a 0.09% chance each day of generating a Prismatic Shard. This is one of the rarest items in the game and is required for a variety of important uses including obtaining the Galaxy Sword, completing the Missing Bundle to unlock the Movie Theater, enchanting tools at the Forge, and more. Rainbow Trout will also produce a solid amount of Roe when fully stocked in your Fish Pond.

Squid

If you stock your Fish Pond with only Squid, you'll be able to generate a lot of Squid Ink with up to 95% chance of success each day. Squid Ink is used for the Fish Farmer's Bundle in the Pantry but is also used to craft Seafoam Pudding and Squid Ink Ravioli, as well as with the Sewing Machine to craft the Midnight Dog Jacket. You can also sell extra Squid Ink to Willy at his Fish Shop.

Octopus

The Octopus in Stardew Valley can be tricky to catch, but if you're able to catch enough to fully stock your Fish Pond with them, it can be a great source of Omni Geodes with a roughly 15-16% daily chance. These contain various minerals, artifacts, ores, and resources and even has a chance of rewarding you with a Prismatic Shard.

Super Cucumber

You can take advantage of a well-stocked Super Cucumber Fish Pond to be a pretty reliable source of Iridium Ore with a 4-5% daily chance of generating 1-3 Iridium Ore. You can then smelt five Iridium Ore with one Coal to get an Iridium Bar which is used to upgrade tools, craft various items, and build some of the best buildings in Stardew Valley.

Lava Eel

One of the best choices for stocking your Fish Pond is Lava Eels. A fully stocked Lava Eel Fish Pond will have a roughly 3.5% chance of generating 5 Spicy Eel each day. You can then throw the Spicy Eel in your Smoker which greatly increases the sell value. If you combine the sale price of the Smoked Spicy Eel with the Aged Roe generated from the Fish Pond, this can be one of the best gold-making methods in Stardew Valley.

Because you can build multiple Fish Ponds in Stardew Valley, it's recommended you build several of them and stock them with different fish. If you really want to utilize the Fish Pond to make some gold, stock a lot of them with Lava Eels for the best gold income. However, I recommend stocking at least a few Fish Ponds with Rainbow Trout so you can have a solid chance of generating some Prismatic Shards.

The post The best fish for your Stardew Valley fish pond appeared first on Destructoid.

There are a lot of different equipment pieces in Stardew Valley, from basic clothing to weapons. Included in this equipment are rings, which can offer buffs and bonuses that cannot be gained any other way. 

You can wear a maximum of two rings in Stardew Valley, which are equipped through the inventory menu. Not only can you wear any basic rings that you can find, you can also combine rings to create what I like to call “Extra rings”, which combine the effects of both of the rings used to make them. This allows you to stack buffs and cater your rings to your needs. 

There are a lot of different rings to choose from in Stardew Valley, each with a specific way to get them, but here are the 15 best rings you can get, as well as how to get them. 

Best rings for exploration in Stardew Valley

If you’re just going about your business, collecting forage-ables and grinding away to increase your skill levels, then there are a few rings that can make life a little easier:

Glow Ring

Glow Rings are most useful early into a playthrough, as they emit a constant light around you, allowing you to wander around after dark without constantly walking face-first into bushes and buildings. There are four different ways to get a Glow Ring:

• Completing the Night Fishing Bundle in the Community Center
• Killing Slimes on floors 40 and below in the Mines
• Killing Skeletons on floors 70 to 79 of the Mines
• Occasionally found in boxes or barrels within the Mines

Magnet Ring

I remember the first Magnet Ring I ever got and the freedom I felt as I foraged or dropped items started coming to me automatically without me having to run over to them. The Magnet Ring is incredibly useful, and the effect can stack if you want to wear two and double the radius at which items will be attracted to you. You have two options if you want to get a Magnet Ring:

• Drops from enemies on floors 40 - 79 of the Mines
• Occasionally found in barrels and boxes within the Mines

Iridium Band

If you want the effects of both the previously mentioned rings, and the added benefit of a 10% damage output increase, then the Iridium Band is the perfect choice. If you’re really lucky, you’ll find it in a Fishing Treasure Chest. If your luck fails you, then you’ll unlock the recipe when you reach level 9 Combat. You’ll need the following resources to make an Iridium Band:

• 5 Iridium Bars
• 50 Solar Essence
• 50 Void Essence

Lucky Ring

Speaking of luck, the Lucky Ring will increase your luck by +1. In Stardew Valley, luck has an effect on everything from cave diving in the Mines or Skull Cavern to Fishing and even what you dig up when excavating artifact spots. With all that in mind, the Lucky Ring is always a good accessory. There are two ways to obtain a Lucky Ring and, ironically, you’ll have to be pretty lucky to get one:

• Special item drop in Skull Cavern
• Rarely found when Panning

Best rings for combat in Stardew Valley

Okay, so we’ve looked at the rings you need if you’re just going about your day, but what about when you want to go spelunking and battling with the monsters found in the Mines, Skull Cavern, or the Volcano Dungeon? Well, you’re in luck, because there are a lot of very useful rings to use during combat. 

Slime Charmer Ring

Let’s be honest: Slimes are easily one of the most annoying enemies in the whole game, and the Slime Charmer Ring makes life a whole lot easier by preventing them from damaging you. Of course, that doesn’t stop you from attacking them, but needs must. This is also a must-have if you happen to have a Slime Hutch. The Slime Charmer Ring will unlock for purchase at the Adventurer’s Guild after you’ve defeated 1,000 Slimes, and costs 25,000 Gold. 

Thorns Ring

Alternatively, you could don a Thorns Ring and revel in the fact that any time an enemy does damage to you, they also take a small amount of damage themselves. The Thorns Ring acts as a sort of reflector, dishing out damage to anything that wants to harm you. You unlock the recipe for a Thorns Ring at level 7 Combat, and you’ll need the following resources to make one:

• 50 Bone Fragments
• 50 Stone
• 1 Gold Bar

Vampire Ring

If dealing damage by being attacked isn’t for you, then perhaps you’d like to absorb health for each monster that you kill? The Vampire Ring will restore a small amount of health for each enemy that you slay, allowing you to stay on your feet for a little longer. The Vampire Ring will unlock for purchase at the Adventurer’s Guild after you’ve killed 200 Bats, costing 15,000 Gold. 

Soul Sapper Ring

Maybe you’re doing just fine for health, but you want some energy back instead? The Soul Sapper Ring is just the ticket. As with the Vampire Ring, the Soul Sapper Ring will restore 4 energy every time you kill an enemy, so you’re less likely to pass out during your cave diving. Getting your hands on one won’t be easy though, because they’re found in Treasure Chests within the Volcano Dungeon. 

Phoenix Ring

If you want some peace of mind, you can equip a Phoenix Ring and rest easy in the knowledge that once a day, if you pass out, it will restore you to 50% health. At that point, you can either keep fighting or run away and live to make it home in one piece. Either way, this is a good accessory choice. Again, the Phoenix Ring is found in Chests within the Volcano Dungeon. 

Burglar’s Ring

While exploring the Mines or Skull Caverns, it’s a good idea to stock up on monster loot to use for crafting or other purposes. The Burglar’s Ring will increase the rate at which monster loot drops from enemies, allowing you to stock up in less time. To unlock it for purchase at the Adventurer’s Guild, you’ll need to kill 500 Dust Sprites. It costs 20,000 Gold. 

Crabshell Ring

If you want to be a bit tougher, then the Crabshell Ring is a good choice. It increases your defence by +5, allowing you to withstand more attacks from enemies that you encounter. It’s purchased for 30,000 Gold at the Adventurer’s Guild, but you’ll need to kill 250 Rock Crabs before it becomes unlocked and available to buy.

Warrior Ring

The Warrior Ring will infuse the wearer with the “Warrior Energy” buff, which increases attack stat by +10. However, it will only do it occasionally, so this is down to luck and RNG. If you want to roll the dice and hopefully become more powerful, you’ll unlock the recipe for the Warrior Ring at level 4 Combat, and you’ll need the following resources to make one:

• 10 Iron Bars
• 25 Coal
• 10 Frozen Tears

Savage Ring

You’d be forgiven for thinking that this ring would turn you into a murder machine, given the name, but it actually provides the wearer with a three-second speed boost after the death of an enemy. This is useful if you want to speed run the Mines or if you’re stuck with a mob of enemies and want to run away. It’s another ring that’s purchased at the Adventurer’s Guild, costing 25,000 Gold, but you’ll need to kill 150 Void Spirits before it unlocks. 

Napalm Ring

This ring really comes into its own when you’re stuck in a mob of enemies with no way out, because it causes any enemy that you kill to explode, causing damage to those around it as well. This can also help to clear out nearby rocks, and possibly find a ladder or shaft down to the next floor. This ring unlocks at the Adventurer’s Guild after you’ve defeated 250 Serpents, and will cost you 30,000 Gold. 

How to combine rings in Stardew Valley

Any two rings can be combined in Stardew Valley to create one accessory that offers the benefits of both original rings. To combine rings, you’ll need to visit the Forge on floor 10 of the Volcano Dungeon on Ginger Island. However, you can only combine two basic rings, and cannot combine rings that are the product of a previous combination.

Combining rings costs 20 Cinder Shards, which can be found throughout the Volcano Dungeon or are a possible drop from Stingray Fish Ponds if there are 7 or more Stingrays living there. 

To combine rings, simply place one in each of the two available slots at the Forge, and make sure that you have the necessary Cinder Shards in your inventory. When both rings are in place, simply press the Hammer button and you’ll get a fresh new combined ring. 

As a rule of thumb, it’s always a good idea to combine an Iridium Band and Napalm Rings with other rings in some way, as they are incredibly powerful in their own ways.

The post 15 Best Rings in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

When I'm exhausted, my goal with media is to help me shut my brain off so I can relax a bit. One of my favorite ways to do that, I've found, is to play games while listening to a podcast, show, or some music at the same time. Do I need to bombard myself with stimuli to shut my brain up so I can breathe for a minute? Who's to say, but I do know that I think it's a lot of fun.

At this point, I feel like something of a gaming-while-also-listening-to-a-podcast connoisseur, and I've tried out a whole bunch of different titles so you don't have to. Without further ado, here is my list of the best games to play while you're also listening to something else.

[caption id="attachment_642287" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Mega Crit[/caption]

Slay the Spire

Recently, this game has had a chokehold on me. Slay the Spire is a combination of my two favorite sub-genres in games: deckbuilding and roguelikes. It's one of those games where the more time you put in, the more you'll get out of it, because you get to know the decks really well and start maximizing your builds. Turn-based gameplay makes it perfect for picking up and putting down any time you want to, and this is also just a well-designed game full of fun surprises that more people need to know about.

[caption id="attachment_642294" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Supergiant Games[/caption]

Hades

So I have around 400 hours in this game, and while that's because it's a near-flawless action roguelike, it's always because it was the perfect activity to keep me engaged while I was listening to my podcast of choice. It's beyond worth it to play Hades the first time through with the sound on, trust me. Once you get a decent way into the post-game, though, you've pretty much heard everything there is to hear, and that's when a podcast is perfect. 

[caption id="attachment_557456" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Stardew Valley

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. This is another game I've put way too many hours into, and for good reason. The gameplay might feel a bit repetitive to some after a while, but I find the routine relaxing, and the perfect way to keep myself occupied as I listen to, well, whatever I want to listen to. It's a modern classic of a simulator game, which is a genre that lends itself well to listening to podcasts, music, or shows in the background.

[caption id="attachment_545814" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Bluepoint Games[/caption]

Shadow of the Colossus

I definitely recommend playing this one the first time through with the sound on, because it's one of the most iconic soundtracks in all of gaming. In any subsequent playthroughs, though, this is a perfect game to use to pass the time. It has a much slower pace than more recent entries in the open-world action-adventure genre, which means it's a great option while you're traversing its expansive world. You might need to pause and concentrate during the boss fights, though.

[caption id="attachment_634682" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nintendo[/caption]

Mario Maker

A classic mistake while trying to beat an especially difficult Mario Maker level is to think too hard, or as my Southern grandma would have said, to work yourself into a lather. I find that listening to something else while I'm trying to beat a game that's giving me trouble can be really helpful, because it keeps me from overthinking things, and distracts me just enough to get the job done.

[caption id="attachment_642298" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nicalis, Inc.[/caption]

The Binding of Isaac

I honestly prefer to play Binding of Isaac this way, because I find the sound design to be pretty grating. I know it's supposed to be like that, but that doesn't make it any more enjoyable. It's another roguelike, which means it can be played in perfect bite-sized bits and isn't so overwhelming that you'll miss whatever your podcast hosts of choice are talking about.

[caption id="attachment_616300" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Turn 10[/caption]

Forza

This goes for most racing games, but Forza can be a great way to keep yourself busy while listening to a podcast. Like a Hades or Cuphead, it's a real-time game so you're paying closer attention, and it's easy to get into a flow state. I've found that paying attention to someone talking actually helps me play better, because I'm not overthinking what I'm doing.

