Earlier this month, Stardew Valley creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone announced that the game’s 1.7 update would feature two new marriage candidates. Ever since then, fan speculation has run wild. Names were thrown out, ranging from Marnie the rancher to the mysterious Wizard to Gunther the library owner to a completely new character or even the Dwarf who dwells in the mines. Today, during a video celebrating the tenth anniversary of Stardew Valley, ConcernedApe officially revealed the two characters who players can marry in Version 1.7. The choices are fairly safe ones — but this may not be a bad thing.
The Two New Marriage Candidates Are The Widely Expected Choices
As of Stardew Valley 1.7, players will be able to marry the blacksmith Clint or Sandy, the owner of the Oasis shop in Calico Desert. These are two of the names that have been most frequently thrown around by fans over the past weeks. Clint and Sandy are both single, relatively young, and have an existing friendship path in the game. They are some of the few characters remaining in Stardew Valley who fit this profile, making them fairly obvious choices to be Pelican Town’s newest bachelor and bachelorette.
There are definitely some more daring decisions that ConcernedApe could have made. One highly requested option was M. Rasmodius, the Wizard who dwells in a tower in Cindersap Forest. He is a fan favorite character for his mysterious past and connection to the Junimo spirits and other more mystical elements of Stardew Valley’s lore. Others wanted to bring happiness to the single mother Pam, or learn more about the Dwarf and their culture. (Fortunately, Stardew Valley’s extensive modding scene does include mods that add the option to romance and marry several of these characters.)
Still other fans looked beyond the ‘obvious’ options and wanted to marry older characters such as Linus or Pam, romance more minor figures like Gunther or Marlon. Some even theorized that ConcernedApe might allow players to break up existing couples like Lewis and Marnie or even married pairs such as Robin and Demetrius. With all of those names in the mix, Clint and Sandy do feel somewhat like the “safe” choices — but adding a romance to these two characters’ stories could be extremely beneficial to their growth and development.
Clint And Sandy Are In Desperate Need Of Character Development
As they currently stand, Clint and Sandy are perfectly fine characters — but they could be better. Sandy’s story is fairly straightforward: she is friendly and cheerful, but gets a bit lonely due to spending all her time at the Oasis, and is happy to make a new friend in the Player. She often talks about wanting to visit Stardew Valley, but can only actually do so if invited to the movie theater with the player.
A romance for Sandy will likely give her more depth and allow players to learn more about her beyond her isolation and desire to hear stories about Pelican Town. Seeing her move into the Player’s house after marriage could be especially adorable, as could potential post-marriage events that could see Sandy finally getting to make more friends and become part of a welcoming community after her years of isolation in the desert. It would also be nice to see Sandy interact more with Emily, with whom she has a mostly letter-based friendship. The addition of the Desert Festival helped somewhat, but Sandy deserves more.
Clint Could Improve On His Mixed Reception
Stardew Valley players have had mixed feelings about Clint since the game first released. He has drawn controversy for his inconsistent schedule, the heavy focus given to his crush on Emily, and his potentially ‘creepy’ behavior of watching her from a distance. Clint’s current story allows him to either get up the courage to talk to Emily or move past her (if the player romances her), and it will be fun to see that story expanded as Clint opens himself up to the idea of finding new love after so long spent pining for Emily.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Yes, choosing Clint and Sandy as the new bachelor and bachelorette can feel a bit like ‘the easy way out’ and will leave a few fans disappointed, particularly those who prefer Marnie, the Wizard, or other options. But at the same time, they are two characters who could desperately use an update to their stories, as they are currently fairly one-dimensional and focused on a single topic. A romance will allow them to have that depth and explore more facets of their personalities. In particular, Clint realizing he’s moved on from Emily and has feelings for the player instead has the potential to be an extremely hard-hitting and emotional moment.
Additionally, it will be extremely satisfying to see them both achieve their central goals: finding community for Sandy and finding love for Clint. There is still one major question that likely won’t see an official answer until the Stardew Valley 1.7 update releases later this year: will they continue commuting to and running their respective shops after marrying the Player, or will the Oasis and the Blacksmith be under new management?
- Released
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February 26, 2016
- ESRB
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E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
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ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
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ConcernedApe
