Stardew Valley is a game developed by solo developer Eric Barone, known by the pseudonym ConcernedApe.

It’s a blend of several genres, including sandbox RPG, adventure, and farming simulator. Originally released for PC in 2016, it quickly made its way to eighth-generation consoles, PSV, and mobile devices due to high player interest and positive reviews.

We embody a young man who, in the past, received an envelope from his grandfather, which he is to open only when he feels he’s had enough of his monotonous life. Tired of corporate work, one day the man opens the letter, learning that he has become the owner of a small farm located beyond the town.

From now on, his goal is to restore the farm to its former glory. Besides expanding the farm, there are many other interesting tasks awaiting us here, starting from participating in local community events to exploring locations full of mysteries and dangers.

Stardew Valley captivates players with its elaborate storyline, unique genre blend, charming pixel art, and a plethora of secrets, Easter Eggs, and references waiting to be discovered. Interested in uncovering the most intriguing Stardew Valley Secrets? Let’s dive in!

Secrets, Easter Eggs, and Mysteries

  • Secrets Hidden in the Title Screen!

Stardew Valley impresses with its attention to detail. Even the intro screen hides many secrets and Easter Eggs. Beneath the options to start a new game, load a save, join co-op mode, or exit the game, there’s the Stardew Valley logo. Have you ever tried clicking on it?

You’ll find miniature aliens, butterflies, Junimos, trees, and much more… Try to discover all the hidden animations!

  • You can put a hat on… almost everybody!

The game offers the possibility to buy various outfits and hats for your character. But did you know you can dress up, not only yourself?

You can put hats on your animals, scarecrows, your kids, even sea urchins. Interestingly, real sea urchins are often seen in nature with various small objects on their… heads(?). It’s probably some form of camouflage – whether intentional or not, it’s quite adorable.

  • Nice try…

In multiplayer mode, pressing the “T” key opens a chat window for players to communicate. However, solo players might be tempted to see if the chat window allows entering cheat codes. Well… you can always try.

Players have attempted various combinations, such as entering the well-known “/rosebud” from The Sims series, allowing for the addition of funds, or “/debug”.

Each of these and similar commands results in the response “Nice try…” signed by the creator himself – ConcernedApe. Further attempts to enter prompts result in the message “ConcernedApe is hard at work…”.

  • Junimo Kart

“Hungry? Thirsty? I’ve got just the thing!” – This slogan is often used by Gus, the owner of The Stardrop Saloon located in Pelican Town.

However, besides food and drinks, the Saloon also houses arcade machines where your character can play various games, including Junimo Kart.

This in-game game is a simple platformer where you ride a small cart on tracks, collecting coins and avoiding obstacles. This game serves as an interesting Easter Egg for those who played Donkey Kong Country on SNES or Game Boy in their childhood and fondly remember level 7 – Mine Cart Carnage.

  • Studio Ghibli References

It’s undeniable that Eric Barone is a huge fan of Japanese Ghibli Inc. Studios films. Stardew Valley is filled with Easter Eggs and references to various characters and motifs known from these beloved animated films.

The Dust Sprites from the Mines are inspired by “Spirited Away’s” soots, the strange scarecrow in a hat is clearly a reference to Turniphead from “Howl’s Moving Castle,” and Evelyn suggesting to our character that he can call her “granny” is another motif typical for Ghibli’s movies.

  • Retro Gaming Easter Eggs

Stardew Valley’s graphics and atmosphere resemble old games known from SNES, PS1, or SEGA consoles. However, the creator made sure that many more elements are associated with old consoles and retro gaming.

Examples include Shane’s blue chickens inspired by those found in ’98 “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,” or the Gourmand Frog from Ginger Island as a reference to a character from Final Fantasy IX (2000) – Quina Quen.

In Abigail’s room, you can find a poster of Crono (Chrono Trigger, 1995), a picture of an SNES controller, and even the console itself. In Sebastian’s room, there’s a poster of Pete (Harvest Moon, 1996), and Earl (ToeJam & Earl, 1991), and in front of the TV, there’s a console resembling Sega Genesis (Mega Drive), named Mega Station.

  • Secret Notes

Throughout the Valley, various notes are hidden in different places – many of them you’ll find by searching nightstands in the villagers’ houses – they describe their ideas, various past events, or plans. However, few know that there are also secret notes!

To find them, you must first obtain the Magnifying Glass. Visiting the town during Winter, you may encounter a mysterious, shadowy figure that suddenly appears, startles your farmer, and then disappears. When you catch it, after a brief conversation, it will hand you a magnifying glass that will help you find the notes.

These notes contain various secrets of the townspeople and the entire Valley – some describe secret projects, others reveal what a particular character would most like to receive as a gift, some contain local gossip, and even… unlock hidden quests!

  • Weird Statues out of Nightmares

When you visit the Museum, you’ll learn that there are a few Lost Books that can be found and returned to this establishment. Before returning them, however, you can read them.

Most of the contents in these books are some difficult-to-understand nonsense, but the texts contain hidden meanings. By reading the first letter of each word, you’ll find clues regarding certain items and locations.

Bringing the required items and placing them in the chests in the specified locations will reward you with three peculiar statues that you can place in your cottage or in the town.

  • Lonely Stone

When you open the map of the entire Stardew Valley, in the bottom, central part, slightly to the left side, you’ll notice a large stone protruding from the water, named Lonely Stone. You can’t approach or swim to it; you can only observe it from a distance or from the map’s perspective.

Interestingly, though, clicking on it on the map will trigger a unique, rocky sound effect. Additionally, players have noticed that fishing near this strange rock formation develops the fishing skill faster and increases the chances of obtaining better catches.

  • Strange shadow out of this world

This is one of the biggest secrets and one of those mysteries that has only a 0.8% chance of appearing in the game.

After your first full year on the farm, and only if you manage to keep a few empty tiles on your property miraculously, there’s a small chance that one morning your character will wake up and see the message “A strange sound was heard in the night.”

When you go outside, you’ll find a Strange Capsule on one random, previously empty tile on the farm. The description of this item will indicate that “something fleshy” is bobbing around inside.

After 3 days, the capsule will crack open, and the item will be named “Empty Capsule”. Later on, it’s possible to encounter (or rather see in the distance) a short, shadowy, human-like figure, most commonly observed around the Bus Stop area. This character is incredibly elusive and shy, there’s no chance to talk to it, only the possibility to see it waving at your character.

Conclusion

Stardew Valley is undoubtedly a great, impressively well-crafted game (hats off, ConcernedApe), full of various secrets!

Fans of iconic anime films and lovers of old games will surely find many references that will warm their hearts. However, it’s worth mentioning that the Stardew Valley secrets and Easter Eggs listed by us are not all the mysteries you can encounter in the game. The creator has hidden many more, and only the most persistent players will be able to find them all!