[caption id="attachment_418650" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Firaxis[/caption]

Civilization

Strategy games are another great option because they require that same type of flow state, engaged-but-not-really kind of thing. You reach a point, too, where a lot of stuff is going on its own anyway, so it falls into just the right level of attention it requires from you. Civilization, and other like games, also don't really require the average player to need the sound on, so it's fine to have any other audio you want going on in the background.

[caption id="attachment_417386" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Studio MDHR[/caption]

Cuphead

The Mario Maker logic also applies here. I've been stuck on the same boss in Cuphead for weeks (again), and having something else to concentrate on helps keep me from getting too frustrated when I keep dying. At this point, it feels more like I need a podcast playing to help get me through the game, rather than wanting to just have something on in the background. Either way, it works well for me.

[caption id="attachment_620667" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Blizzard Entertainment[/caption]

Diablo 4

Kind of in the same vein as Forza and racing games, playing games like Diablo, Path of Exile, Warframe, and any other kind of grindy looter game are all the perfect candidates for allocating your audial and sometimes visual senses elsewhere.

Once you finish the narrative stories of these games, it’s really easy to tune out all the sound and put something on to stimulate you. If I’m doing the same few activities to grind out for better gear in my games, I’d rather have some variety.

However, all of these games mentioned and others in the same field are not recommended to be “podcast games” when engaging in PvP. I did that once, and boy, I got some really bad messages from disgruntled teammates.

[caption id="attachment_408619" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Netherrealm Studios[/caption]

Mortal Kombat (and other fighting games)

It’s hard to find specific games to play while listening to music or other forms of media. Since Mortal Kombat is more relevant with its huge Khaos Reigns DLC that just dropped earlier in 2024, let’s start here.

After a while, fighting games start to sound like one big monotonous blob of audio vomit. All the grunts, moans, and sound effects from hit impacts start to get to you. Whether you’re the one winning or losing, after a while, it all becomes the same.

It’s better to have some new episodes of your favorite show under your belt or a song you really like stuck in your head compared to the same sounds from fighting games. The only exception is if the music slaps.

Literally, just replace Mortal Kombat with any other fighting game you like (2XKO, Tekken 8, Guilty Gear Strive, whatever).

[caption id="attachment_629201" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Pokemon TCG Pocket

Card games don’t require you to play with audio (yes, that also includes Hearthstone). Just pay attention to your game while having something else playing in the background.

Plus, if you’re playing the mobile versions of card games, like the recently released Pokemon TCGP, you’re doing yourself a favor by having the game on mute. You’re saving battery (that is if you’re listening to music or using an external device to consume your media).

[caption id="attachment_474626" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Tetris

If you’re a puzzle game freak and want to break your PRs, why not pop on your favorite podcasts or playlist and get to work? Tetris only has so many themes before you’re caught in the trance of its music.

While you’re catching up with your favorite content creators, finding new tunes, or just having something else playing while in these puzzle games, you’re benefitting yourself cognitively.

[caption id="attachment_590808" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Gearbox Software[/caption]

Borderlands 3

Okay, so technically, this game can fall under the same umbrella as Diablo 4 because of the grindy nature of the game. Before you hang me for this, just know that this game’s story is very forgettable and annoying, and the dialogue is something you should skip.

“Then what’s the point of having this game up here?”

Because, dissenter, the gameplay for Borderlands 3 rocks. I know it might be counterproductive to play a game from start to finish on mute, but the story did taint the game.

If there is one part of the base game that you should actually play with sound on, it’s the whole part regarding Rhys and Katagawa. The whole feud between the Atlas and Maliwan manufacturers was top-notch and carried the game’s narrative.

Once you’re done with the base game, put your music and podcasts on pause because the DLC aspects of the game were fantastic. Even the Director’s Cut DLC which puts Ava at the forefront of all this was more bearable than most of the base story.

[caption id="attachment_475774" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Psyonix[/caption]

Rocket League

The music in Rocket League is nice for a cool few minutes, but that’s only really in the menus and all sounds the same. Engine sounds and all the boost and hit noises are cool too, but unless you’re being serious in ranked modes, just pop on something else you like in the background.

I can guarantee that you can reduce your blood pressure from spiking if you allocate your hearing to something else, like your favorite podcast or show.

The post Nine of the best games to play while you listen to a podcast appeared first on Destructoid.

If there’s one thing that you’re always going to need a lot of in Stardew Valley, it’s money. There is of course farming to fall back on, which is always a solid earning opportunity, but there are a few other ways to make a quick buck. 

Whether you’re trying to buy new decorations, paying off bundles or Jojamart (if you’re a monster), or you want to upgrade your tools, there’s always something to spend your money on in Stardew Valley. If your main income is through farming, I have some suggestions for side hustles that can bring in a hefty funds boost.

Pigs can be a goldmine

Unfortunately, my main alternative method for making money quickly requires a little bit of prep work, so you’re going to have to put in the work if you want to reap the rewards. 

First of all, you’re going to need to grind out the levels of your Foraging skill because you need to reach level 10 and pick up the Botanist Profession. The perk of this profession is that every time you pick up a forageable item, they will always be of the highest possible quality. This increases the selling price of foraged items by an absolute ton. 

Then, you’ll need some pigs. There’s no fixed number for this, but honestly, the more the better. Pigs can only be placed in a Deluxe Barn, which is a bit of a time and money sink. To purchase a Barn and upgrade it all the way up to a Deluxe Barn, you’ll need the following:

• 43,000 Gold 
• 1,350 Wood
• 650 Stone

Deluxe Barns can hold 12 pigs, each costing 16,000 Gold, so to fill the entire Barn with pigs, you’ll need to spend 192,000 Gold. I know that sounds like a lot, but they are worth their weight in gold and then some once they reach maturity, I promise. 

Now for the fun part — a return on investment. After reaching maturity at 10 days old, each pig that’s allowed outside for the day will drop one Truffle each day during Spring, Summer, and Fall, or more, if you’re really lucky. These Truffles are classed as forageables, so with the level 10 Foraging Profession of Botanist active, these Truffles are guaranteed to be Iridium Quality when picked up. 

Each Iridium Quality Truffle sells for 1,250 Gold. With 12 pigs in a Deluxe Barn, that’s a guaranteed payment of 15,000 Gold every day, except during the Winter, when pigs don’t like to get their little feet cold. If you’ve followed these instructions, it will take 26 days (including the 10 days for the pigs to become mature) to get your money back and start making pure profit, and that’s if they only drop one Truffle per day. 

Don’t forget to go fishing

I know that in the early days of a save file, the excitement is heady and it’s all too tempting to spend a week clearing out all of the debris on the farm, but have you considered going fishing instead? 

Your first Fishing Rod will be the Training Rod, which can be purchased from Willy’s Fish Shop for 25 Gold. Alternatively, if you don’t go fishing at all during the first year, he’ll visit you at home and thrust a free one in your direction. Don’t ask how I know that, I just do. 

With your Fishing Rod in hand, head to the nearest water source and start casting. The Training Rod is only capable of catching Common fish, but these are still sources of pure profit, and you’ll soon start pulling in funds. You can slowly upgrade to better-quality fishing rods so that you can catch more lucrative fish.

If you want to boost your profits, you’d be wise to choose the Riverland Farm layout, as it comes with a free Fish Smoker. This can be used to double the worth of any fish, including Legendary Fish and Crabpot fish. If you don’t start out on a Riverland Farm, you can still get a Fish Smoker by purchasing the crafting recipe from Willy’s Fish Shop for 10,000 Gold. 

The recipe to make a Fish Smoker is as follows:

• 10 Hardwood
• 1 Sea Jelly
• 1 River Jelly
• 1 Cave Jelly

Utilize the Greenhouse and Ginger Island for lucrative crops

Either of these locations can be used to grow any crop at any time of the year, including Ancient Fruit and Sweet Gem Berries, which are both incredible ways to make a lot of money. However, just like the pigs, this will take some prep work before you actually see a huge amount of money returned. 

Sweet Gem Berries

Sweet Gem Berries grow from Rare Seeds, which can be purchased at the Traveling Cart during any season but are guaranteed to appear during Spring and Summer for 1,000 Gold each. These can then be planted in the Greenhouse or on Ginger Island regardless of the season, and will give you your first harvest after 24 days. You can speed up this growth time by using Speed-Gro Fertilizers or if you have the Agriculturalist Profession active.

Each Sweet Gem Berry sells for between 3,000 and 6,000 Gold, depending on quality. However, this is a one-yield plant, so you’ll need to sacrifice some of your produce to the Seed Maker if you want to make some profit without purchasing new seeds. 

Ancient Fruit

Unlike Sweet Gem Berries, Ancient Fruit is a crop that will keep producing fruit every seven days past the initial 28 day growth period, making it a preferable option. However, getting your hands on the first pack of Ancient Seeds is not straightforward.

To get Ancient Seeds, you’ll need to dig up some artifact spots and hunt down an Ancient Seed. Despite the name, this cannot be planted, but donating it to the Museum will unlock the recipe to turn it into the type of seeds that can be put in the soil. Then, you’ll need to find another Ancient Seed artifact and use it to craft the seeds themselves. 

If you happen to get any Iridium Quality Ancient Fruit, you can just sell it outright as it goes for between 1,100 and 1,210 Gold, depending on whether you have the Tiller Profession active. However, in any other case, it’s best to turn Ancient Fruit into Artisan Goods. While Dried Ancient Fruit sells for the most (between 4,150 and 5,810 Gold depending on Professions), this requires five Ancient Fruit, so works out to be less than efficient. 

Instead, turn your Ancient Fruit into Ancient Fruit Jelly. This sells for between 1,150 and 1,610 Gold, depending on whether you have the Artisan Profession active. 

The Beehive is back in fashion

Once you hit Farming level 3, it’s a good idea to craft and place some Bee Houses down, then surround them with flowers. Bee Houses that have flowers placed within five tiles of them will produce Flower Honey every four days except during Winter, which can sell for a high price. 

The sale price of your Flower Honey will depend on what type of flower is surrounding the Bee House, and you’ll need to harvest the Honey before you harvest the flowers, otherwise it will turn into regular Wild Honey. 

Here’s how much Honey can sell for with each type of flower:

It’s worth noting that you can also place Bee Houses and flowers on Ginger Island to get Honey all year round. 

The post The best ways to make money in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the biggest facets of Stardew Valley is Farming. You’ve inherited a farm, you need to rebuild it and make money in the process, so one thing you need to figure out is which crops are best for every season. 

There are multiple schools of thought about which crop is best in each season. Some people swear by the ‘gold per day’ rule, favoring crops that grow quickly and yield more expensive vegetables, while others tend to favor low-maintenance but constantly producing ones. 

I am part of the latter school of thought, so my suggestions will lean towards constantly producing crops for every season except Winter. While these crops may not provide as much profit as some of the other crops, they don’t need to be replanted every time you harvest the crop, which comes with a few benefits:

• Only one initial output of Gold at the beginning of the season
• If you implement sprinklers, you only need to water these crops once when they’re first planted
• At the beginning of a new season, these crops will die but remain in place, preventing you from having to till the land again to plant the next season's crops

For this article, I’ll use an example plot size of 10 x 10, which would require 100 seeds to fill, and look at the initial set-up cost at the start of the season and how much profit you can stand to gain across the season. 

I’m also not going to go into turning these crops into Artisanal Goods, though doing so will massively increase how much Gold you can make from each harvest. The numbers here are based purely on the crops themselves, from the ground directly into the Selling Bin with no additional Profession buffs.

It’s worth noting that you should plant various crops, especially at the beginning of a new game, because these items will be needed for quests or as part of the Bundles within the Community Center. 

The best crops for Spring in Stardew Valley

The best Spring crop for profit

In terms of low maintenance crops, Strawberries are the best option for Spring. Strawberries take 8 days to reach maturity. After you first harvest them, you can do so again every four days. 

Unfortunately, you can only purchase Strawberry Seeds at the Egg Festival on the 13th of Spring, so buy as many as you can and plant them. 

Despite being halfway through the season, you’ll still get two harvests' worth of Strawberries. Don’t sell these. Craft a Seed Maker instead and place all of your grown Strawberries into it. Each will produce between one and three Seeds, which you can save for year two. 

If you plant 100 Strawberry Seeds on the first day of Spring, you'll get five harvests across the season, each resulting in 100 Strawberries. Even if you put aside 50 Strawberries to turn into seeds for the next year, you’ll make a minimum of 54,000 Gold on the remaining 450, increasing depending on the quality of the fruit.

The best Spring crop for the Community Center

You’ll need to plant and harvest at least one of the following crops so that you can complete the Spring Crops bundle in the Pantry at the Community Center, which will reward 20 Speed-gro Fertilizer:

• Parsnip
• Green Bean
• Cauliflower
• Potato

You’ll also need five gold-quality Parsnips as part of the Quality Crops bundle in the same room. 

