Stardew Valley is a game full of secrets waiting to be encountered. While some are easier to find than others, they all reward exploration with neat surprises.
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Below you will find several of the best secrets that Stardew Valley has to offer.
Alien Easter Egg
When on the main menu, if you click on the E in Stardew Valley, you'll notice that an alien appears for a brief moment. This has no known implications on gameplay, but is a neat easter egg that has surprised many players.
Some players have suggested that there may be aliens or UFOs in the game, although there is no evidence to prove their existence.
Greenhouse
Have you ever wondered what that broken down building on the Northwest side of your farm is? As it turns out, it's a greenhouse that has broken down from wear and tear. The good news is that you can rebuild it.
READ MORE: The Best and Most Profitable Crops For Each Season
Completion of the Crafts bundle in the Community Center will unlock the Greenhouse. It's a small room where you can raise crops throughout the year regardless of season, making it a huge potential money maker, especially in the Winter. As such, completing the corresponding bundle is well worth your time investment.
Hat House
Part way through the game you should be notified that there's a special vendor located out in the Woods. If you head to the Southwest corner of the map, you'll find a small shop with a cat face on it. At this location you can shop for a variety of hats.
Hats are cosmetic and cost 1000G each. More are unlocked as you complete achievements.
Joja Warehouse
Early on in the game players are introduced to JojaMart and its selfish owner. Players are given an opportunity to spend 5000G to obtain a JojaMart Membership, which many avoid since its perks aren't explained.
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As it turns out, purchase of the JojaMart Membership results in the Community Center being replaced by a Joja Warehouse. This warehouse allows players to purchase the bundles from JojaMart for large sums of money, making it an interesting option for those who don't want to manually complete the collections.
Legendary Fish
There are a total of five legendary fish in the game. They are as follows:
- Angler – Found in the River to the East of the Community Center during Fall. Worth 1055G.
- Crimsonfish – Found when casting off from the pier on the Eastern Beach during Summer. Worth 2800G.
- Glacierfish – Found in the large lake near Marnie's Farm during Winter. Worth 1000G.
- Legend – Found in the Mine Lake during Spring when it's raining. Valued at 11,250G.
- Mutant Carp – Found in The Sewers. Worth 1000G.
Each of these fish are very difficult to catch and require an Iridium Rod. Note that each can only be caught once.
Meteor Strike
Typically, in the Fall or Winter of the first year you will wake up to a loud explosion. It won't be clear what caused the noise, but the culprit is something very interesting.
As it turns out, a meteor will land somewhere in Stardew Valley when this happens. Most of the time it lands on your farm land, but not every time. The meteor can be mined with an upgraded pickaxe for all kinds of ore, including rare Iridium Ore, and rocks, making it a welcomed gift from above.
The model of the meteor was recently updated in patch v1.04 to have the purple Iridium look as seen above.
Mine Dwarf
"If you bother to read the books you collect with the wiggling worms. The books explain Dwarfs are from outer space. Additionally, if you collect Dwarf scroll I, II, III, and IV. You will be given a scroll by Gunther that teaches you the Dwarf language. Allowing you to talk with the Dwarf found in the mines. To access the Dwarf hit the rock wall you see on your right side when you enter the mine, with a level 2 (Steel) Pickaxe or a Cherry Bomb."
– Terdle
Old Mariner
One of the first secrets that players tend to encounter is the broken Bridge on the Beach. For just 300 wood players gain access to the Eastern Beach where a variety of valuable sea items spawn. While this might not be a surprising location for most players, it does house one of the game's more elusive features.
READ MORE: Stardew Valley Relationship and Marriage Guide
There's a character found on the Eastern Beach when it's raining named Old Mariner. He doesn't explain much other than the fact that he has a special item that he'd like to sell you for 5000G. As it turns out, this item is required to propose to someone for marriage. The item is a Mermaid's Pendant, and it can only be gifted to someone who has 10 hearts, and a special bouquet must have been traded to the person beforehand.
