Online Multiplayer Is Finally Coming to Mobile Stardew Valley

The latest iteration of Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone’s cult classic Stardew Valley farm simulator is now available. The update contains a host of new features and assets as well as a sizable secret for mobile players: multiplayer mode.

That's right, you're finally getting some farm hands to help manage your mobile spread. The new feature is finally available on the mobile app, having previously debuted on both the PC and console versions, enabling up to eight players to help out around a central farm. The mobile version is currently "hidden" for a reason, Barone explains in a post on X (formerly Twitter). They note that multiplayer is "an experimental feature, so it might still have some bugs or issues," and warn that "the nature of the mobile platform could make a multiplayer session frustrating, under certain scenarios."

Barone explains that the mobile multiplayer system works similarly to those on PC and console, save that there is no farm discovery ability, and that players can only connect via IP (though it also works if you join a PC-hosted farm from your mobile device, preferably through an ethernet or Wi-Fi connection.) "If you try to connect or host using a cell phone network, you will likely encounter problems," Barone warns, noting that "if someone were to host a game from a low-performance phone, on a cell network," connectivity issues could potentially spoil the game experience for all players.

Stardew Valley

To access the hidden multiplayer mode, first navigate to the app's opening screen and look for the leaves at each corner of the wooden Stardew Valley sign. The leaves in the Upper Left are, for our purposes, designated Left, the leaf in the Upper Right corner is designated Up, the leaf in the Lower Left is designated Down, and the leaf in the right corner of the sign is, you guessed it, designated Right.

Once you've got those straight, you're going to need to tap the leaves in a specific order, which is literally the Konami Code: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, then click the question mark button in the lower right corner of the loading screen. As soon as you exit the question mark screen, you should see a Co-op button that will allow you to either host or join a multiplayer session.

Note that all the players will have to be on the same Wi-Fi/hotspot/ethernet network for multiplayer to work. Don't forget to back up your saves before starting a new multiplayer session.

Source: Stardew Valley