Stardew Valley’ s momentum remains strong with the announcement of a surprise 1.7 update by ConcernedApe. Nearly ten years after Stardew Valley’s release, the game still shows great potential, even with a newer project like The Haunted Chocolatier on the horizon. With no details about the update and no indication that it will delay The Haunted Chocolatier, fans are excited for what might be the cozy masterpiece’s final major update.
The fan wishlist for Stardew Valley’s 1.7 update is lengthy. Some players seek more daring ways to enjoy their gameplay, while others hold onto their initial hopes. Among the most requested features is more content for the children born to a player’s marriage to an NPC. But what could be a dream feature might actually be too ambitious for an update that could deliver fans the definitive and final version of such a beloved game.
Stardew Valley is Getting Another Update
In a major surprise for fans, Stardew Valley creator Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone confirms that the beloved farming sim will be getting another update.
The Children Conundrum in Stardew Valley
One of Stardew Valley’s most charming features is its unlockable family-building system. Players can fall in love with any of the romanceable NPCs in Stardew Valley. After expanding their home, they can get married and even raise children. Yet despite the cozy appeal of domestic life, the mechanic has always been limited. Children remain toddlers forever, frozen in time with only a handful of interactions. While they contribute to the atmosphere of the farmhouse, they are ultimately static. They are a feature that causes as much frustration as it does joy, especially since a player must spend 65,000 gold for the necessary home expansion to unlock them.
Online discussions about Stardew Valley’s update 1.7 reveal that fans are still hoping for a change. Many want to have their children feel like meaningful parts of the game rather than decorative extensions of the player’s marriage.
Some of the most requested features include:
- Children growing into teens or adults who help with the farm.
- Unique dialogue that develops as children age.
- New events, festivals, or cutscenes centered around family life.
- Children eventually walking about Pelican Town as independent NPCs.
Growing Pains
The dream of generational gameplay is not new. Games like The Sims have built entire franchises around it. And in the life-sim category, it is a staple. But that model does not necessarily translate to Stardew Valley. ConcernedApe has always designed the game around clear rhythms: crops, seasons, festivals, and relationships. These systems create a loop that feels whole and self-contained. As children age, develop, and introduce entirely new arcs, this process may disrupt the balance in ways that demand a near-complete redesign of how Stardew Valley functions.
The technical challenges for detailed family gameplay are immense. For children to age meaningfully, ConcernedApe would need to implement new character models, dialogue trees, schedules, and perhaps even career paths to help out either in town or on the farm. And with practically endless couple combinations, this would essentially require an entire cast of new NPCs that evolve dynamically across playthroughs. That kind of generational gameplay is not just a new feature; it’s a fundamental shift in the game’s scope. For a solo developer, even one as ambitious as ConcernedApe, that may simply be too heavy a lift this late in Stardew Valley’s lifecycle.
The Ceiling of Stardew Valley’s World
Instead of being a flaw, the static nature of children may actually be part of what gives Stardew Valley its sense of closure. Players can complete their ideal farm, reach the end of Stardew Valley’s community center storyline, and settle into a loop that feels finished even in the midst of replayability. The children, eternally small and safe in the farmhouse, represent that sense of stability. They remind players that Stardew Valley is not an endlessly expanding sandbox like The Sims but rather a carefully designed world with boundaries.
This design choice has also allowed the game to stay cozy rather than overwhelming. By focusing on a tight cycle of farming, community, and personal relationships, the game maintains its identity as a soothing, manageable escape. Adding generational gameplay could blur that focus and introduce complexity that risks losing what makes Stardew Valley popular.
Having The Cake and Eating It Too
While fans may never see their Stardew Valley children grow into proper people, there are still countless ways ConcernedApe could enrich the family experience. More dialogue, events, or even simple activities involving children could add depth without straining the game’s structure. And for good measure, being able to age children up to school age to see them running around with Jas and Vincent.
At the same time, the future lies beyond Pelican Town. The Haunted Chocolatier already promises a fresh take on ConcernedApe’s design style, and it may be in that new world where generational systems or more complex relationships could finally appear. Stardew Valley, meanwhile, may be best left as it is: a cozy portrait of rural life with its boundaries intact.
Stardew Valley
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- February 26, 2016
- ESRB
- E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Simulation
