From Stardew Valley Wiki

A screenshot of multiplayer showing two cabins and two players.

Multiplayer is an optional game mode in which 1–4 players can play in the same world over LAN or the Internet. Multiplayer is available on the PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One versions, but is not available on the iOS or Android ports. Each player needs their own copy of the game (split-screen isn't supported), and additional services may be necessary, depending on the platform. Cross-platform play is not supported in Stardew Valley multiplayer.

The player who created the world (the "host") has the save file on their system, can launch it in multiplayer mode, and can play solo at any time. If the host is not online or the farm is not currently open to other players, then the world is not accessible to other players who had previously connected to the world (the "farmhands") and they cannot view their characters or any other information from that world. Farm ownership cannot be transferred to farmhands without modding.

Creating a multiplayer world

Multiplayer worlds can either begin intended for multiplayer or be converted from a singleplayer save file and opened for new players to join.

Starting a new multiplayer world

To begin a world designed for multiplayer, the host must select "Co-op" instead of "New" from the main menu, then select the "Host" tab and create a new farm. This character and farm creation screen is largely similar to the singleplayer one, but with the additional options to add cabins, set a profit margin, and decide whether all players share a wallet or have their own wallets.

The host can opt to add as many or few cabins at the start as they wish. The number of cabins added at the start determines how many farmhands can immediately join the game once connection is open. Cabins can be added or removed after farm creation.

Profit margins cannot be changed after farm creation, but wallet sharing can.

Converting a singleplayer world into multiplayer

A singleplayer world can be converted into a multiplayer world by building enough cabins for prospective farmhands on The Farm in singleplayer mode, saving the game and exiting to the main menu, then opening the save file via "Co-op" instead of "Load".

Making connections

Once a world is ready for multiplayer, the host must open the world for other players to enter. All worlds are closed to other players by default upon creation. To open the farm, the host must go to the Settings tab in their Inventory and select the options they want to use to open the world.

For farmhands:

PC On Linux/Mac/Windows, you can connect to other players in three ways: When run through Steam, multiplayer farms hosted by your Steam friends will appear on the co-op join screen.

When run through GOG Galaxy or Steam, an invite code appears in the in-game options. Other players can type that into the join screen to connect if they also have GOG Galaxy or Steam.

Via direct IP address. This may require an open firewall port or virtual LAN service like Hamachi. By default, the server uses UDP port 24642. [1]



PlayStation 4 On the PS4, you can connect to other players via PlayStation Plus. Multiplayer without a subscription isn't supported.

Switch On the Switch, you can connect to other players in two ways: Multiplayer farms hosted by people on your friends-list or by you. Your friend's farms will appear on the "join" tab. You can host your farm on the "host" tab so it will appear to your friends on the "join" tab. You will need a Nintendo Switch Online account to play with your friends.

Via local communications play (no Nintendo Switch Online account needed).

Xbox One On the Xbox One, you can connect to other players via Xbox Live Gold. Multiplayer without a subscription isn't supported.

Features

Multiplayer mode is mostly identical to singleplayer mode, though certain features are specific to multiplayer only.

Four Corners farm map

The Four Corners map

The Four Corners farm map was designed with multiplayer mode in mind. Each quadrant of the map features a small area for perks from some of the other farm maps to manifest, as well as a tiny pond for players in quadrants besides the quadrant with the large pond to draw water from. However, the Four Corners Map is also available for singleplayer.

Cabins

The farm can contain up to 3 cabins (selectable during farm creation). For each cabin built, one player can join the farm. If the farm starts with fewer than 3 cabins (including if the farm was begun as a singleplayer save file), Robin can build up to 3 cabins total on the farm for 100g each. Cabin-building is instantaneous, so extra cabins can be built on the first day of the game.

The host player can also demolish a cabin at any time. Demolishing a cabin removes its occupant from the game.

A cabin can be upgraded at the carpenter's shop by the farmhand who occupies it, but not by the host or any other player. The interior layout of an upgraded cabin is identical to the interior of an upgraded farmhouse, with one exception: the fireplace is replaced by a chest of drawers that holds the farmhand's inventory when the farmhand is not online. This chest of drawers cannot be moved and cannot be accessed by the farmhand who owns it. As with the farmhouse, the physical footprint of the cabin does not change when upgraded.

Profit margins

When creating a new multiplayer save, you can choose a profit margin of 25%, 50%, 75%, or default (100%). Opting to lower the profit margin helps rebalance the economy in multiplayer mode by reducing the gold obtained when selling most items (including crops, forage, minerals, and cooked foods) to account for the increased productivity from the increased number of active players. For example, at 25% profit margin, you can sell Wheat for 6g instead of 25g.

Purchase prices for seeds at Pierre's General Store and purchase prices for Grass Starter, Sugar, Wheat Flour, and Rice at JojaMart are scaled with the profit margin set. Prices for other items (including Blacksmith and Fish Shop shop items, buildings, and tool upgrades) and quest gold rewards are not affected.

