Stardew Valley’s 1.4 update is full of pleasant surprises

It feels like a mini expansion

The so-called “everything” update for Stardew Valley is now playable on PC and Mac, and after reading the 1.4 patch notes, I feel like I need to hire a personal assistant and tell them to “clear my schedule.” I’ve sunk an unreasonable amount of time into this game already – what’s another dozen hours?

On the surface, my favorite addition is fish ponds. With 1.4, Stardew players can build ponds in their homestead to produce roe (which can go in the ol’ preserver) and other “secondary items.” Fishing is my pastime of choice in the game, so having a complementary activity like this is much-appreciated.

That said, no matter where you spend your time in Stardew Valley, there’s something new to find.

That goes for late-game events (including a new 14-heart event for all spouses), your day-to-day farm life (you can stack items like kegs and there’s a social tab with data on each villager), and multiplayer (there’s a huge Four Corners map along with server options like separate money and DMs).

Other highlights:

• Over 60 new items – some fun, some practical, and some powerful.
• 24 new hairstyles, 181 new shirts, 35 new hats, 14 new pants, and 2 new boots.
• Junimo Kart has been almost completely re-done.
• Sheds can be upgraded to double their interior size.
• 2 new monsters and 2 new alternative levels to the mines.
• A new type of upgrade at the Blacksmith’s.
• An emote menu for your farmer (default key is Y).
• Your collections tab now keeps track of all the letters you’ve received.
• A button in the options menu lets you take a screenshot of your entire farm.
• Hundreds of bug fixes.

There’s also “a new end-game mystery, involving an abandoned building,” and 14 new songs.

Update 1.4 is coming to PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android “soon.” If you happen to be a mobile player, “please note that 1.4 save files will not work on the current 1.3 mobile version.”

[Update: Stardew Valley 1.4 is live on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 as of December 16, 2019. According to ConcernedApe, the Xbox One update is dropping “in the next couple of hours.”]

The Stardew Valley 1.4 Content Update is Now Available on Steam & GOG [Stardew Valley]