The best Spring crops for gifting

There are a few different crops you should plant and harvest if you want easy liked or loved gifts for some of the residents of Pelican Town:

• Cauliflower (loved by Maru)
• Parsnip (loved by Pam)
• Strawberry (Loved by Maru and Demetrius)
• Tulip (Loved by Evelyn)

The best crops for Summer in Stardew Valley

The best Summer crop for profit

Blueberries are as equally low-maintenance as Strawberries and follow a similar growth pattern. Blueberries reach maturity after 13 days, and you can re-harvest them every four days after that. However, Blueberries have a significantly higher yield, giving three Blueberries per plant harvested. 

Blueberry Seeds cost 80 Gold each, so you’ll need to spend 8,000 Gold at the beginning of Summer to fund a 100-plant plot. While this seems like a high initial cost, you’ll get at least 150 Gold back on a single harvest of a single plant, as Blueberries sell for 50 Gold at the very minimum, so it works out pretty well. 

Planting Blueberry Seeds on the first day of Summer will provide you with four harvests across Summer, with each harvest yielding three times as many Blueberries as there are plants. For a 100-plant plot, the minimum income over the Summer season will be 45,000 Gold. 

The best Summer crops for the Community Center

If you’re looking to complete the Community Center Bundles, there are a few different Summer crops you should focus on outside of making some quick cash. Firstly, you’ll need the following crops to complete the Summer Crops bundle in the Pantry:

• Blueberries
• Tomato
• Hot Pepper
• Melon

You’ll also need five gold-quality Melons to hand in as part of the Quality Crops bundle, and you can grow some Corn to get a head-start on the Fall Crops bundle or include dive gold-quality ones in the Quality Crops bundle. 

It’s a good idea to plant at least one Poppy as well, as it’s an easy option for the Chef’s Bundle on the Bulletin Board. You should also grow some Wheat, as you’ll need 10 of them to hand in as part of the Fodder Bundle. 

If you’re into year 2 and haven’t yet completed the Dye Bundle on the Bulletin Board, you can purchase some Red Cabbage Seeds at the General Store and plant them. However, these aren’t available for purchase in the first year unless you get lucky at the Traveling Cart.

The best Summer crops for gifting

During the Summer, it’s a good idea to build up some friendships with villagers who love some of the crops grown during the season. The following crops make easy gifts:

• Hot Pepper (Loved by Lewis and Shane)
• Melon (Loved by Penny)
• Poppy (Loved by Penny)
• Summer Spangle (Loved by Caroline)
• Sunflower (Loved by Haley)

The best crops for Fall in Stardew Valley

The best Fall crop for profit

As with the previous two seasons, Fall offers yet another low-maintenance crop with high returns in the form of Cranberries. This fruit takes seven days to initially reach maturity and then grants additional harvests every five days, with each plant producing two fruits. 

Cranberry Seeds cost 240 Gold each, which makes this the most expensive season to set up initially, coming in at 24,000 Gold to fill a 100-plant plot. While this is expensive, if you’ve had a successful Summer growing Blueberries, you should have enough to set up this first sowing in the Fall. 

If you plant your Cranberries on the first day of Fall, you’ll get five harvests out of them, with the last harvest being on the 28th day of Fall. Each harvest of a 100-plant plot will provide 200 Cranberries, selling for at the very least 75 Gold each. Across the Fall season, you can look to make at least 75,000 Gold. 

The best Fall crops for the Community Center

While hurrying to get through renovating the Community Center, you’ll need to complete the Fall Crops bundle, which needs the following crops:

• Corn
• Eggplant
• Pumpkin
• Yam

You’ll also need five gold-quality Pumpkins for the Quality Crops bundle. If you want an easy way to get an item for the Summer Foraging bundle, you can plant a Grape Starter during the Fall, saving you the effort of finding Grapes in the wild.

The best Fall crops for gifting

There are several crops that are grown during Fall that can be given to villagers to increase their friendship level:

• Beets (Loved by Evelyn)
• Fairy Rose (Loved by Evelyn and Jas)
• Grape (Loved by Vincent)
• Pumpkin (Loved by Krobus, Abigal, and Willy)
• Yam (Loved by Linus)

The best crop for Winter in Stardew Valley: Powdermelon

It goes without saying that nothing really grows in Winter, but with the addition of Powdermelon in update 1.6, there is now a single crop that can be grown throughout Winter to make even a little bit of money. 

Powdermelons grow in seven days, producing one Powdermelon per plant. There is a chance that Powdermelons can become a Giant Crop, which will drop between 15 and 25 Powdermelons when destroyed.

The good news is that setting up for planting Powdermelons is free initially, as the seeds are available for free in various ways. However, some work is involved, and you’ll likely only be able to have worthwhile profits beginning in year two. 

During your first year, plant and grow any Powdermelon Seeds you find, but don’t sell them. Instead, place them into your seed maker and repeat. At the end of the season and across the following year, use all of your first year's Powdermelons to produce seeds for the following year. 

While you’re not going to get rich off of Powdermelons, and they’re not repeating crops, so you’ll need to replant them after every harvest, it does at least provide some small income over the cold Winter season. Each Powdermelon sells for 60 Gold at the very least, meaning that each harvest from a 100-plant plot will bring in at least 6000 Gold. 

Unfortunately, Powdermelon is the only crop that will grow during the Winter unless you have the Greenhouse unlocked, in some Garden Pots inside your house. As such, there's not really much you can do in terms of the Community Center or gifting to villagers.

How to maximise profits in Stardew Valley

If you’ve finished the Pantry Bundle and you have a fully functioning Greenhouse on your farm, you can plant any crop inside at any time of the year. With 120 plots inside, it’s an easy way to keep income coming in over the Winter without having to worry about Powdermelon Seeds. 

Once you've repaired the Greenhouse, Evelyn will visit and provide you with the recipe for Garden Pots. These can be placed inside your house or Greenhouse to add extra out-of-season growing space.

Similarly, once you’ve unlocked Ginger Island and opened up the Farm there, you can also grow things out of season there, exactly as you would in the Greenhouse.

There are also various fertilizers that can be used to boost the number of harvests in a month or to increase the quality of fruits from a harvest:

The post The best crops for every season in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Sebastian is a fan-favorite eligible bachelor in Stardew Valley. While he may seem aloof initially, it’s easy to see why this “fixer-upper” catches the eye of so many players. If you hope to grow closer to Pelican Town’s resident emo, you’ll need to learn his habits. 

The best way to build up your friendship and eventual romantic connection with any villager, Sebastian included, is to learn their favorite gifts and throw them in their general direction whenever the chance arises. However, it can be hard to do this when a villager’s movements appear completely unpredictable. 

Thankfully, each villager has a set schedule, so you can track their movements throughout the year. If you want to buy Sebastian’s love with daily gifts, here’s how you can find him at any time. 

Sebastian’s full schedule in Stardew Valley

I won’t lie to you; this gets a little complicated. Where Sebastian is at any time is affected by weather, festivals, and the number of hearts you (or any players in a multiplayer game) have with him. 

If you have the Beach Resort on Ginger Island unlocked, Sebastian may head over there at any point and throw his normal schedule out of the window that day. If you can’t find him in the locations noted below, it’s worth checking the Beach Resort, just in case. 

Sebastian’s rainy day schedule in Stardew Valley

When it rains, Sebastian will follow an entirely different schedule, regardless of what day it is. This schedule doesn’t change between seasons. If it’s ever raining, Sebastian will follow one of two schedules:

Option one

Option two

Sebastian’s Spring schedule in Stardew Valley

Spring 15

This schedule will only take place if the Bus Service has been restored by completing The Vault bundles in the Community Center:

Desert Festival

If Sebastian has a stall at the Desert Festival on any of the days it’s held (Spring 15, 16, or 17), he will follow the following schedule:

Spring 11 and Spring 15 

If nobody in a game has more than six hearts of friendship with Sebastian, he’ll show up in the following places:

Spring 11 and Spring 25 

If anyone has six or more hearts of friendship with Sebastian, he’ll be in the following locations on Spring 11 and 25:

Thursdays

After unlocking the Railroad, Sebastian will follow the following schedule on Thursdays in Spring, as long as it isn’t raining:

Fridays

Sebastian will follow the following schedule every Friday in Spring unless there is a festival or it’s raining:

Saturdays

As long as it’s not raining and there isn’t a festival taking place, Sebastian will follow the following schedule on Saturdays during Spring:

All other days

If none of the previously mentioned schedules apply, Sebastian will go by the following schedule on each day during Spring:

Sebastian’s Summer schedule in Stardew Valley

Sebastian’s schedule doesn’t change all that much between Spring and Summer, so you can refer to his Spring schedule to find him in Summer as well for the most part. However, there are a few notable differences.

Green Rain Day (Year 1) 

The first time Green Rain happens during the first year, all villagers forget their regular schedule and instead hide in their houses. For this entire day, Sebastian will be inside his room. 

Summer 4

Summer 4 is Sebastian’s check-up at Harvey’s Clinic. On this day, he will follow this schedule:

Summer 11 and Summer 15

Sebastian’s schedule on these days doesn’t differ much between Spring and Summer, but the times are a little different. If no players have six or more hearts with him, this is his schedule on these days:

Sebastian’s Fall schedule in Stardew Valley

During the Fall, Sebastian follows much the same schedule as the previous two seasons. However, his regular schedule (the one he follows when others aren’t applicable) does differ from both Spring and Summer:

Sebastian’s Winter schedule in Stardew Valley

Again, there are only a couple of differences between Sebastian’s schedule during the Winter season and his schedule in the previous seasons. 

Winter 16

On Winter 16, Sebastian will head to the Night Market with the rest of the villagers. On this day, he’ll follow this schedule:

Regular schedule

Sebastian’s schedule after marriage in Stardew Valley

After you’ve tied the knot, Sebastian will move in with you and be more easily found whenever you want to talk or give him a little token of your affection. However, he will still follow certain schedules that should be noted.

Spring 15

If the bus is repaired, Sebastian will follow this schedule:

Mondays

On Mondays after marriage, Sebastian will include a visit to his mother in his routine:

Fridays

On Fridays, after he’s moved onto the farm, Sebastian will take the opportunity to meet up with old friends:

The post Stardew Valley Sebastian full schedule guide appeared first on Destructoid.

The illustrious Stardew Valley concert series is returning for the 2025/2026 season with the new Symphony of Seasons. Those who missed out on 2024's tour because of it selling out get another chance.

ConcernedApe, the creator and composer of Stardew Valley and SOHO Live are collaborating again for a tour around 18 countries throughout North America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The press release says Symphony of Seasons "brings back the enigmatic melodies of the valley bigger and better than ever before."

There will be a 35-piece orchestra playing music from Pelican Town, Ginger Island, and Calico Desert that fans would likely enjoy. The tour begins on August 30, 2025 in Seattle, which is ConcernedApe (Eric Barone)'s hometown and ends in Hawaii on March 21, 2026 for its worldwide adventure.

Tickets will go on sale on November 25 at 9 a.m. local time. If you sign up for the Stardew Valley concert newsletter, you'll get a presale access code. The tour dates include the following:

US & Mexico

● August 30th 2025 - Seattle, WA
● August 31st 2025 - Seattle, WA
● September 6th 2025 - Portland, OR
● September 12th 2025 - San Jose, CA
● September 13th 2025 - Denver, CO
● September 14th 2025 - Los Angeles, CA
● September 19th 2025 - Omaha, NE
● September 20th 2025 - Dallas, TX
● September 21st 2025 - Austin, TX
● September 25th 2025 - Macon, GA
● September 27th 2025 - Orlando, FL
● September 28th 2025 - Fort Lauderdale, FL
● October 1st 2025 - Reading, PA
● October 2nd 2025 - Philadelphia, PA
● October 3rd 2025 - Washington DC
● October 4th 2025 - Newark, NJ
● October 5th 2025 - Boston, MA
● October 10th 2025 - Milwaukee, WI
● October 11th 2025 - Chicago, IL
● October 12th 2025 - Cleveland, OH
● October 15th 2025 - Detroit, MI
● October 17th 2025 - Durham, NC
● October 18th 2025 - St. Louis, MO
● October 19th 2025 - Indianapolis, IN
● October 23th 2025 - Knoxville, TN
● October 25th 2025 - Minneapolis, MN
● October 26th 2025 - Louisville, KY
● October 29th 2025 - Richmond, VA
● October 30th 2025 - Albany, NY
● November 1st 2025 - Mesa, AZ
● November 2nd 2025 - Houston, TX
● November 2nd 2025 - Kansas City, MO
● November 7th 2025 - New Orleans, LA
● November 8th 2025 - Tampa, FL
● November 9th 2025 - Jacksonville, FL
● January 31st 2026 - Mexico City, Mexico

● March 21st 2026 - Honolulu, HI

Canada

● September 5th 2025 - Calgary, AB
● September 9th 2025 - Vancouver, BC
● October 11th 2025 - Toronto, ON
● October 12th 2025 - Montreal, QC
● October 18th 2025 - Ottawa, ON

Oceania

● October 22nd 2025 - Christchurch, New Zealand
● October 24th 2025 - Wellington, New Zealand
● October 25th 2025 - Auckland, New Zealand
● November 1st 2025 - Brisbane, Australia
● November 3rd 2025 - Perth, Australia
● November 5th 2025 - Adelaide, Australia
● November 14th 2025 - Melbourne, Australia
● November 15th 2025 - Sydney, Australia

Europe

● January 25th 2026 - Rotterdam, Netherlands
● January 27th 2026 - Antwerp, Belgium
● January 28th 2026 - Hamburg, Germany
● January 30th 2026 - Linz, Austria
● January 31st 2026 - Zurich, Switzerland
● February 2nd 2026 - Munich, Germany
● February 3rd 2026 - Berlin, Germany
● February 5th 2026 - Paris, France
● February 6th 2026 - Dusseldorf, Germany
● February 10th 2026 - Glasgow, Scotland
● February 12th 2026 - Manchester, England
● February 14th 2026 - London, England
● March 8th 2026 - Dublin, Ireland

Asia

● September 28th 2025 - Singapore, Singapore
● November 15th 2025 - Bangkok, Thailand
● December 20th 2025 - Seoul, South Korea
● TBA - Shanghai, China

The post Stardew Valley concert series returns in 2025/2026 with Symphony of Seasons appeared first on Destructoid.

