Stardew Valley – How To Play With Friends

Stardew Valley is a humble indie farming game has evolved by leaps and bounds since its simple beginning. While the focus is still very much on farming, one of the most requested features has been for a Stardew Valley multiplayer. So back in August 2018, ConcernedApe added in a multiplayer element in their version 1.3 update.

You can now play the game a number of ways either solo or multiplayer. There are even modes and additional options to make playing together with your friends easier. But things are about to get even closer now because, in Stardew Valley‘s 1.5 update, they’re introducing a brand new mode: split-screen multiplayer.

In this guide, we’re going to list down all the different modes on how you can collaborate with your friends. How Stardew Valley multiplayer operates as well as a couple of useful tips for you to remember and or get started.

 

Begin A Stardew Valley Multiplayer Farm

There are two ways to begin your collaborative farming journey. Either with a single-player farm that you’ve already been working on or to begin a multiplayer farm. We’ll get to transforming your solo farm in a bit but for now, we’ll go into the basics of a multiplayer farm.

Simply choose the “co-op” section in the main menu, followed by Host. Or you can choose to join a friend’s farm.  

If you want to be able to invite your friends immediately, set the number of “staring cabins” to the number of farmers who will be joining you. Any co-op partner needs to have a cabin in order to join. You may also want to choose the Four Corners farm map which is specifically designed to fit four farmers with their own space to farm on the same land.

To get your Stardew Valley multiplayer journey started you can invite your friend via LAN connection. Or by sending them the invite code located in your options menu in the multiplayer section. You can even invite them directly through your Steam or GOG friends list.

 

From A Solo Farm To A Multiplayer One

In your original Stardew Valley game start by going to Robin’s shop to build a cabin for anyone you want to invite. Each cabin represents one slot for your friend that will be coming into your game. If you want more than one person you must then construct additional cabins, one for each friend. But take note that this is limited to three a game.

Each cabin is pretty cheap to build, so even if you’ve just started a new farm you should be able to create a spot for your friend quickly. Bring Robin 100 gold and 10 stones or 10 wood to get it done. Cabins are built instantly, so you won’t need to wait any days in-game for your friend to join you. Once it’s constructed on your farm, you can now start your Stardew Valley multiplayer. Invite another farmer by starting up split-screen co-op, a LAN session, or sending your invite code.

 

Stardew Valley Multiplayer Options

Starting Cabins
These cabins will come pre-built on your farm, one for each co-op farmer you plan to invite.

Cabin Layout
Nearby cabins will be build close to the main farmhouse while the separate layout makes it feel like you have your own space. If you don’t like the default placement, don’t worry. You can always ask Robin to move them.

Profit Margin
If you’ve been playing Stardew multiplayer you’ll probably notice that more hands means more work gets done and you may find it very, very easy to stack up cash. You can lower the profit you earn on items to give your group a bit more of a challenge.

Money Style
Separate money means that you and your friends have separate wallets, a good choice if you have a friend who won’t stop buying seeds when you were trying to save for that backpack upgrade. Shared money means that all farm hands share one bank account. 

Building Move Mode
This setting can be changed while playing your farm. It controls who on the farm can ask Robin to move buildings. You can set it to “everyone”, “host only” meaning the owner of the farm, or “building owner only” meaning your friends can’t move one another’s cabins and other buildings around.