UPDATED 13:05 EDT / MAY 02 2016

NEWS

Stardew Valley is coming to consoles and getting a co-op mode

Since it was released in February, popular RPG and farming sim Stardew Valley has continued receiving free content updates thanks to the dedication of its sole designer, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, and now it looks like the game has even more coming down the pipeline, including console ports and co-op multiplayer.

“Now, there’s obviously a huge amount of work involved to achieve all this … and I am just one person,” Barone wrote in a progress update on the Stardew Valley blog. “I know in the past I’ve been very adamant about doing everything myself … and I still am, when it comes to game design and content. However, I’ve decided to seek outside help for some of the more technical things listed above.”

“More specifically, I’ve accepted an offer from Chucklefish* in which they will handle the porting, localization, and the technical side of multiplayer. This will allow me to focus on creating new game content for version 1.1, which I will continue to do entirely on my own.”

Unfortunately, Barone could not offer a projected release date for the multiplayer or the console ports, but in the meantime, he said that the game will be getting a number of new features in the 1.1 update.

Some of the new content Barone promised for the upcoming update includes expanded events and interactions with all NPCs, including the addition of Shane and Emily as marriage candidates.

Stardew Valley will also be getting some much needed additions for the later portion of the game, which currently becomes somewhat repetitive by the end of the first in-game year. Barone said that he will be adding several new farming buildings, as well as a number of new artisan goods, crops, and crafting recipes.

The update will also add a number of bug fixes and improvements to both combat mechanics and mining.

*Chucklefish Games, Stardew Valley’s indie publisher

Screenshot by Eric David | SiliconANGLE

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