The much-anticipated Stardew Valley 1.5 update is finally here -- for PC at least. Update 1.5 brings a ton of new content to the game, as well as Quality of Life improvements to continue making the game fun for long time fans. There is so much new exciting stuff to discover that, unfortunately, console players will have to wait until the new year.

Like any patch, the game has been rebalanced with things like price changes, how certain mechanics work, shop changes and even item drop rates. More fixes have also been introduced to solve bugs and even minor visual glitches. Players will likely notice these minor changes as they play the game.

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A Brand-New World

Lava in Stardew

Part of the Fern Islands has been added. Ginger Island can be visited by players now, and with it comes new lore, NPCs, items and even enemies. New NPCs and lore, of course, means new places to discover and friends to make. One of the main NPCs players can befriend, Leo, is also part of a new story that takes place on Ginger Island. As the story unfolds, new areas within the Fern Islands will also unlock. They sort of function the way Pelican Town's do when you first start the game with the community center, characters' stories and areas that unlock as NPCs are befriended and goals met while playing. Fern Islands is a bit more about adventure, though.

Because it's a new area, there are new items to collect as well, expanding what farmers can sell, cook and add to Gunther's collection. The island also has its share of new challenges, like Mr. Qi's and other puzzles. Players have been waiting for something like this to come along for a while and expand on Stardew's lore.

New Farms, Harder Farms

A screenshot of Stardew Valley's Beach farm, which includes a hut and several trees

Alongside this new area will be new farms. A beach layout has been added, and an additional farmland can be unlocked by progressing on Ginger Island. Completely new content has been added to farms in general. There are more customization options when it comes to decorating, for one thing. Beds and multiplayer dressers can now be moved, and best of all, home renovations are finally a thing! Other items that were previously immovable, like the Greenhouse, can also finally be moved, making the whole farm more customizable than ever. There are new animals and crops too, like Ostriches and Mangoes to match the new island life. New crops and forage items, of course, also means new recipes to learn in every department.

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Options when starting a new game are no longer limited to just multiplayer games. There is now an advanced game option when starting a new game at the character and farm customization screen in the bottom left corner. In addition to adjusting profit margins, some brand new ones are available to really test your farming skills. Randomization options for the community center and mining chests are available, and monsters spawning on farms doesn't just apply to the Monster Farm anymore. Live your wildest hard mode Stardew country life.

Everything Else

There are so many things that have been expanded in the Valley, from fighting monsters to basic dialogue. Weapons can now be enchanted, adding a new level to combat and possibly making getting through Skull Cavern just a little easier – unless you do it on the new higher difficulty setting. There is a new breed of quests available called special orders, which appear in the late game. Festivals have also finally been given an upgrade and won't be the same boring ones every year thanks to new dialogue and things to do at the quieter ones like Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. Farms will also have access to new agriculture technologies like a Coffee Maker, Heavy Tapper, Solar Panel and a ton of other things to make life a little easier. Perhaps one of the best new things is split-screen co-op, which means players won't always need to own two copies of the game to enjoy it together. This will be even better when it comes to consoles.

This update contains far too much to list all of it, and it's better to discover for yourself anyway. There are so many new things to find and experience, 1.5 is more like a Stardew Valley expansion than a simple update. Farmers old and new will enjoy the new life it breathes into the Valley.

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