This update is a significant change for Stardew Valley…Not only does it include a good amount of new content (new items, events, etc.,) but it also includes the long-awaited addition of co-op multiplayer!
A detailed blog post on the Stardew Valley website points out some of the new content and provides an in-depth look at how multiplayer works. Stardew Valley now supports 4 player co-op. The Co-op version is described as “nearly identical to single-player, but with 1-3 other friends playing together with you to achieve a common goal.”
Any single-player game can be “converted” to a co-op game by having Robin build one or more cabins on your farm. One player serves as the host, and the other 1-3 players connect to the host in order to play. Therefore, the host must be in-game at all times when the group wants to play.
Clicking the Co-op button will bring up a menu that allows you to:
- Host a new co-op game
- Re-host an existing co-op game
- Join a farm (provided that any of your friends are hosting and have a cabin available for you)
- Re-join a farm (provided that the host is in-game)
- Join a LAN game (by entering the IP address of the host)
- Enter an invite code (generated by the host) to join a game (this allows for Steam/GOG crossplay)
In addition to new content being added, and a multiplayer option, the blog post states that console versions of multiplayer are in development and coming soon.