I always love hearing about no-brainer tips that are easily overlooked. They're small advice tidbits, yet they're impactful over time and make you do a double-take for failing to notice them. For my fellow Stardew Valley fans who enjoy caring for animals, this one goes out to you.

Caring for animals, at least in Stardew, is simple. Despite this, it can be overwhelming for new players who just want to farm fruits and vegetables forever. Fortunately, we have a one-stop shop for all the animal care info you'll ever need.

Where to buy animals in Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley offers multiple ways for you to unlock pets and farm animals. Below is every animal you can purchase or obtain throughout your playthrough:

• Dog, cat, and turtles
• Horses
• Chicken
• Duck
• Rabbit
• Cows
• Goat
• Sheep
• Pig
• Ostrich
• Dinosaurs
• Slimes

After earning at least 1,000 gold in your playthrough, Marnie will approach your farm, asking if you want to adopt a dog or cat. For the most part, your choice is final unless you buy Butterfly Powder from Krobus. From Year Two onward, you can buy a pet license from Marnie at her ranch, allowing you to unlock turtles or buy more cats and dogs.

Speaking of Marnie's Ranch, her shop is the key to unlocking other animals. After building a barn or coop on your farm through Robin's Carpenter, head to Marnie's Ranch south of the farm to buy some animals. Below is every animal option and their prices:

The exception to this is dinosaurs, ostriches, and golden chickens. Ostriches require you to get Ostrich Eggs from solving Ginger Island's tenth journal scrap or opening Volcano Dungeon chests, making them one of the rarest animals in Stardew Valley. Dinosaur Eggs are slightly easier to find, as they spawn in artifact spots around the mountain, fishing treasure chests, and from Pepper Rex drops. Lastly, Golden Chickens are a Perfection reward, requiring you to 100 percent Stardew Valley to unlock.

Another exception is slimes. As you explore the mines and defeat slimes, there's a small chance you'll pick up their eggs. Although these eggs alone sell for quite a bit, you can also build a Slime Hutch to incubate them, allowing you to have your own slime family. Just watch out; they'll inflict damage if you walk into them without a Slime Charmer ring on.

How to build Coops and Barns

If you haven't built a coop or barn yet, Robin's Carpenter Shop up in the mountains is your first stop. Head up here and interact with her shop to find various building options, with coops and barns being among your choices.

Here's every farm animal-related building and their material costs:

Once you build a coop or barn, you can walk in and place items like the auto-collector or heater to make the space more comforting for your animals. You'll also find a feeding area at the back to place hay. If you have a silo, it'll automatically dispense hay here as long as you have it full.

How to pet animals in Stardew Valley

Petting your farm animals and pets is one of the best ways to raise your friendship, as it'll gradually increase your friendship, barring any issues that significantly decrease it. You can pet your animals by right-clicking, tapping, or pressing A on each animal, depending on your platform. When in doubt, press your interact button.

You know how you need to greet/pet your farmyard animals each day to get a little heart and grow your bond so they produce the highest-quality goods? Well, for many of us – especially those of us with more goats, chickens, cows, and pigs than we probably need – the morning ritual can be fussy. Stardew animals can get all bunched up in close quarters, and it's a little pesky to greet them once so that you don't accidentally bring up their friendship rating menu when you tend to them.

Although you can go up to each animal and pet them, you can take things a step further by holding the pet/interact button and running up to them – it'll work perfectly. You'll get friendship points with every animal, and you won't have to pull up the dreaded menu.

Here's a demonstration of the trick on PC from Reddit user Boiled_potato8:

It'll save you time in the long run, making it relatively easy to raise your friendships as you gain more farm animals.

Alternatively, you can purchase the Auto-Petter from JojaMart for 50,000g or pick it up in Skull Cavern chests. It also can appear in mines during Danger In The Deep and with the Shrine of Challenge active. Having an Auto-Petter in either a coop or barn lets you pet your animals automatically without you ever having to interact with them.

The only downside is that your animals will receive half the friendship points they'd get from you doing it manually. The moral of the story? Human-animal interaction is more important than having a machine do it for you.

How to raise animal friendship in Stardew Valley

Alongside petting your animals, you can also increase their friendship by milking and shearing those that live in your barn. Although keeping them fed with hay will prevent them from losing friendship, letting them outside to eat grass will raise it, with blue grass doubling the effect.

The real challenge comes from preventing your animals from getting upset. Not feeding them and leaving them outside overnight will decrease their friendship significantly, with the latter having a small chance of wild animals coming by and making a mess of things. Not petting or talking to your animals will also lower their friendship.

In short, paying attention to your animals and feeding them will naturally raise their relationship with you over time. Interacting with them twice shows a profile detailing their age, mood, and hearts toward you. The maximum you can earn per animal is five hearts or 1000 friendship points.

Once you reach Farming level five, you can unlock the Rancher or Tiller professions. Choosing Rancher raises the value of animal products, allowing you to make more money later. More importantly, though, you'll unlock Coopmaster and Shepherd at level ten, letting you befriend animals quickly. If you want to create a massive farm full of animals, picking Rancher and Coopmaster or Shepherd is a solid call.

What does max animal friendship do?

The higher your friendship is with an animal, the higher their odds of producing higher-quality items. Their daily mood also determines this, which can fluctuate depending on how well you cared for them the day before. For example, a happy five-star rabbit has significantly higher odds of producing a rabbit foot than an unhappy zero-star one.

All animal produce types in Stardew Valley

Every animal has their own products you can sell, cook with, or turn into artisan goods. While some are more valuable than others, they're all useful in their own way. Below is every animal and their product list.

Like with most Stardew Valley items, quality and professions matter. Similarly, while Coopmaster and Shepherd help you befriend animals quicker, Artisan in the Tiller branch raises Artisan good value by 40 percent, making it extremely useful if you sell a lot of cheese or wine.

Do animal hearts decay in Stardew Valley?

Yes, they do decay, albeit very slowly. Much like with villagers, you won't notice much animal heart decay unless you go weeks or entire seasons without feeding or petting them. If you just forget to pet them occasionally or go a day or two without refilling their food, they'll express annoyance but won't rapidly drop their hearts. Generally speaking, raising their friendship is much easier than decreasing it.

Can animals die in Stardew Valley?

Although morbid, the answer is yes: your Stardew Valley animals can technically die. Although it's impossible for them to die from starvation, temperature, or low friendship, leaving them outside overnight can cause wild animals to wreak havoc on your farm. Thankfully, you won't see the wild animals in action, but you will hear it happen.

What's the solution, then? Make sure you keep your animals fenced in and repair any broken ones that degrade over time. You'll also want to either leave them in their barns and coops or only have them out during the day before herding them back inside and repeating the process.

What if you can't find an animal but haven't seen the wild animal cutscene? More often than not, your animals will roam around your farm, especially if you have broken (or no) fences. I've seen my animals appear in the corners of my map, stranded for days until I finally noticed their disappearance. I'm lucky I didn't get the cutscene. Your best bet is clearing out any obstacles that can mess up animal pathing or be very proactive in building fences.

The post Stardew Valley Animal Guide – How to raise animals and slow heart decay appeared first on Destructoid.

If there’s anything that you’re looking for in Stardew Valley, there’s a high likelihood that you’ll find it at the Traveling Cart. The vendor here sells almost everything you could imagine from basic resources to furniture and clothing items. 

The Traveling Cart comes to Stardew Valley every Friday and Sunday, and can be found in the northern corner of the Cindersap Forest, close to the entrance to the Secret Woods and is open between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. 

The Traveling Cart also shows up at both the Night Market (Winter 15-17) between 5 p.m. and 2 a.m. and the Desert Festival (Spring 15-17) between 12 p.m. and 2 a.m. The stock available at either festival is the same. 

Stock rotates, so different things will be available to purchase every time you visit. Prices are often high, but there are some items that can’t be purchased anywhere else, so it’s always worth checking what’s in stock whenever the Traveling Cart is around. 

Of course, some items are more worthy of your Gold than others, but what are the best items to purchase from the Traveling Cart? After years of visiting the vendor to check her stock, I’ve learned a thing or two, so I can give some tips about what to look out for. 

Special Stock at the Traveling Cart

There are a select few items that are only available to purchase from the Traveling Cart or are otherwise difficult to get, so if they’re on the stock list during any visit, it’s worth buying them to avoid missing out on having them. 

Unlike other items purchased through the Traveling Cart, prices of Special Stock items are fixed, so you’ll always pay the same for them, regardless of when they come up:

Spouse Portraits at the Traveling Cart

Spouse Portraits were added in the 1.6 update and will become available at the Traveling Cart after you get married, or Krobus becomes your roommate. You can only purchase the Portrait of your spouse (or Krobus) as long as you have 14 hearts with them, but you get to keep it even if you part ways. Each portrait costs 30,000 Gold. 

Specific items worth buying at the Traveling Cart

The Traveling Cart has a truly huge number of items that rotate for purchase, so there’s always a chance that you’ll find something you need. However, there are certain items that are more worthwhile than others, so here are a few that stand out from the long list of available items:

Red Cabbage Seeds

If you’re looking to speed-run the Community Center Bundles, you’ll need to keep an eye out for Red Cabbage Seeds at the Traveling Cart during your first year. While they’re available from other sources from the beginning of year two, there’s a chance that they can appear at the Traveling Cart before that point. 

You can help with this and guarantee that they show up at least once in the first year by selecting “Guarantee Year 1 Completable” in advanced options when starting a new game. 

Quality Sprinkler

Usually, making Quality Sprinklers calls for 1 Iron Bar, 1 Gold Bar, and 1 Refined Quartz. Although this isn’t too much of a tall order, collecting the necessary resources can prove problematic or tiresome. Quality Sprinklers sometimes come up for purchase at the Traveling Cart, and they’re always worth purchasing if you have crops that need watering. 

Meals with additional buffs

There are a couple of meals that could possibly show up at the Traveling Cart, both of which have unique perks when consumed. 

Triple Shot Espresso will increase your movement speed for four minutes and 12 seconds, and also applies to your horse if you have one. Although you can buy the recipe from the Stardrop Saloon for 5,000 Gold and then make it using 3 Coffee, Triple Shot Espresso is something that’s always worth hoarding if you see it for sale.

Seafoam Pudding is incredibly useful, especially if you’re planning on going after any Legendary Fish or wanting to reel in the Iridium Krobus Statue in the Cindersap Forest, as it increases your fishing level by 4, even if you’re already level 10. Although you do get the recipe for Seafoam Pudding when you reach level 9 Fishing, the ingredients can be difficult to get. 

The post Best items to buy from the Traveling Cart in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

The Meadowlands Farm was added to Stardew Valley as part of the 1.6 update that has just finally arrived on consoles and mobile. It’s incredibly useful, increasing the speed at which animals gain hearts, but the supply is limited. 

When you first start a new game using the Meadowlands Farm, you’ll have a lot of Blue Grass around for your animals to munch on. However, it rapidly disappears as the animals get to eat, and you’ll eventually end up with not much left, or worse, none at all. 

There are some techniques to preserve Blue Grass, such as placing a fence post on top of a patch to prevent your animals from getting to it, but growth can be frustratingly slow. This is worsened in the winter, as Blue Grass doesn’t grow or spread during the season. 

How to get the Blue Grass Starter recipe in Stardew Valley

Unfortunately, you’ll need to work through a lot of content before you can unlock the recipe for Blue Grass Starters. You can’t buy them outright from any of the vendors, and the only way to get them is to make them yourself. 

The recipe for Blue Grass Starters is only available from Qi’s Walnut Room for 40 Qi Gems. That means you’ll need to complete all of the following steps before you get access to the recipe:

• Complete all of the Community Center Bundles
• Fix Willy’s Boat and make your way to Ginger Island
• Find and collect 100 Golden Walnuts to unlock Qi’s Walnut Room
• Stock up on Qi Gems using the following methods:

  • Complete Qi’s Special Orders
  • Activate the Shrine of Challenge
  • Exchange Golden Walnuts

How to make Blue Grass Starters in Stardew Valley

When you’ve worked your way through all of the tasks listed above and purchased the Blue Grass Starter recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients to make it. Each craft will produce 1 Blue Grass Starter.

