Eight years after its 2016 launch, Stardew Valley developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has lastly accomplished 100% of the sport he created.
Naturally, Barone–who single-handedly crafted each inch of Stardew Valley, from its artwork to its soundtrack to its code–has accomplished full start-to-finish playthroughs of his recreation prior to now. However this week, Barone revealed that he is just lately accomplished the sport in its entirety by unlocking all of Stardew Valley’s 49 Steam achievements–and that the sport’s 1.6 replace now has a concrete launch date for console and cellular units.
“I needed to do it over a pair days as a result of I used to be on a multiplayer farm,” Barone told a curious fan on Twitter. “However I did not ‘cheese’ it with the reloads, it was a reputable no-death run.”
Clearly, player-characters cannot simply keel over and actually die in Barone’s cozy little farming sim (though they will cross out). However Stardew Valley contains a number of arcade-style mini-games through which the player-character’s player-character can, actually, die. This does not have significantly dire penalties… until you are taking pictures for the Fector’s Problem achievement. Unlocking this achievement requires gamers to beat one of many aforementioned arcade mini-games–Journey of the Prairie King, a Smash TV-style recreation discovered within the Stardrop Saloon–without dying. Journey of the Prairie King consists of three stages, with a total of 10 areas to navigate (plus a boss struggle on the finish of every stage). The minigame is notoriously difficult, and is commonly the final achievement that Stardew Valley completionists handle to complete.
“I intentionally labored on Fector’s Problem as a result of it was the one one I did not have,” Barone said, confirming that identical to many different Stardew Valley achievement hunters, Fector’s Problem was the ultimate hurdle he needed to overcome.
The Haunted Chocolatier dev additionally shared some suggestions for gamers who’re struggling to grasp Journey of the Prairie King.
“You want cash, so do not use the ‘nukes’ as a result of the enemies do not drop something from that,” Barone explained after a player asked for advice. “Buy one of the best merchandise you’ll be able to afford on this order: ammo > revolver > boots. Save a machine gun power-up for combating Fector, you’ll be able to take him down earlier than he even has an opportunity to assault you.”
Barone additionally shared some useful information on combating the Outlaw:
“He has two strikes, one the place he strikes throughout the display screen and shoots,” Barone tweeted. “For that one, transfer in the wrong way as him to keep away from his bullets, after which hit him diagonally when he pauses. The different transfer, he pops out and shoots straight at you. In the event you place your self proper on the fringe of his ‘cowl,’ he will not be capable to hit you, however you’ll be able to hit him.”
However maybe essentially the most fascinating information Barone revealed throughout his chat with gamers relating to the achievement had nothing to do with minigames in any respect. As an alternative, Barone confirmed that Stardew Valley’s long-awaited 1.6 replace is hitting consoles very quickly.
How quickly, precisely?
“1 week,” Barone tweeted in reply to a player who had requested if there was any information concerning the console replace.
The 1.6 replace launched for PC final March, and contains a huge quantity of content material, together with new gadgets and crafting supplies, improved NPC dialogue, new pets for gamers to undertake, a quest a couple of actually huge tree, and extra.
Sadly, the preliminary PC launch launched a couple of bugs, and the replace itself wasn’t but prepared for launch on console or cellular. Barone pledged that he would briefly stop all work on Haunted Chocolatier till the Stardew Valley 1.6 replace was “settled.”
“I’m wanting to get again to work on [Haunted Chocolatier],” he stated on the time. “However I’ve to see Stardew 1.6 settled, bug-free and out to all platforms first.”
In September, he offered an replace on the state of Stardew 1.6, acknowledging that the console and cellular ports have been taking a while.
“I used to be initially hoping [the PC update and console/mobile updates] can be [releasing] perhaps one month aside, max,” Barone admitted. “At any charge, I really feel dangerous about it.”
Later that month, Barone quietly made a post on the official Stardew Valley website revealing that the replace would come to console and cellular units on November 4, which tracks with Barone’s latest assertion that the replace is only a week away.
“The console and cellular ports of the 1.6 replace might be launched on November 4th, 2024,” Barone’s put up reads. “Thanks in your endurance. The console and cellular ports will launch at model 1.6.9, which may even come to PC round that point.”
Barone’s wording makes it sound like 1.6.9 may not launch for PC at the very same time it lands on console and cellular units. So it is unclear if he means the 1.6.9 replace will come to PC a couple of hours after it hits console and cellular, or if PC gamers should wait a couple of days or even weeks to achieve entry. Regardless, that is excellent news for each die-hard Stardew Valley followers and gamers who’re itching to get their palms on Barone’s subsequent creation.
“I am trying ahead to having 1.6 totally launched on all platforms,” Barone stated after asserting the discharge date. “Then I want to end Haunted Chocolatier subsequent. Thanks.”