Stardew Valleyis full to the brim with unique content, so much so that there’s a good chance that players will miss a lot of it even after playing for hundreds of hours. From hidden areas players can unlock to entire features that can go completely missed, fans may not be getting the most out of theirStardew Valleyexperience. Luckily, it’s easy to start learning about them and working towards unlocking them.

There are a lot ofhidden features inStardew Valleythat players won’t know about, but a lot of these techniques and mechanics aren’t so much hidden as they are just unexplained. However, they’re readily available for all to use, and can actually greatly improve the overall experience.Knowing about these features in Stardew Valley can add a significant amount of play time, or just give fatigued players some extra direction.

Sam and Abigail looking scared in front of the Shrine of Challenge in Stardew Valley.

10Using Upgraded Tools To Cover More Ground

Holding Down The Action Button With An Upgraded Tool Is More Effective

Players can upgrade their tools inStardew Valleyto great effect, making farming, mining, and more significantly easier and more efficient.To upgrade any tool, one must take it to Clint, the Blacksmith, and hand over five bars of metal and some money. Once this process is complete, players will have a much better item, with a unique ability that many players don’t seem to know exists.

When using an upgraded tool,if the player holds down the action button before using it, they’ll cover a lot more area. For example, a Steel Watering Can will cover five squares instead of one, but will still use the same amount of stamina as if the player had only used it on one square, making it far more efficient. Once players learn to use this technique, they can start growing thebest crops inStardew Valleyfar more efficiently, which will completely revolutionize their farming experience.

Leah, Elliot, and Abigail’s portraits from Stardew Valley with a farm.

9Rearranging The Artifacts In The Museum

It’s Possible To Make The Museum Less Messy

IfStardew Valleyfans find an artifact, they can take it to Gunther’s museum to display it in any of the available slots. This can lead to a museum looking just a little messy, especially if these artifacts are not found in any particular order and are therefore placed randomly next to each other. Fortunately,the ability to rearrange them was introduced toStardew Valleyin a patch.

10 Scariest Stardew Valley Monsters, Ranked

There are plenty of unnerving monsters hiding in the caves and mines in Stardew Valley, and these are just 10 of the scariest of them.

If players interact with the ledger next to Gunther in the museum, they’ll see the option to rearrange the artifacts, allowing them to organize them any way they like. Additionally, the option to rearrange the museum can also be done via the donation screen, with fans able to click and move items around as they see fit. This is an absolute game changer inStardew Valley, and one that can make the museum a far more attractive space to show off to friends.

Pierre, Lewis, and Gunther In Stardew Valley.

8Grow Giant Crops

Grow Giant Cauliflowers, Melons, And More

Growing crops inStardew Valleycan be a little difficult, especially if a lot is needed at once. Fortunately, there’s a much quicker way of growing crops that speeds up the process by providing the player with far more produce at once. All they need to do is grow giant crops, but, unfortunately, this isn’t as simple as it sounds, andonly works with certain crops like cauliflowers, Qi fruit, melons, and pumpkins.

Players aren’t guaranteed to grow a giant crop by following this method. There is only a 1% chance of growing a giant crop inStardew Valley, so players will need a lot of luck for it to happen.

NPCs with a farmer and a farm from Stardew valley

Players will need to have a 3x3 patch of one of the aforementioned crops that are fully grown, and then must water the middle one. Once this is done, there is a small chance that it will transform into a giant crop which will give the player a huge amount of produce when harvested. While growing giant crops is just one of the manythings that don’t make sense inStardew Valley, it’s still an incredibly efficient way of getting a lot of crops very quickly.

7Fishing For Unique Decor Items

There Are Unusual Fishing Locations Where Players Can Get Decor Items

Fishing is an incredibly enjoyable part ofStardew Valley, and perfect for players looking to complete some of the fish-focused community bundles. However,there is a way to get unique decor items from fishing and not the bog-standard fish, and that’s by finding special fishing spots. There are a lot acrossStardew Valley’svast world, including the pool next to the Spa and the Community Center fountain.

10 Best Stardew Valley NPCs To Live With, Based On Their Room Designs

Each possible romantic partner in Stardew Valley will add a unique room to the player’s house after marriage, some of which are nicer than others.

Players can get paintings, quest items, hats, statues, and so much more from hunting down all of these special fishing spotsinStardew Valley. For the most part, any body of water that isn’t typically used for fishing will net the player with a unique item. Fans are encouraged to grab their fishing rods and start tossing their lures into every body of water they can find.

mixcollage-08-dec-2024-02-11-pm-2997.jpg

6Be Dumped By Every Bachelor Or Bachelorette

Players Can Get Dumped By All Boys Or Girls Simultaneously

There is a way to date absolutely every bachelor or bachelorette inStardew Valley, although it can have some dire consequences. If players raise their friendship level with either every bachelor or bachelorette, then gift them a bouquet after reaching friendship level 8, and then finally reach friendship level 10 with all of them, they can unlock a unique cutscene that sees them all dump the player. If the player has been pursuing all the bachelors, once they’ve reached friendship level 10 with them all, they just need to head to the Stardrop Saloon.