25 Fiber

Fiber is a resource that can be found in a variety of ways. Each weed has a 50% chance to drop Fiber when harvested, which is the only free way to get Fiber.

There are also a couple of ways to get Fiber in exchange for other items. At the Desert Festival, if Vincent has a stall, he will exchange 1 Calico Egg for 10 Fiber. The Desert Trader will also exchange 5 Stone for 1 Fiber on Tuesdays.

If you're willing to put some work in, you can learn the recipe for Fiber Seeds by completing Linus' "Community Cleanup" Special Order. It requires the following resources, and makes 4 Fiber Seeds per craft:

• 1 Mixed Seeds
• 5 Sap
• 1 Clay

10 Moss

Moss can be harvested in Spring, Summer, and Fall from any tree that has green growth on the trunk. You can harvest it with any tool, weapon, or bomb. Each tree drops either one or two Moss.

On Green Rain Days, which occur during Summer, the amount of Moss will significantly increase and can be hoarded away for future use.

1 Mystic Syrup

Mystic Syrup is likely to give you the biggest challenge of the three ingredients needed to make Blue Grass Starters, as it is only obtainable after you've obtained your Foraging Mastery and unlocked the Mystic Tree Seed recipe, which needs the following resources to make:

• 5 Acorn
• 5 Maple Seed
• 5 Pine Cone
• 5 Mahogany Seed

After planting, a Mystic Tree can take anywhere between five and 26 days to reach maturity, depending on luck and whether you've used fertilizers. Then, when a Tapper is placed on a fully grown Mystic Tree, it will produce Mystic Syrup once every seven days.

The post How to get Blue Grass Starters in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

As part of the release of the 1.6 update for Stardew Valley on console and mobile platforms, ConcernedApe has included a hidden extra for those playing on mobile devices — Multiplayer. 

Multiplayer is something that players on PC and console have been able to enjoy since the 1.3.27 update way back in 2018, but it’s something very new and exciting for mobile players. However, it’s also experimental and not without issue, with ConcernedApe giving the following warnings about the feature:

• You can only connect to farms via an IP
• Connecting to a farm or trying to host a farm on a cell phone network will likely result in issues such as lack of connection, disturbed gameplay, and crashes 

Ape also notes that as this is a very new and experimental feature, bugs and issues may still be present. To avoid frustration, try to go into this process without the expectation of a flawless experience. 

How to unlock mobile multiplayer in Stardew Valley

Even unlocking the ability to play with friends is a bit of a process, and it involves at least the first part of the much-loved Konami Code. In case you have no idea what the Konami Code is, it’s as follows:

• Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start

You can disregard the “B, A, Start” part of this, but you’ll need to remember the rest in order to unlock Multiplayer on mobile devices. 

When you first open up Stardew Valley on a phone or tablet, you’ll get the same old menu screen with the logo, and options to start a new game or load a game at the bottom. Take a closer look at the logo, and take note of the four sets of leaves. Each set of leaves corresponds to a direction, as shown below:

You’ll need to touch the leaves in order of the Konami Code, so:

• Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right

Bear in mind that the press only counts if you hear the leaves rustle when you touch them. Then press the “?” button in the bottom right corner of the screen, exit the window that pops up, and you should now have the “Co-op” button available to press on the home screen menu. 

How to host or join a game in mobile Multiplayer in Stardew Valley

Sadly, the mobile Multiplayer does not allow for farm “discovery”, meaning you’ll need to either hand out your IP address if you’re looking to host a game, or know the hosts IP address if you’re wanting to join a game. 

According to ConcernedApe, the way to get the best experience out of mobile Multiplayer is to connect to a PC-hosted farm from a high-end mobile device on a local network, such as Wi-Fi. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t try to set up a game or connect via cell phone data, but you may need to set up a mobile wi-fi hotspot in order for things to run as smoothly as possible. 

This does mean that mobile Multiplayer is more intended for players who are in the same location, rather than those who are playing together from a distance. As well as this, all players must be playing the same software version of Stardew Valley in order to connect with each other.

If you’re looking to host a game, you’ll need to set up the farm and make sure there are cabins available for anyone who will eventually join. Then, anyone who trying to join will need to enter the IP Address of whoever is hosting. To avoid disconnection issues, the host should find out their IP Address before setting up their farm, and can do so in either of the following ways:

• For iOS users: Settings > Wi-Fi > Click the “i” next to your Wi-Fi name > Look up IP Address
• For Android users: Settings > Network & Internet > Internet > Click the cog next to your Wi-Fi name > Look for IP Address

The post How to play Stardew Valley multiplayer on mobile appeared first on Destructoid.

After what felt like a lifetime, console and mobile players finally received the long-awaited Stardew Valley 1.6 update a couple of days ago. Well, technically it's version 1.6.9 to account for the latest patch, but it comes with everything that came before it and that PC fans have been enjoying for months now.

However, there appears to be a small issue when it comes to performance. According to a recent post on X from developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, there is a solution to those playing the latest version of Stardew Valley.

Until a more permanent fix can be sent out, Barone suggests anyone experiencing performance problems should "remove all hats from pets." No, this is apparently not a joke. Our own Paula kindly confirmed this to be a genuine piece of advice to the issue.

For real

If you're new to Stardew Valley and not sure what the advice entails, you're advised to "try putting a different hat on your pet," which will then "remove the original hat first." When pressed for further details in an excuse me, what? kind of way, the developer had this to say:

There's rumors of a strange rash affecting pets' ears in Zuzu City and we just want to make sure those ears can breath [sic] for a few days.

The 1.6.9 update went live a couple of days ago, bringing with it new features and changes. According to the patch notes, the game now gives you the ability to "place beds and sleep inside any constructed buildings that allow furniture," adds in new Easter eggs, balances some aspects, and...you know what, there's too much to list here. Best to read the changelog itself.

The mobile port of Stardew Valley also now comes loaded with a hidden and experimental multiplayer feature. Instructions on how you can access it can be found here.

The post Having performance issues on Stardew Valley? Remove hats from pets, dev says appeared first on Destructoid.

The Stardew Valley 1.6 update has finally hit consoles a long nine months after it originally hit PC, and with it, the 1.6.9 update has arrived on all platforms. There wasn’t a lot of new content added, but there is one thing that’s really helpful. 

If you’ve ever managed to get your hands on a once-in-a-game item and then somehow gone on to lose it, whether by accidentally discarding it or through a horrible accident, there’s now a way to get those items back — the Lost Item Shop. 

How to find the Lost Item Shop in Stardew Valley

The Lost Item Shop in Stardew Valley isn’t actually a shop, but rather a newly added woodland critter NPC who appears in a specific spot. Judging from this NPCs proclivity for collecting and holding on to shiny trinkets, I think it’s safe to assume that it is supposed to be a crow, although it’s a little hard to tell. 

To find this NPC, you’ll need to head to the Secret Woods and make your way to the left (all the way). It’s standing behind the top-most horizontal fallen pillar near the statue of Old Master Cannoli. You don’t need to get around this pillar in order to interact with the crow, and can simply do your business over the pillar itself. 

There’s no conversation involved when it comes to getting your items back, which is a little creepy and would be even more so in real life, but interacting with the crow will bring up a list of lost items that you can now get back. 

Items retrieved from the Lost Item Shop in Stardew Valley

Each item that you want to retrieve will cost 10,000 Gold, so it’s not cheap, but it is preferable to permanently losing these unique, one-of-a-kind items. This is especially important for items that have a specific use, such as the Statue of True Perfection. 

It’s worth noting that in a multiplayer game, any player can retrieve items from the Lost Item Shop, regardless of which player lost or discarded that item in the first place. 

Here’s a full list of items that are available for re-purchase at the Lost Item Shop, along with how you got them originally:

The post How to find and use the Lost Item Shop in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Stardew Valley is available on a lot of different platforms, probably all of the ones you could imagine, including Android. While modded games might feel like something that’s reserved for PC players, there are actually a lot of mods that work on Android. 

It’s worth remembering that while there are mods that will work on the Android version of Stardew Valley, they can be a little unstable, as they’re often designed specifically for the PC version. The best way to tell if a mod is compatible with the Android version of Stardew Valley is by heading to the “Files” tab on NexusMods and looking for a file specifically labeled for Android. 

How to install Stardew Valley mods on Android

Before you can install any mods for Stardew Valley, you’ll need to download SMAPI. This is the program through which most Stardew Valley mods are implemented, including all of those I’ll list in just a little bit. 

To install SMAPI on your Android device, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Android SMAPI page on GitHub and download the APK file
2. Locate the APK file in your device’s “Downloads” folder
3. Tap on the file to run it, confirm permissions, and select “Install”
4. When installation is complete, select “Update” and finalize the installation of the latest version.

Once you’ve got SMAPI up and running, you’ll now be able to search for mods that you want to install. Here’s how:

1. Open up SMAPI and navigate to the “Help” tab
2. Select “Nexus” to be taken directly to NexusMods in your device’s browser
3. Find the mod you want to install and select “Manage Download”
4. Find the correct file (preferably one specifically for Android) and download it
5. When downloaded, locate the file in your downloads and transfer the zipped file to the Mod folder, which can be found at the following location:

   1. Internal Storage > Stardew Valley > Mods

6. Restart SMAPI and make sure that the downloaded mod is available in the “Config” tab to confirm installation.

If you’ve followed these steps and downloaded a mod compatible with Stardew Valley on Android, you should have successfully installed your first mod! 

Now that we’ve figured that out, let’s look at the 14 best Android-friendly mods for Stardew Valley.

Helpful Spouses

Look, I’m not saying that you should marry a villager and then immediately put them to work, but they are living on the farm rent-free, so they should probably contribute just a little bit, you know?

The Helpful Spouses mod by LeFauxMatt enables you to choose which chores your chosen spouse will do for you each day, and you can opt to have them help out with one or more of the following tasks:

• Providing the perfect gift for any villagers who have a birthday that day
• Feeding or petting the animals in Barns or Coops
• Making breakfast for you each morning
• Repairing any damaged fences
• Watering the crops
• Filling up water troughs in Slime Hutches

Better Ranching

It can be a little hard to figure out which farmyard animals you’ve already interacted with on any given day, especially when you start to really build up the number of animals you have. The Better Ranching mod by Urbanyeti negates this issue by giving all farm animals bubbles above their head that show whether they have produce to be gathered or whether they’ve been petted. 

Automatic Gates

I know it’s a relatively small thing, but nothing is more annoying than getting into your groove and then a single misclick halting you in your step because you failed to open a gate in time. The Automatic Gates mod by ScheKaa fixes this particular pet peeve. Now, every time you approach a gate, it will automatically open and then close behind you, allowing you to really get into the groove. 

Configurable Luck

Luck is responsible for a surprising amount of things in Stardew Valley, from how quickly you find ladders in the Mines or Skull Valley to whether or not a tree nearby will get struck by lightning. The Configurable Luck mod by SophieSalacia gives you full control over your level of luck, so you’ll be flying down the Mines and getting bountiful rewards in no time. 

DaisyNiko's Earthy Recolour

Stardew Valley definitely has its charm, but even at the best of times, the sheer amount of color on screen can be a little overwhelming. DaisyNiko’s Earthy Recolour mod desaturates the colors, lowers the brightness, and makes everything look just a little bit more classy. If you want the insides of your buildings to match the outside, you can also download DaisyNiko’s Earthy Interiors mod. 

Elle’s Town Buildings

One of the best things about modding your game of Stardew Valley is the ability to change how things look to suit your taste. Junimods has a long list of incredible recolor and redesign mods available to download, all of which are Android-friendly, so I urge you to check them all out. Elle’s Town Buildings is just one, but it’s a fantastic example, giving all of the buildings in town a subtle yet impactful makeover. 

Skull Cavern Elevator

Skull Cavern is ripe with rewards and it’s a great place to spend rainy days, but this experience can be somewhat hampered by the lack of progression saving. The Skull Cavern Elevator mod by Bifibi does just what you’d think — it adds an elevator to Skull Cavern that works just like the one in the normal Mines, updating every five floors and allowing instant access to lower floors. 

Easy Prairie King

For a cozy game, Stardew Valley has its fair share of frustrating elements, and none is more frustrating than The Prairie King in the Stardrop Saloon. The Easy Prairie King mod by spineshank3042 allows you to tweak the difficulty of the arcade game to the point that you can change how long each stage lasts, give yourself a shotgun, or slow enemies down. If you’re going for the Fector’s Challenge achievement, don’t worry; you can still get it with this mod enabled. 

Shop Anywhere

The Shop Anywhere mod by SorryLate is a godsend whether you’re bad at balancing your time or if you just don’t want to put effort into physically going to one of the many vendors for one specific item. All of the shops are included, from the General Store to the Hat Mouse, and you don’t even need to leave your farm to spend your Gold. Bliss. 

