Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone announced Tuesday that he secretly added an “experimental mobile multiplayer feature” to Stardew Valley on mobile. Why is it secret? Barone wrote in a post on the Stardew Valley website that it may have “some bugs or issues,” and that the “nature of the mobile platform could make a multiplayer session frustrating, under certain scenarios.”
And Barone wasn’t exaggerating when he said it was hidden. To access it from the mobile version of the game’s title screen, players must perform a sequence of taps to specific leaves on the Stardew Valley logo, then push a different button. (You can find the detailed steps on the game’s website or pasted below.) Doing this correctly will add a co-op button to the title screen. Barone said the mobile multiplayer feature works “pretty much the same as on other platforms,” except that there’s no way to “discover” other people’s farms. You can only connect via IP addresses, he said — so you’ve got to use the same local network or create a hotspot.
Barone said the ideal way to use the multiplayer mobile mode is to host a farm on a Windows PC, then access that farm through mobile using the same IP address, via Wi-Fi. Barone said the worst case scenario is likely connecting to a farm hosted by someone using a hotspot for everyone to connect to; the app can be “interrupted repeatedly” by lost service spots or calls, making the experience frustrating.
“However, if you want to try these things out, there’s nothing stopping you,” Barone wrote. “Just be aware that there are inherent connectivity issues that can arise when attempting to host a multiplayer game from a mobile device.”
The mobile multiplayer mode was added to Stardew Valley alongside the game’s 1.6 update, which hit consoles and mobile on Monday. That means everyone now has access to the big 1.6 update across platforms, plus a smaller, quality-of-life update that’s new for all.
If you’re looking to access multiplayer on mobile, here’s how to do it — straight from Stardew Valley’s website:
- On the title screen, you will notice that the “Stardew Valley” logo has four groups of leaves attached to it.
- Using the guide [above], tap the leaves in this order: ↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → … Then press the “?” button in the bottom right corner of the screen. (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, ? )
- Exit the “?” menu. You should now have a co-op button on the title screen.
- In the co-op menu, you will have options to “Host” or “Join”. If you are joining, put in the IP address of the host. If you are hosting, you will have to set up the farm first, and then if there are cabins available, others should be able to connect to you (they will need your IP address). To find your IP address for hosting, do the following:
For iOS: Settings -> Wi-Fi -> Click the (i) next to your Wi-Fi name -> Look for “IP Address”
For Android: Settings -> Network & internet -> Internet -> Click the cog next to your Wi-Fi name -> Look for “IP address”
