Summary
- Stardew Valley is a popular game with a cozy nature, but it also hides many unexplained secrets, such as the mystery surrounding Sandy, the owner of the Oasis Store.
- Located in The Calico Desert, Sandy is not what she seems, as she admits her name is not actually Sandy and has links to the desert and its rare items.
- Sandy's true identity remains a mystery, with theories suggesting she may be an ancient desert dweller, an alien from outer space, or simply a peculiar individual connected to the desert's magic.
Stardew Valley is home to an impressive roster of colorful personalities. It's clear that the relationships that people can build with them are one of the main reasons that the open-ended game has become so popular. As such, the success of Stardew Valley has seen millions of players flocking to the lands of the Ferngill Republic in order to inherit their own farms. However, while most of these players consider the game to be cozy in nature, it has a lot of unexplained secrets.
It won't take long for newcomers to Stardew Valley to realize that there's far more than meets the eye in the indie simulation game. Even though there's a long list of notable mysteries that have been uncovered over the years, many of these Stardew Valley mysteries are still unsolved. One such mystery involves the owner of the Oasis Store, Sandy, whose entire identity may be completely fabricated.
Sandy is One of Stardew Valley's Deepest Mysteries
For those unaware, players can travel outside of Stardew Valley's Pelican Town, though it should be noted that most of the villagers live and work in the town. However, if one decides to repair the bus and travel northwest, they'll eventually come upon a region called The Calico Desert where the seasons never change, and it's always extremely bright outside.
There are theories that this desert biome may be protected by a magical barrier that prevents the seasons from changing, or perhaps the desert was once a crater left behind by a meteor. Other Stardew Valley players have theorized that The Calico Desert is actually a different dimension, though ConcernedApe has yet to confirm whether any of this is true.
Sandy can be found running the Oasis store, but it quickly becomes apparent that she's more than just a typical NPC. During an interaction, Sandy will readily admit to players that her name isn't actually Sandy. She states that it's "just good for business" which has led some people to wonder if she goes by this name because her store is in the desert. Due to this, people have suggested that since she lives in the desert, she may be a descendant of some ancient people who once lived there. Others have postulated that she's actually an alien from outer space who may have come to this world via a meteor.
Building a relationship with Sandy is a rather bizarre experience, as she'll often randomly give players milk and has a strange fascination with Stardew Valley's coconuts and cactus fruit. On top of this, she's quite secretive about her past but can often be seen talking to herself about the desert and the people there. Additionally, Sandy often has extremely rare items that can only be found in the desert, with no explanation as to why.
Each of these attributes has only contributed to the mystery of Sandy's true identity. It's undeniable that the eccentric shopkeeper has some sort of deeper, and possibly magical, connection to the desert in Stardew Valley. Perhaps she knows more than she's letting on, or she just has a strange personality. Given Stardew Valley's past mysteries and considerable lore, it seems likely that Sandy is genuinely important in some way or another. When all the clues will fall into place is uncertain, but hopefully, ConcernedApe will give fans a hint soon.
Stardew Valley is available now for Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS Vita, and Xbox One.