CJB Cheats Menu

The CJB Cheats Menu mod by Pathoschild is jam-packed with cheats that can help you get ahead in the game, and all of it is accessed through a single in-game menu. Instantly increase the number of hearts you have with a selected villager, increase your skill level, change how time works, instantly warp to a selected location, and a long, long list of other cheats are included. 

NPC Map Locations

You know the drill: you’re looking for a specific villager, and you haven’t quite managed to memorize their entire year's worth of routine, so you go online and look it up, which costs you valuable gaming time. Well, the NPC Map Locations mod by Bouhm makes this a thing of the past by showing the villagers on the map in real-time. It’s such a small quality of life improvement, but it makes a world of difference. 

Instant Tool Upgrades

I don’t think I need to explain this one too much, but the Instant Tool Upgrades mod by Binarynova will prevent you from ever having to go two days without your Hoe or Watering Can ever again. Instead, Clint will immediately hand over your upgraded tool, and you can go about your day. Again, it is a small change, but definitely worthwhile. 

Automate

The Automate mod by Pathoschild can just make your life so much easier, especially when it comes to the grind of refining resources in farm machinery. This mod allows you to place a chest next to any machine, and the machine will automatically grab the required resources from the chest while putting finished produce back in. It works with all vanilla machines, so the possibilities are endless. 

Carry Chest

There’s nothing worse than going to rearrange your house or farm and realizing that you have a full chest that you need to move. Usually, you’d need to empty out the chest and then destroy it so that you can pick it up and place it down elsewhere, but the Carry Chest mod by Spacechase0 puts an end to that hassle. Now, even if a chest is filled to the brim with resources, you can pick it up and move it to a new location.

The post 14 Best Stardew Valley mods for Android appeared first on Destructoid.

The Steam Deck has been something of a revelation for PC gaming. This powerful device allows you to play your PC games on a portable screen, allowing for an experience more akin to something like the Nintendo Switch.

This is all well and good, but some PC games require the pinpoint precision of mouse-and-keyboard input. That's why we're taking a look at the 15 best Steam Deck games, so you know which titles are worth playing on your portable PC device. All of the following games are marked "Steam Deck Verified," meaning you can guarantee a solid experience with these selections.

15. Phasmophobia

Hunting ghosts with friends, what could be more fun? Despite still technically being in Early Access, Phasmophobia is arguably the best game in its genre. You're placed on a map, which can be as small as a suburban house or as large as an entire prison, haunted by a ghost.

There are 24 different ghost types, each offering up three types of evidence to help you and your friends decipher what they are. You find this evidence using various types of ghost-hunting equipment, from spirit boxes to EMF readers. It's not entirely that simple, as these ghosts will drain your sanity before hunting and killing you. Phasmophobia is a blast, and we recommend playing with friends.

14. Diablo 4

Blizzard's long-awaited follow-up in its iconic ARPG series was worth the wait. Diablo 4 follows the same general gameplay loop as previous iterations, defeating powerful enemies throughout dungeons while collecting hordes of loot to upgrade your build.

While technically an RPG, Diablo 4's quests and storyline play second fiddle to the game's unique brand of chaotic action. There's nothing quite like melting swarms of demons while finding a rare item that takes the havoc up a notch. Some might recommend a mouse and keyboard for Diablo 4, but you can definitely do just fine on a Steam Deck.

13. Balatro

Balatro isn't your standard card game. There's almost too much complexity to sum up in a few sentences, but the gist of it is this: it's a roguelike deck-builder where you must score points by playing poker hands against blinds. With these points, you can upgrade your deck and buy joker cards, which affect the game in various ways. It's absurdly addictive and puts an impressive spin on a classic card game.

Given the nature of Balatro's controls, it really doesn't matter whether you play on a regular PC or on a Steam Deck. It plays very well on Valve's portable devices, so if you're looking for a more laid-back Balatro, Steam Deck is the way to go.

12. Portal 2

Portal 2 might be well over a decade old at this point, but it can still kick it with any modern release on the market. With sharp humor, challenging puzzles, and an endlessly replayable co-op mode, Portal 2 remains one of the best video games ever made.

Valve gets so much mileage out of one simple concept: you have a portal gun that you can use to open portals around the game world. You must use these portals to solve puzzles throughout each level, most of which are physics-based. Luckily, these puzzles don't require pinpoint mouse precision, which is why this is perfect for chilled-out Steam Deck play.

11. Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 had its troubles upon its 2020 release, disappointing almost everyone. In the years since, CD Projekt Red has remained committed to making it the best game it can be via countless patches and the sublime 2023 expansion, Phantom Liberty.

At long last, Cyberpunk 2077 is (almost) everything it was hyped up to be, and it runs great on the Steam Deck. With engaging characters, powerful RPG choices, and the staggeringly beautiful open world of Night City, Cyberpunk 2077 is a game you can really sink your teeth into nowadays.

10. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

If The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth isn't the best roguelike ever, then I don't know what is. Straight from the brain of Super Meat Boy developer Edmund McMillen, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth sees you fight through procedurally-generated dungeons against some of the most terrifyingly-designed monsters you'll ever see in a video game.

As you progress, you collect items on each floor. This contributes to your build, but not every item complements one another. This means you're constantly making important choices about what to pick up and what to leave behind. Each run is permadeath, resetting you right to the start if you die while progressing through the floors. Because of the randomized floors and items, it might be one of the most replayable games ever made.

9. Dave the Diver

How many games do you know that can blend the action-adventure and restaurant simulator genres seamlessly? There's not many, let me tell you that much. Dave the Diver is one such title, and it's undoubtedly one of the best games on the Steam Deck.

Dave the Diver is split into two gameplay sections. During the day, you dive into the sea, collecting ingredients from the ocean floor while fighting sealife with your harpoon gun. Later in the evening, you use these ingredients to run a sushi restaurant, improving its reputation through good food and service. All of this is complemented by a gorgeous pixel art style, resulting in a game unlike anything you'll have played before.

8. Resident Evil 4

2023's Resident Evil 4 might be the best remake in the series to date, and that's a high bar to clear. The game sees the return of Leon Kennedy, who is tasked with rescuing the president's daughter, Ashley. You're faced with hordes of the undead throughout your adventure, which tops the 2005 original in just about every way.

Its graphics? Stunning. Its controls? Modern. The story? It has a tighter pacing this time around. And that's before we even get to the atmosphere, which is the real star of the show in the Resident Evil 4 remake. It's absolutely dripping with tension, which carries over even on the small screen of the Steam Deck.

7. Skyrim

13 years after its launch, and there's still nothing that quite evokes the same feelings as Skyrim. It's a classic RPG in every sense of the word, with one of the most detailed open worlds you'll ever explore, even after all this time. Interesting questlines and memorable characters are the tip of the iceberg in Bethesda's magnum opus.

On PC, Skyrim modding takes things to another level. Nexus Mods has almost 100,000 mods to download for the game, so the question is: can you mod Skyrim on Steam Deck? Yes! It's a bit more hassle, but it's certainly possible, meaning you can bring Skyrim up to modern standards on your handheld device.

6. RimWorld

Ludeon Studios' RimWorld is a far deeper game than it seems on the surface. At first glance, it appears to be just another construction and management simulator. Simply put, it isn't. RimWorld gives you numerous starting scenarios, where you must attempt to survive and escape from a procedurally generated planet.

To make every playthrough unique, it employs the use of an AI storyteller, which can make decisions on the fly to affect proceedings. You can choose from various storytellers, each of which will change its behavior based on various parameters. Want something intense? Go with Randy Random. Want a more traditional narrative? Cassandra Classic will make that happen. The third is Phoebe Chillax, which offers a more laid-back experience. It's this storyteller feature alone that elevates RimWorld above every other game in the genre.

5. God of War

2018's God of War finally arrived on PC in 2022, breaking Santa Monica Studio's masterpiece free from its PS4 restraints. The game tells a powerful story between Kratos and his young son, Atreus, and their journey to spread the ashes of their wife and mother, Faye, at the highest peak in Jötunheim.

Its hack-and-slash gameplay is similar to previous God of War games, yet the combat still manages to feel distinctly modern. That's an achievement in itself. Just everything, from the impeccable score from Bear McCreary to the awesome world design, comes together as a full package to make God of War one of the best Steam Deck games.

4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

How will CD Projekt Red ever top The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt? The culmination of an epic trilogy, this title is an extraordinary RPG, with impactful choices to be made even in the smallest of moments. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt features some of the most well-written side-quests you'll ever see, as well as two fantastic expansions in Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.

For a 2015 release, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt holds up extremely well from both a visual and gameplay perspective. The combat still feels very fluid, which is why it remains one of the best Steam Deck games you can play after almost a decade.

3. Stardew Valley

There's a reason life-simulation fans are still returning to Stardew Valley almost nine years after its release. ConcernedApe's game strips the formula back to basics but does everything it attempts just about perfectly.

There's farming, fishing, building, mining, socializing, romancing, and even combat - it's a pretty simple life in Stardew Valley. If you enjoy life-simulators, there's a good chance you've already played this game. If you haven't, there's a good chance Stardew Valley will convert you to the genre.

2. Elden Ring

Elden Ring is not for the impatient gamers out there. This open-world RPG by FromSoftware will test the limits of your patience, punishing you with sweet, sweet death over and over again. It's a classic Souls-like, defined by nigh-impossible bosses and frustratingly infrequent checkpoints, but with a bigger scale than anything the studio has ever attempted before. The satisfaction from victory in Elden Ring will have you jumping for joy.

Given that many would recommend Elden Ring with a controller anyway, I feel safe saying the game works great with the Steam Deck joysticks. Go forth and explore the Lands Between from the comfort of your own couch.

1. Baldur's Gate 3

Top spot was only ever going to Baldur's Gate 3. Larian's 2023 CRPG is an instant classic. With deep customization, fun combat, brilliant companions, and a gripping narrative, Baldur's Gate 3 is a game we'll all be playing for many years to come. I could wax further lyrical about its epic world, engaging quests, and a staggering level of freedom, but I reckon you get the picture.

Baldur's Gate 3 feels made for the Steam Deck in many ways. The turn-based combat lends itself well to the joystick controls, and the slow-paced gameplay in general makes it perfect for kicking back on the couch and playing at your own pace.

The post 15 Best Steam Deck Games appeared first on Destructoid.

In Stardew Valley, there is a long list of random events that can possibly occur overnight at any point, such as the Witch who drops off a Void Egg, or an explosion being heard in the night. 

If you get the “An explosion was heard in the night” notification at the beginning of a new day, you may be wondering what this means, but don’t worry I’ve got all the details you need. 

What exploded in Stardew Valley?

Unlike some other random overnight events that open up a new area of Pelican Town and the surrounding area to explore, an explosion is a more targeted event. When you hear an explosion, it means that a Meteorite has fallen somewhere on your farm and now you need to go out and find it. 

Most of the time, Meteorite will fall somewhere that’s very obvious at first glance. If you’re unlucky, one of two things can happen:

• The Meteorite will fall directly into your crops or decorations, destroying them
• The Meteorite will fall into a bush and be hidden from view

Regardless of where it falls, and how much damage it does to the space around it, you can get some useful items from a Meteorite.

What do Meteorites drop in Stardew Valley?

Meteorites can fall at any time, including during the first year, which makes at least one of the items they drop particularly useful. However, in order to get these items, you will need to have a Pickaxe that is either Golden or Iridium quality. This can take a while, especially given the resources needed and the cost involved.

If the drops aren’t particularly valuable to you, you could always choose to keep the Meteorite as a decoration and repair the space around it in order to turn it into a centerpiece. Meteorites are quite rare, so it can be a bragging piece if you happen to get one.

The items Meteorites drop are mostly always the same, and you’re guaranteed to get the first three items listed below if you destroy a Meteorite:

• 10 Iridium Ore
• 2 Omni Geodes
• 8 Stone
• 25% chance of dropping a Prismatic Shard

The post What does ‘an explosion was heard in the night’ mean in Stardew Valley? appeared first on Destructoid.

There are a lot of statues in Stardew Valley, and some of them are obtained in strange ways. The Statue of Endless Fortune is available from pretty early in a playthrough, but you might have to wait a while and save up some funds.

The Statue of Endless Fortune is an incredibly useful statue to have on your Farm in Stardew Valley. Not only does it give a daily, high-worth item, but it also provides loved gifts for each villager on their birthday. 

How to get the Statue of Endless Fortune in Stardew Valley

Before you can purchase the Statue of Endless Fortune, you’ll need to do a couple of things:

• Complete the Vault Bundles at the Community Center in order to unlock the Bus and Desert
• Unlock the Casino in the Desert by completing the ‘Mysterious Mr. Qi” quest

When you’ve done both of these things, you’ll be able to talk to the Vendor inside the Casino. He’s a shady-looking man located in the back right corner of the main space in the Casino, and he will offer you a Statue of Fortune every time you talk to him.