Similarly, for fans who’ve reached friendship level 10 with all the bachelorettes, they need to head to Haley and Emily’s house. However,if the player goes to either of these locations with a Rabbit’s Foot, they’ll get away with dating everyone, as a unique cutscene occurs where the bachelors or bachelorettes don’t care. Of course, players will have to suffer through some of thecringiest lines of romance dialogue inStardew Valleyin order to reach these cutscenes, but the payoff is definitely worth it.

5Get Blue Chickens

Players Can Unlock Rare Blue Chickens

Regular chickens are perfectly fine inStardew Valley, but some players may not know that they can actually unlock blue chickens. These are incredibly rare and require the player to follow specific steps in order to get them, but it is incredible to see them wander around the farm.All players need to do is reach Shane’s eight-heart event, as that involves learning that he is raising blue chickens.

10 Most-Hated Stardew Valley Villagers, Ranked

Not all of Stardew Valley’s villagers are as well-liked as others. Some are even widely hated by the fanbase, whether they deserve it or not.

Once players have completed that event,they’ll have a 25% of getting a blue chicken every time they buy one from Marnie or hatch one out of an egg. There’s no substantial difference between blue and regular chickens beyond how they look inStardew Valley. Nevertheless, it’s a pretty amazing sight to behold, and a great reward for fans of Shane.

4Players Can Fast Travel With Their Horse On Ginger Island

Bring The Horse Onto The Parrot Express To Have It Fast Travel

InStardew Valley, players can ride around Ginger Island with their horse, greatly speeding up the amount of time spent exploring. Additionally, players can use the Parrot Express, a series of small wooden huts found across Ginger Island, to fast travel. However,whenever players use the Parrot Express to fast travel, they’ll leave their horse behind.

What players may not know is thatif they ride onto the Parrot Express with their horse, then they can fast travel with it, allowing them to continue riding it when they reach their destination. Of course, in order to get the horse to Ginger Island, players will first need to spend their Qi points to unlock the Horse Flute. However, once they’ve gotten that, there are plenty of other greatitems to buy with Qi points inStardew Valley, so it’s important to save them up.

3Get Into The Sewer

Players Can Unlock It After Donating To The Museum

The Sewer is a unique location inStardew Valleythat’s completely locked off from the player at the very start of the game. However, fans who are eager to discover what lies beyond its locked gate can actually do so, as long as they complete a very long-winded task beforehand. All players need to doin order to access the sewer inStardew Valleyis donate 60 items to the museum.

In the sewer, players will find unique fish in the water, a new NPC called Krobus who also sells things, the Statue of Uncertainty, and the Mutant Bug Lair. However, players will only be able to access the Mutant Bug Lair if they have been given the “Dark Talisman” quest from the Wizard.

Once players have successfully given 60 items to the museum, they’ll get a unique cutscenethe morning after. Gunther will appear at the farm and give the player a key that unlocks the Sewer gate. Fans can then head straight there and begin exploring, uncovering all of its secrets and new features.

2Unlock The Galaxy Sword, Hammer, And Dagger

Get The Most Powerful Weapon In Stardew Valley

The most powerful weapon in all ofStardew Valleyis the Galaxy Sword, and similarly, the Galaxy Hammer and Dagger are also incredibly useful. However, unlocking them is pretty difficult, even when players have uncovered the method. To get the Galaxy Sword,fans must first get a Prismatic Shard, and then take it to the three pillars near the vendor in Calico Desert.

10 Stardew Valley Challenge Runs To Try If 1.6 Is Already Boring You

Farming simulators can start to get boring, but Stardew Valley can feel new again by attempting to complete community created challenges.

After holding the Prismatic Shard in their hand inside the circle located between the three pillars, they’ll get the Galaxy Sword. Once this has been completed,fans can then purchase the Galaxy Hammer and Dagger from the Adventurer’s Guild. It’s a convoluted method, but one that rewards the player for their time and effort with a truly incredible tool.

1Turn Children Into Doves

Get Rid Of Children By Having Them Fly Away

Having children is a great part ofStardew Valley, as it allows fans to start a family with their chosen partner. However, for some, it may end up being a curse rather than a blessing, and overworked digital parents may feel like getting rid of their kids. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on who is being asked,there is actually a way of getting rid of children inStardew Valley.

If players head to the Witch’s Hut and give a Prismatic Shard to the Dark Shrine of Selfishness, their children will be transformed into doves. This will cause them to fly away, becoming permanently lost forever, never to return to the player or be transformed back into children. It’s a dark part ofStardew Valley, and maybe a feature most players aren’t interested in, but one that’s nonetheless available for those who want to return to their child-free life.