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The worst part about Stardew Valley is it’s less than 1 GB. It takes longer for me to make a cup of coffee than it does to reinstall. There’s no excuse not to check out what ConcernedApe did in 1.6. Of course, if you’re like me, Stardew never left your PC in the first place. If it were bloated with 100 GB of junk, I’d at least have an excuse to uninstall occasionally, but no. The update adds an overwhelming amount of content, including new festivals, secrets, and the ability to put hats on cats. Hats on cats! Yet there’s one addition even more alluring. Stardew Valley 1.6 added the Meadowlands, and I’m already hooked.
Stardew Valley 1.6 Meadowlands Farm
I don’t hate pumpkins or potatoes. I make that disclaimer because I’m about to say something controversial. There’s never been a better time to not farm in Stardew Valley. No more buying seeds. No more tilling geometrically perfect garden rows. No more watering until you pass out at 2 am. The Meadowlands starts your farm off with yummy blue grass, a chicken coop, and two chicks. As of Stardew Valley 1.6, you don’t need mods if you want to get straight to creature care. I may never plant another crop again.
I grew up with Harvest Moon 64, but since then it’s been My Time at Sandrock, Slime Rancher, and Stardew. I’ve planted my share of digital rutabagas. I’ve gotten (pretend) dirty, wiping (pretend) sweat from my brow after a long day in the fields. I don’t hate crops. I just love animals. Getting to skip the first few days where I begrudgingly pack Parsnips into the soil until I raise enough money to buy a coop and chickens is perfection. I can’t help it. They’re like bite-sized Chocobos. I am 1000% willing to ignore fame, fortune, and the Community Center in the name of my chickens.
Meadowlands Farm Pros and Cons
The pro of picking the Meadowlands is you’ll get a jump on raising animals. The con is you’ll regress into your farm sim cave, sustaining yourself on a diet of soda and potato chips, all while developing a sunlight allergy strong enough to make Dracula fork over his SPF 50. The thing about Stardew Valley 1.6 is there’s so much more than the Meadowlands. I’m so busy picking chicken names that I haven’t even thought about the Mastery system, new quest line, or 8-player co-op. I’ll never understand how ConcernedApe manages updates like this one while working on Haunted Chocolatier, but let it remain a mystery. My feathered friends and I are content to wonder.
Stardew Valley is available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.