Marriage can be initiated with both genders, and it also requires that you've upgraded your home to make room for your partner.
Rarecrow Collection
There is a collection of eight Rarecrows in the game that are obtained through various means. They are as follows:
- Rarecrow #1 – Purchased at the Stardew Fair for 800 tokens.
- Rarecrow #2 – Purchased at the Spirit's Eve festival for 2000G.
- Rarecrow #3 – Purchased at the Flower Festival for 2500G.
- Rarecrow #4 – Purchased at the Secret Wagon in the Woods during Winter for 4000G.
- Rarecrow #5 – Purchased at the Flower Festival for 2500G.
- Rarecrow #6 – Found at the Casino.
- Rarecrow #7 – Donate 54 items to the Museum.
- Rarecrow #8 – Donate 60 items to the Museum.
Rarecrows function similarly to the Scarecrow by warding off crows that attempt to attack your crops. However, each has a unique visual style. Rarecrow #8 is picture above next to my character.
Secret Forest
If you've upgraded your axe at least once, then you'll be able to access the Secret Forest. To find it, head to the Wizard's Tower in the Woods to the West. If you look just north of the tower you will see a large wooden log barring access to an area to the left of the screen. If you chop the wood and head West, you'll find a hidden area. Note that chopping the log requires a Steel Axe (two upgrades).
ALSO READ: The Hidden Secrets of Stardew Valley
The Secret Forest has several Slimes to kill, as well as several Hardwood tree stumps that respawn daily. If you trade a Sweet Gem Berry to the statue to the West side of this area, then you will receive a Stardrop.
Super Crops
Some players (including myself as seen above) have been surprised by massive crops appearing on their farm. As it turns out, there's a chance that when you plant several crops of the same type in a 3 x 3 square they will turn into one massive super crop. It's so wild and unbelievable that some players have wondered if their game is broken.
The super crop can only be harvested by hitting it with an axe several times, and produces a large volume of output providing a nice income bonus for those fortunate enough to encounter one.
The Desert
Completion of the Bus Stop bundle at the Community Center will allow you to ride the Bus near your home. The Bus will take you to a new area called The Desert, a place sometimes mentioned by villagers in Stardew Valley and located on the Northwest corner of the map.
The Desert has several locations to note, including the Skull Dungeon, which is only accessible to those who have obtained a Skull Key from finishing all 120 levels of the Mines. There's also a small lake in the area which serves as the only place where Sand Fish can be caught. Coconuts and Cactus Fruits are also exclusive to this area, making The Desert necessary for Community Center completion.
ALSO READ: A Guide to Completing the Mines
In addition, there's a small pink building called Oasis where there are useful items to purchase and NPCs to talk to.
The Sewers
Although The Sewers are introduced to every player via a cutscene relatively early on in the adventure, it isn't made clear how players can access the location. As it turns out, access requires collection of 60 artifacts in the Museum. Upon completion of this collection, players can enter the secret locale.
The Sewers house an NPC named Krobus whom sells rare items. There is also an area to fish. The legendary Mutant Carp can only be fished from the waters of The Sewer, making it an important destination for Fishing fans.
Traveling Cart
If you're lucky, then you'll come across a big wagon out near the Lake at some point during your adventure. It very rarely shows up, and sells a variety of rare items.
Some of the rare items available for purchase include rare seeds and even items needed for the Community Center Bundles.
Tip from Louie Clark: "Traveling cart shows up Friday and Sunday".
Worms
Have you ever noticed those worms wiggling around in the soil across the map? Well, you can hit them with your Hoe to reveal a hidden item.
The rewards for hitting the worms are surprisingly good. You'll find artifacts, rare goods, library book collections, and more at no cost. These worms spawn all across the map and are worth your time.
Interesting fact: the creator of the game (ConcernedApe) argues that these are actually twigs sticking out of the ground. However, the community prefers to call them worms since they move around.
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