Everything you need to know about Stardew Valley multiplayer

Stardew Valley was initially released as a single-player game, but a co-op multiplayer mode was added in 2018. Though the game can be enjoyed thoroughly while playing solo, Stardew Valley multiplayer adds a lot to the experience.

From sharing crop watering duties to tackling the mines with a partner, Stardew Valley multiplayer is a treat in many ways and can make the game significantly easier. Here’s how to access the game’s multiplayer, and how it varies from platform to platform.

Is Stardew Valley fully multiplayer?

Stardew Valley has fully functional multiplayer on PC and consoles, including both online multiplayer and split-screen couch co-op. This allows players to host friends on their farm, allowing all players to help contribute to the farm’s income.

While playing co-op, players can see and interact with one another. They can help each other work the fields, go fishing together, adventure into the mines, or do anything else. Players can do everything together in Stardew Valley multiplayer, including getting married to one another.

How to play Stardew Valley multiplayer

Stardew Valley multiplayer is handled differently depending on the platform and whether players are looking to play online or couch co-op. Up to four players can play together at a time.

The easiest way to play is with couch co-op on a fresh save. Players simply need to connect their controllers to the same device, go to the main menu, select “Split Screen” and start on a new save. This will allow them to add multiple cottages to the farmland, giving each player their own home and area to work with.

The Stardew Valley 1.5 Update for Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation are out, and should be available on all platforms within the next couple of hours.

— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) February 11, 2021

In order to play multiplayer on an existing single-player save file, players need to add a cottage to their farm to serve as the home for other players. There are a few different types of cottages that can be built by Robin and all are quite affordable, costing just 100 gold and either 10 stone, 10 wood, or five fiber and five wood. Unlike other farm buildings, the cottages are built instantly. After auto-saving their game by sleeping, players can return to the main menu, select co-op, and then load their farm with its new cottage.

The process is largely similar in online multiplayer. A player can host their farm for multiplayer games and invite players in. There can only be one host however, meaning that players will not be able to have two separate farms in play at the same time.

Is Stardew Valley split-screen co-op?

Stardew Valley has the option for both split-screen local co-op and online multiplayer co-op. Split-screen co-op is available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. It’s worth noting that four players can play together on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, but only two players can play simultaneously on the Nintendo Switch. 

As with all other forms of Stardew Valley multiplayer, the best way to play is with a brand new game file. But if players are looking to play couch co-op an existing save, here is the process:

• Load the farm that you wish to play couch co-op on
• Construct a cottage for each player that is set to join
• Open menu, navigate to options
• Scroll down and find button that reads “Start Local Co-op”
• Assign players to controllers and start playing

Will Stardew Valley multiplayer ever launch on mobile?

Unfortunately, it’s looking as though Stardew Valley multiplayer will never arrive on mobile devices. In 2020, Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe effectively said mobile devices are incapable of running multiplayer in the game on Twitter:

There are technical barriers that make it unfeasible. If you'd like to play multiplayer I recommend getting the PC or console version

— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) May 17, 2020

Given how old Stardew Valley is at this point, odds are this isn’t going to change. Though Stardew Valley’s single-player mode can be enjoyed on mobile devices, it’s unlikely that multiplayer will ever arrive.

Can players marry each other in Stardew Valley multiplayer?

Players are capable of marrying each other in Stardew Valley co-op, but it’s primarily a late-game endeavor.

In order for two players to get married in Stardew Valley, one player needs to purchase a wedding ring crafting recipe from the traveling cart for 500 gold. After purchasing the recipe, the item can be crafted with five Iridium Bars and one Prismatic Shard.

After crafting a wedding ring, one player can give it to another to propose. If the second player accepts, the wedding will take place in the following days.

Unfortunately, Prismatic Shards and Iridium can’t be readily obtained until fairly deep into the game, which makes wedding rings difficult to obtain until players have the equipment to start farming items in the depths of Calico Desert’s Skull Cave. For most players, this won’t come until late into their first year or beyond.

Marrying another player doesn’t bring all of the same perks of marrying an NPC who will randomly gift items, tend crops, mend fences, and feed livestock. From a purely min-maxing perspective, players are better off marrying an NPC than an actual player.