A word of forewarning, the Statue of Endless Fortune is one of the most expensive items available for purchase anywhere in Stardew Valley. You’ll need 1,000,000 Gold in order to purchase one. There’s no limit to the number of statues you can own, so if you’re ever in a position where you have too much Gold and nothing to spend it on, these are a good choice. 

What does the Statue of Endless Fortune do in Stardew Valley?

Like I said above, the Statue of Endless Fortune gives you a sought-after item each day. On days when there are no villager birthdays, you’ll get one of the following four items:

• Diamond
• Iridium Bar
• Omni Geode
• Gold Bar

The Statue of Endless Fortune comes in particularly handy when it comes to building or maintaining relationships with villagers, though. On each villager's birthday, the Statue of Endless Fortune will drop one of their loved gifts, making things really easy for you:

The post How to get a Statue of Endless Fortune in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Once you’ve completed the ‘A Winter Mystery’ quest in Stardew Valley and unlocked the Magnifying Glass, you can begin the process of collecting Secret Notes. These can be extremely helpful, and some will even guide you to secrets that are unlikely to be found without them. 

Secret Notes are obtained through undertaking various activities in Stardew Valley. If you find one, you’ll need to use it in the same way as eating something, and then it can be found in the Secret Notes tab of the Collections menu. 

All Secret Notes in Stardew Valley

There are a total of 27 secret notes to be found. Let’s go through all of them and see what secrets are waiting to be discovered.

Secret Note #1

The words that I've underlined in the image above are some of Abigail's loved gifts.

Secret Note #2

Sam's holiday list gives away some loved gifts for the mentioned villagers, with "Mom" referring to Jodi and "Dad" referring to Kent.

Secret Note #3

As with Secret Note #1, this one gives away some of the writer's loved gifts. This time it's Leah, and I've underlined the parts you need to remember.

Secret Note #4

This is just a list of some of Maru's loved gifts.

Secret Note #5

Similar to Sam's holiday list in Secret Note #2, this is a list that Penny has written up, giving away some loved gifts for the mentioned villagers. Here, "Mom" refers to Pam, and "Mr. Mullner" and "Granny Mullner" refer to George and Evelyn respectively.

Secret Note #6

Another one gives away loved gifts for the mentioned villagers, and is the first Secret Note to span two pages. Don't worry about the added detail, I'm assuming these are just Gus trying to go above and beyond for his patrons.

Secret Note #7

This one gives away some loved gifts for a few of Pelican Town's bachelors, and is another Secret Note that spans two pages:

• Harvey (Coffee and Pickles)
• Elliott (Crab Cakes and Pomegranates)
• Shane (Beer, Pizza, and Pepper Poppers)

Secret Note #8

This loving note from the girls' parents gives away a couple of loved gifts for each of them. Emily loves receiving pretty much any Gemstone as a gift.

Secret Note #9

The meals mentioned in this note are two of Alex's loved gifts.

Secret Note #10

This slightly ominous note only becomes available to find after you've completed the "Qi's Challenge" quest, which will be unlocked after you enter Skull Cavern for the first time. You just need to get down to floor 100 of Skull Cavern, where Mr. Qi will greet you and give you Iridium Snake Milk. When consumed, this will permanently increase your maximum health by 25.

Secret Note #11

This one doesn't mean anything or lead to any cool secrets, but it is a very cute photo of Marnie and Jas, so there's that.

Secret Note #12

This note is just a tip to guide you into rummaging through the garbage cans in town. Be warned, if anyone other than Linus sees you rifling through the trash, you'll lose some friendship points.

Secret Note #13

If you follow the instructions in this note, you'll find an oversized Junimo plush!

Secret Note #14

Another slightly ominous note from an unknown writer, but it leads to a Stone Junimo Statue, so is worth paying attention to.

To find the statue, head to the back of the Community Center from the left and then continue walking right as far as you can. Then, equip your Hoe or Pickaxe and click to the right of where you are to collect the statue.

Secret Note #15

If you've not been through the Night Market yet, this one won't make much sense, but it's the solution to the Mermaid Show button puzzle there. There are five buttons, and you'll need to press them in the order set out in the note in order to get a free Pearl.

Secret Note #16

X marks the spot! To find this location, head up to the area which has the Spa and Train Station, then head all the way to the left. Use your Hoe to dig a hole, and you'll be rewarded with a Treasure Chest.

Secret Note #17

To find this location, head to the river bank north of the JojaMart. Use your Hoe on the area marked to get a Strange Doll (Green). Make sure you stand close enough to where you're digging, or you may lose the doll in the river when it pops out.

Secret Note #18

Another map leads you to a Strange Doll, this time the yellow version. This location is in the Calico Desert, and you'll need to dig to the southwest of the bench in the southeast of the map.

Secret Note #19

To solve this puzzle, head to Jodi's house and stand directly outside the front door. Then you need to follow the directions shown, only changing direction when you can no longer move in the previous direction. This path will take you through town, eventually leading you to a Sold Gold Lewis statue that's hidden behind Mayor Lewis' house.

If you place this statue anywhere in town, you'll get a letter through the mail the next morning from a very upset Mayor Lewis, along with 750 Gold. The statue will have been replaced with a rotten plant, and the statue will now be in either Lewis' or Marnie's bedroom.

Secret Note #20

Another follows the directions puzzle, but with this one, you need to start in the center of the town square. The path will lead you to the truck beside JojaMart (you can go directly there if you don't want to follow the directions), and you'll be able to talk to the driver. He'll request a Rabbit's Foot, and if you have one to give him, he'll give you a Special Charm that permanently increases your daily luck.

Secret Note #21

Of all the Secret Notes, this is possibly my favorite. To solve it, you'll need to head into town and make sure to be at the shown bush at exactly 12:40 a.m.

If you interact with the bush, Marnie and Lewis will jump out and run away in shame. I don't know what they're doing in there, but the Anything Goes Party Bush from The Sims 4 comes to mind.

Secret Note #22

If you've never met Mr. Qi before finding this note, you'd be forgiven for thinking he was going to attack you at some point, but this is actually a really useful note.

To solve it, take a Battery Pack into the tunnel to the left of the Bus Stop and place it in the box on the back wall. This will begin the 'The Mysterious Qi' quest, and eventually unlock the Casino in the Desert.

Secret Note #23

Don't judge the English skills of the writer of this note, because he's a Bear, and he is a very useful friend.

Finding this note will add the 'Strange Note' quest to your Journal. To complete the quest, grab some Maple Syrup and head to the Secret Woods between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., and after the cutscene which plays, the selling price of Blackberries and Salmonberries will be permanently increased by 300%.

Secret Note #24

Another two page note that explains that it's possible to dye Junimos by placing the following items inside a Junimo Hut:

• Foraged mineral
• Gem
• Geode Mineral

The Junimos in the hut will usually reflect the color of the item given. If given a Prismatic Shard, Junimos will constantly change colors.

Secret Note #25

If you go fishing in the water outside the Spa during Spring, Summer, or Fall, you have a chance to find an Ornate Necklace. Once you've found it, you've got two choices:

• Take it to Caroline to get 50 Friendship points with her
• Take it to Abigail to get 100 Friendship points with her

Secret Note #26

This note is hinting that you should feed Junimos on your farm some Raisins. When given Raisins, Junimos will have a chance to harvest twice the amount of crops.

Each bag of Raisins will increase productivity in the Junimos for one week, and a small sign will be placed outside the hut to let you know that they're working extra hard.

Secret Note #27

The final note was added with the 1.6 update, and points you towards the Mastery Cave in the southern part of the Cindersap Forest. You can access this cave once you've reached level 10 in all skills, and you can unlock some fun perks and additional items by purchasing a skills Mastery.

The post All Secret Notes in Stardew Valley and how to solve them appeared first on Destructoid.

Most quests in Stardew Valley only appear in your Journal when you’ve accepted them, but some will appear after cutscenes. ‘A Winter Mystery’ is one of these quests, and the steps to complete it aren’t exactly clear. 

How to begin ‘A Winter Mystery’  in Stardew Valley

Unlike some other quests that require you to build relationships or complete certain objectives, A Winter Mystery is a quest that is easy to unlock. All you need to do is leave your farm during the Winter and head to the Bus Stop between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.

If you do, you may encounter a shadowy figure. He’s known, at this point, as ‘The Shadow Guy’, and he’ll run away as soon as you see him. Now you need to find him, but Pelican Town is a pretty big place to search. Thankfully, there’s a trail of footprints to follow.

How to complete ‘A Winter Mystery’ in Stardew Valley

To complete ‘A Winter Mystery’, head into town and up to where the Community Center is. Here, you’ll see the footprints leading into the bush shown above. 

Interacting with this bush will cause the Shadow Guy to jump out and apologize for stealing, because it turns out he's quite the little thief. He’ll go on to give you the Magnifying Glass, which is a very useful tool, and the ‘A Winter Mystery’ quest will be complete. 

How to use the Magnifying Glass in Stardew Valley

You don’t actually use the Magnifying Glass in Stardew Valley, but now that you have it, you’ll be able to gather Secret Notes. These Notes can drop while undertaking different activities, and provide useful information, or can lead to secret items or rare interactions.

Secret Notes have a specific drop rate from different activities:

Once you’ve found a note, you’ll need to equip it in your hotbar and then use it in the same way that you consume food, which will reveal the secrets within. You can check any previously opened notes in the Secret Notes tab of the Collections menu. 

Most of the Secret Notes contain information which will help you figure out the loved gifts for each villager, although some of them contain maps guiding you to secret items such as a Junimo Plush.

The post How to complete A Winter Mystery in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Diamonds are one of the rarest and most resources in Stardew Valley, and they can be quite hard to find. If you want to build a stockpile of Diamonds, or start using the resource, you've got several options.

There are a few different ways to get Diamonds in Stardew Valley, but most of them are far from guaranteed. Whether you want to get a do-over with Grandpa’s Evaluation, or a gift that’s sure to score Friendship points, here’s how to get Diamonds and how to use them. 

From mining to festivals, here's where to find Diamonds in Stardew Valley

Diamonds may be hard to find, but there are plenty of opportunities that may give you some. Some of these are far more guaranteed than others, and others will only be available in the later stages of a playthrough.

Nodes, Festivals, and Fishing resources for Diamonds

How to use Diamonds in Stardew Valley

Diamonds can be sold for 750 Gold each, or 974 Gold if you have the Gemologist profession. They are the most expensive gem available, so if you have a Crystalarium, you can make an easy profit by duplicating Diamonds. Diamonds are also a loved or liked gift for every villager, so you’re guaranteed to get a positive response if you give the gem as a gift. 

Grandpa’s Shrine

You can use a Diamond in Grandpa’s Shrine to have him re-evaluate you if you didn’t manage to get four candles lit on the shrine the first time around. Once you get four candles, you’ll get a Statue of Perfection. 

Bundles and Quests

You can use one Diamond as part of the Treasure Hunter’s Bundle in the Boiler Room (Remixed). 

In terms of quests, after you’ve reached floor 40 of the Mines, a Diamond can be requested at any time at the Help Wanted Board. The reward for completing this quest is 2,250 Gold and 150 Friendship points. One can also be requested by the Raccoon as part of the fifth request or any made after.

Crafting

Diamonds can be used in the following recipes:

Tailoring

A Diamond can be used in the spool of a Sewing Machine to create a dyeable Pendant Shirt. It’s also classed as a white dye when used in the spool of a Sewing Machine. 

Trading

Diamonds can also be exchanged with a couple of NPCs to get some items. The Desert Trader gives you one Triple Shot Espresso in exchange for one Diamond, while the Volcano Dwarf on Ginger Island sells you the ‘The Diamond Hunter’ book for 10 Diamonds.

The post How to get Diamonds in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

If you’re a Stardew Valley player on console or mobile, the long-awaited good news about the 1.6 update has arrived, and it's set to release on November 4. 

Like a baby that’s grown in the womb and is ready to be born, the release will come very close to nine months after it arrived on PC. 

This is great news, as now all players will be able to experience everything new that was added in the 1.6 update, and some of you can finally stop avoiding any and all spoilers. I tip my hat to any of you who have been avoiding any Stardew Valley guides because I’m not sure how you’ve managed it. 

This does pose a specific problem for some players who have been making the most of the Tea prices. You’ve got six weeks from the time of writing to get all of those Tea Saplings sold, or you’re going to half your profits thanks to a lovely price nerf introduced in 1.6. 

It is a shame that it has taken this long for the update to come to players on anything other than PC, and as yet there is no word from ConcernedApe as to the specific reasoning. Perhaps there never will be, and players in the comments of Ape’s tweet are simply overjoyed that they’re finally going to experience the update. 

The good news is two-fold. Firstly, thanks to the delay, there’s a guide available for everything you could possibly get stuck in with 1.6. Second, this means that ConcernedApe will be able to refocus his efforts on his next title, Haunted Chocolatier. He’s previously stated that he’s been unable to put any work on his next title due to the extra effort involved with porting Stardew to consoles and mobile. 

