Stardew Valley's big 1.3 update is out today, in beta form at least. The most exciting part is definitely the new multiplayer system, but in addition to that there's also a bunch of new single-player content, and we've been digging in to find all the new stuff.
Perhaps the coolest thing we've found so far is a new "Community Upgrade" option that becomes available from Robin the carpenter after you've fully upgraded your home. For the low low price of 500,000 gold, you can build a home for Pam, the bus driver who lives in a trailer with her daughter Penny.
We haven't had a chance to complete the purchase yet, so we're not sure what Pam's new house will look like—or if there are further community upgrades offered after that one. Either way, it's a cool bit of story that will let me invest some of my wine riches back into the community.
There's plenty of other cool stuff in the new patch, such as the option to build additional shipping containers as well as a new garden pot that will let you grow crops year-round indoors (outside of the Greenhouse). Here's some other bigger stuff we've found so far:
- New friendship events with Linus, Willie, and Krobus.
- New "Night Market" event, where a handful of merchant ships come to the Stardew Valley docks.
- Horses can wear hats.
- An "Auto-Grabber" that automatically harvests from cows, sheep, and goats.
- You can change your profession via a "Statue of Uncertainty" in the sewers.
- Three new fish.
There's plenty of other small additions (check out this Reddit thread that's being updated as people find new stuff). It's worth noting that the beta is still fairly buggy and prone to crashes, so tread carefully and back up your save files if you want to jump in right away.
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As the former head of PC Gamer's hardware coverage, Bo was in charge of helping readers better understand and use PC hardware. He also headed up the buying guides, picking the best peripherals and components to spend your hard-earned money on. He can usually be found playing Overwatch, Apex Legends, or more likely, with his cats. He is now IGN's resident tech editor and PC hardware expert.
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