Lowering the profit margin makes gold much harder to come by in the early game; progressing in all your skills evenly, crafting items, and completing Help Wanted quests become far more important. For example, Willy still sells Crab Pots for 1,500g despite your reduced income, so mining iron and crafting your own Crab Pots may be more economical.

Note that there's no profit margin option when creating a singleplayer save. However, you can have a singleplayer save with a chosen profit margin by creating a multiplayer save and playing solo. Choose "Co-op" at the main menu instead of "New", then "Load" it in singleplayer after the save file is created.

Marriage

Players can marry an NPC, which works the same way as single-player. Each NPC can only be married by one player at a time, and children are added to the married player's home.

Players can marry another player by giving them a wedding ring. Married players get a Stardrop in a purple giftbox next to their home beds after the wedding (equivalent to the Stardrop received from an NPC spouse). A home is eligible for children if it's owned by one of the married players, has the kids' room upgrade, doesn't already have two children, and both players are sleeping in its bed; the game will randomly let one player propose having children to the other, and if accepted, the child will be added to the home that both players are sleeping in (if eligible), else the other player's home (if eligible), else the current home.

Gameplay

Some decisions are made collaboratively by all players by either clicking dialogues or joining areas: when to sleep, by entering a bed; when to start a festival, by entering the area; whether to finish the Community Center or buy a Joja membership; when to pause the game using a /pause command (opening a menu doesn't pause in multiplayer).

All players share the same farmland. Players may choose to pool their money or split it between each player.

Each player has their own energy bar, their own Skills, and their own relationships with NPCs.

Each player has a separate mailbox and spouse porch area also each player can build a separate cellar.

Each NPC can only be married by one player. If multiple players want the same spouse, the first to propose will win their hand.

Interactions between players: Players can marry each other and have children. Players propose to each other using a craftable Wedding Ring. The wedding ring recipe can be obtained at the Traveling Cart for 500g 500g Players can dance with each other in the Flower Dance Festival (no prior requirements). Players can see other players’ scores during certain festivals.



Quests and progress

Quest progress is largely kept on an individual level, though players can help each other with quests.

Quests set difficulty based on the highest-level player.

Mine progress is global, and each player can open chests for themselves (using the elevator to reach required floors also satisfies the mine quests).

Museum collection is global, and every player gets their own set of rewards.

The reward for completing the Bulletin Board bundle is applied to all players.

Completing bundle sets or Joja forms unlocks the final reward for every player. However, only the player who completes a bundle can pick up the reward. Repairing the bridge at the beach is also global.

Each player's tools have to be upgraded individually, though tools can freely be traded between players depending on need. This also eliminates any possible problems of not having a tool available during the upgrade.

Any player can purchase and place buildings on the farm, though only the host can upgrade the farmhouse and cabins can only be upgraded by their owners.

Every player has their own set of Stardrops to obtain, though most of them will be available once any player meets the requirement.

Recipes for cooking and crafting are obtained individually, though of course players can help each other out.

Money

Money can be shared between all players or split individually. This can be set when creating a new game or by using the "Town Ledger" next to the divorce book in Lewis's house.

For each item placed in the shipping bin, the price is determined by the online player whose professions would most increase it.

Experience

Each player has their own experience points. Whoever commits the action will be the one to gain the experience.

Farming Whoever harvests a crop gets the experience, regardless of who planted it or any other work done with it. Whoever interacts with an animal gets the experience.

Mining Whoever gets the last swing with the pickaxe gets the experience. It is not shared. Whoever set off a bomb gets experience for destroyed rocks. If a rock is destroyed by a monster, such as a Dust Sprite, everyone will get experience for it, even if they're not in the Mines.

Foraging Whoever picks up the foragable gets the experience. Whoever gets the last swing with the axe when chopping a tree, stump, or log gets the experience. It is not shared.

Fishing You get experience for fish you catch as expected. Whoever empties a crab pot gets the experience, regardless of who set it or baited it.

Combat Whoever kills the monster gets the experience. It is not shared.



Luck

Players can have different daily luck.

Luck is averaged out between all players for calculations.

Commands

You can run commands in the chat box, using a forward slash ( / ) before the command.

These commands are available for all players:

command description h, help Shows a list of available commands. clear Clears the game's chat log. color-list Shows a list of colors you can use with /color command. color Sets your chat to appear in the specified color. To color single lines of chat: [color]text. credits Shows a list of game credits (similar to credits option within the main menu). list, users, players Shows a list of names of all players currently connected to your game world. ping Show the current ping time to the host (for farmhands) or to each farmhand (for the host).

These commands only work from the host player:

command description pause Pauses the game for everyone in the session. resume Resumes the game after a /pause . kick <player name> Forcibly disconnects a player from the server. ban <player> Ban a player (not just their character) from the current farm. You can specify a player name, user ID, or IP address. unban <player> Remove a ban so the player can rejoin the server.

References

↑ See StardewValley.Network::Server in the game code.

History