The post Stardew Valley 1.6 is coming to consoles and mobile on November 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Some fish in Stardew Valley can be caught in a variety of places, while others are more specific with where they spawn. Sandfish have a very particular habitat; in fact, it’s how they got their name. 

Before you can go looking for Sandfish, you’ll need to unlock the Desert. To do this, you’ll need to complete the Vault Bundle at the community center (this is just a collection of monetary donations), or purchase the “Bus Repair” on the Joja Community Development Form for 40,000 Gold. It all depends on whether you’ve made the morally correct choice or sold your soul to Joja.

Where to find Sandfish in Stardew Valley

Once you’ve unlocked the Desert, finding Sandfish is easy, as it’s one of only two fish that spawn in the pond located in the top right corner of the Desert. Sandfish (and the other fish, Scorpion Carp), can be fished from these waters during any season between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

When you catch a Sandfish, you may find that the bobber in the fishing mini-game darts around the line. Sandfish are pretty pesky and can get away from you if you’re not careful. To negate the sudden movements, it’s worth using a Cork Bobber or a Trapper Bobber to increase your chances. 

How to use Sandfish in Stardew Valley

One Sandfish is needed for the Speciality Fish Bundle at the Community Center, and they’re also on Penny’s loved gifts list. Outside of these specific uses, there are a few other things that can be done with Sandfish. 

Recipes

Sandfish can be used in any recipe that calls for ‘any fish’:

Tailoring

Sandfish can be used in the spool of a Sewing Machine to create the dyeable Fish Shirt. It can also be used as a yellow dye in the dye pots in Emily and Haley’s house. 

Fish pond

You can place Sandfish into a Fish Pond, and they’ll produce Roe. If there are 10 Sandfish in a Fish Pond, you could possibly get Cactus Seeds.

The post How to catch a Sandfish in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

I think it’s plain to see that cozy games are something of a soft spot for me. There’s nothing I love more than relaxing with friends, real or in-game, to escape the pressures of the real world and the stress I encounter every day. 

What better way to unwind than relaxing in bed, or in the bath, or simply away from the computer, with a Switch in hand. Cozy isn’t restricted to big consoles and PCs, you can take the entire experience on the go. 

I’ve played a lot of games which could be considered ‘cozy’ in my time, and here’s 10 of the best that I’ve found. The good news? All of them can be purchased through the Nintendo eShop, so there’s nothing stopping you from starting a play through right now.

A Little to the Left

The concept of A Little to the Left is simple; organise household items into small spaces in order to make them fit, with the occasional interruption of a chaos causing cat. If you get a kick out of a good spring clean, or enjoy organizing the space around you, then you’ll love A Little to the Left. Some of the puzzles can be a little challenging at first, but there's a huge sense of satisfaction when you figure out where everything goes.

Unpacking

If you want a deeper look at Unpacking, check out our in-depth look at it, but here’s the TLDR:

Unpacking is about, as you might expect, unpacking. You’ve got to unpack boxes and place items in a variety of rooms in a way which makes sense. What might surprise you is the depth of the story, and the strong connection that you’ll end up having with the person whose belongings have been entrusted to you. Although you never meet them, you get to know them and their story through their household items. 

Donut County

I think it’s safe to say that I’m a fan of Raccoons, so I might be a little biassed here. However, Donut County is a hole.io style game with added stories and characters to fall in love with. Although the gameplay is pretty linear, there’s a weird sense of satisfaction that comes from swallowing the items of the world in a big dark hole, and that leads to replayability. 

Stardew Valley

I think this one goes without saying, but Stardew Valley is definitely a cozy game that you need on the Switch. Wherever you are, you can take the farm with you and progress your story. Farm on the go, or connect to the TV and form connections with the villagers in Pelican Town on the big screen. 

New Pokémon Snap

There are no battles in New Pokémon Snap, which already puts this right up there on my own personal list of cozy Switch titles. It’s essentially a Pokémon where you take photos of the Pokémon in order to document them, and get to the bottom of weird phenomena in the area. You don’t even have to move, as you move along a sort of track that takes you where you need to go, so you can just get snap happy.

Dorfromantik

Dorfromantik is like a puzzle with no pre-determined result. All you need to do is place down individual hexagonal pieces in order to create a landscape. Connecting similar tiles together will cross off goals and unlock new tiles, allowing you to create endlessly changing worlds. This one is really good for getting mildly creative and allowing yourself to forget about the real world.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing is one of the OG cozy games, and you’re never going to be short of things to do if you start a new game. Meeting new villagers is only part of the fun, and creating and designing your island is endlessly satisfying. There’s a whole community of people willing to share their items, open their island for visits, and even allow you to come shopping. 

Tavern Talk

Tavern Talk is what happens when a game makes you the NPC. As the bartender of a fantasy tavern, you don’t move or go anywhere, but you still get to see the world change around you through the people who come to drink at the bar. Your tasks are simple - make drinks and create quests for patrons to complete, then listen to their stories. 

Spirittea

Spirittea is adorable, and although it can be hard to get to grips with the enormous map to begin with, the characters you meet in your new countryside life are fun and memorable. You leave the city and begin a new life in the countryside, but things aren’t all as they seem and there are spirits in the town, which often scare the residents. 

Things get more complicated as you progress, and eventually you'll need to run your own bath house for the spirits. Spirittea is like Spirited Away if it were a pixel sim, and it's one of my favorites.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Imagine taking Animal Crossing and replacing all of the villagers with beloved Disney characters, and you’ll end up with Dreamlight Valley. To begin with, the Valley is fairly empty and overtaken by darkness. You unlock new characters as you progress, unlock new biomes, place their homes, and become closer to them to get rewards. Fishing, mining, and farming still play their role in Dreamlight Valley, and you’ll never run out of things to do.

The post 10 Best Cozy Switch Games appeared first on Destructoid.

Some resources in Stardew Valley are harder to find than others, and Refined Quartz is perhaps one of the most difficult to source in the wilds of Pelican Town. However, there are some shortcuts to getting your hands on this precious item. 

If you want to get Refined Quartz, you’ll need to first go mining. Although you’re unlikely to find any Refined Quartz in the Mines, the resources you need to create it can be found there.

How to get Refined Ore in Stardew Valley

There are a few different ways to get Refined Quartz:

Furnace

The first reliable method is through the use of a Furnace, and there are two recipes that will give Refined Quartz:

• 1 Quartz + 1 Coal = 1 Refined Quartz
• 1 Fire Quartz + 1 Coal = 3 Refined Quartz

Either combination takes 1.5 in-game hours to produce the result, but with Fire Quartz giving three Refined Quartz every 1.5 hours, it’s a much more lucrative option. Quartz can be found on any floor of the Mines, and Fire Quartz can be found on any floor of the Mines lower than 80. 

Recycling Machine

Creating Refined Quartz with a Recycling Machine is arguably easier than creating it in a Furnace. There are two trash items that can be found in Garbage Cans or fished up from any water that can then be used to create Refined Quartz:

• Broken CD
• Broken Glasses

Other ways to get Refined Quartz

Outside of these two main ways, there are a few other ways to get Refined Quartz, although these are much less guaranteed:

• Can very rarely be found in the Mines when breaking large crystals
• Occasionally found in Garbage Cans after receiving the Furnace blueprints from Clint
• Can be produced by Ghostfish Fish Ponds when the population reaches 9
• A rare drop from the following Monsters in the Mines:

  • Ghosts
  • Carbon Ghosts

How to use Refined Quartz in Stardew Valley

Bundles and quests

Refined Quartz is a necessary donation for the Engineer’s Bundle in the Boiler Room (Remixed) inside the Community Center. 

In terms of quests, Refined Quartz can be requested at the Help Wanted board after you get the Furnace blueprint. The reward for completing this quest is 150 Gold and 150 Friendship points with the villager who requested the help. 

Crafting

Refined Quartz is used to build the Slime Hutch, which can be purchased for 10,000 Gold at the Carpenter’s Shop and needs the following resources to make:

• 500 Stone
• 10 Refined Quartz
• 1 Iridium Bar

It’s also used in the following crafting recipes:

Tailoring

Refined Quartz can be used in the spool of a Sewing Machine to create a dyeable Necklace Shirt. It can also be used in the dye pots at Emily and Haley’s house and it counts as a purple dye.

The post How to get Refined Quartz in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Trying to keep track of all the fish in Stardew Valley can be a headache. You not only have to think about their habitat, but weather and time restrictions, and even their behavior as well. Walleye is a fairly common fish, and thankfully, there are ways to catch one. 

How to catch a Walleye in Stardew Valley

Walleyes can be fished up from various locations around Pelican Town and the map surrounding it. Regardless of which location you choose to fish in, Walleye can only be caught between 12 p.m. and 2 a.m. on rainy days during the Fall:

• The River in Pelican Town or Cindersap Forest 
• The Mountain Lake
• The pond in Cindersap Forest 
• In all of the areas already mentioned during the Winter, if a Rain Totem is used
• In the Farm pond, if you’re playing on a Riverland Farm or Forest Farm

By far, the best location to go fishing for Walleye is the pond in Cindersap Forest. Although you’ll have to wait for a rainy Fall day, you’re more likely to catch a Walleye here than in any other location. Each cast has a 32% chance to result in a Walleye. 

If you’re desperately seeking a Walleye in Spring or Summer, you can use Magic Bait to negate the seasonal, weather, and time restrictions. 

Other ways to get Walleye in Stardew Valley

There are three other ways to get Walleye in Stardew Valley, each of which has benefits. You’ll need to have some luck on your side to get Walleye in any of the following ways, though:

• Gifted by a pet cat with maximum friendship
• Found in garbage cans in Pelican Town during Fall or Winter
• Purchased at the Traveling Cart for between 315 and 1,000 Gold

How to use Walleye in Stardew Valley

Gifting and quests

Walleye doesn’t make a very good gift, with not a single villager feeling anything more than neutral about the fish. However, you will need to catch a Walleye to complete at least one Bundle at the Community Center:

• Night Fishing Bundle in the Fish Tank
• Quality Fish Bundle in the Fish Tank (Remixed)

One Walleye can also requested at the Help Wanted board during Fall or Winter. This can be for any villager, and the reward is 315 Gold and 150 Friendship points.

Recipes and crafting

Walleye isn’t specifically called for in any cooking or crafting recipes, but it can be used for the following recipes that require ‘any fish’:

Tailoring

Walleye can be used in the spool of a Sewing Machine to create a Fishing Vest, which is undyeable. However, when it comes to making dye, Walleye counts as a yellow dye when used in the dye pots at Emily and Haley’s house. 

Fish Pond

Walleye can be placed in Fish Ponds and have a 90% chance of providing 1 Roe each day. They have no additional drops, regardless of the pond's population level.

The post How to catch Walleye in Stardew Valley appeared first on Destructoid.

Perhaps the biggest draw of the Egg Festival in Stardew Valley is the Egg Hunt, which allows you to enter into competition with the residents of Pelican Town in order to find the most eggs. They’re hidden all around the main square in town, but not always in the same places.

Where the eggs are hidden depends on which year you’re currently playing through. The locations change depending on whether you’re in an odd or even year, but don’t worry, I can talk you through both. 

In total, there are 27 eggs to be found on odd years and 30 to be found on even years, although even the most optimized routes for either year won’t see you gathering all of the available eggs. 

The aim of the hunt, if you want to win and relegate Abigail to second place, is to gather at least nine eggs within 50 seconds. If you’re playing multiplayer, this number reduces depending on the number of people you have playing, with six being the winning number when two people are playing. The number of eggs needed to win reduces by one for each additional player.

General tips to help you win the Egg Hunt in Stardew Valley

Regardless of which year you’re playing through, I would strongly recommend drinking some Coffee before you enter the festival area. This will increase your movement speed, giving you an advantage over Abigail. It gives you an advantage over everyone else as well, but let’s face it, this is all about beating Abigail. 

Also remember that if you don’t win, and you’re hell bent on doing so, you can simply close the game without going to sleep and you’ll restart the day. This will give you another opportunity to come first. 

Rewards for winning the Egg Hunt in Stardew Valley

The first time you win the Egg Hunt, you’ll be rewarded with a rather lovely Straw Hat, as seen in the image above. Any additional wins on subsequent years will reward you with a Prize Ticket, which can be exchanged for items at Louis’ Prize Machine. 

The best Egg Hunt route for odd years in Stardew Valley

If you’re quick, have luck on your side, and have remembered your Coffee, you should be able to gather up a total of 18 eggs during odd years. Remember that you only need nine to win, and any additional eggs will simply earn you bragging rights over the residents of Pelican Town and any friends that you happen to be playing with. 

The best route for odd years, including the first year, is to head east and then follow the path set out in the image above.

The best Egg Hunt route for even years in Stardew Valley

With a whole new set up of eggs, it can be easy to get flustered and lose out on precious eggs. Again, you only technically need to gather up nine eggs at most in order to win, and villagers will be gathering eggs at the same time. 

It is possible to gather up to 20 eggs during the Egg Hunt on even years, although this isn’t likely. The best route to take is by starting at the south east corner of the main square and then following the route laid out above. 

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