Stardew Valley’s Merpeople Deserve the Spotlight in a Future Update

Stardew Valley may look like an ordinary farming simulator, but new players will soon find out that the game is filled with fantastical people and creatures. It starts with the Wizard, and then the cute Junimos appear in the Community Center. There’s also the Dwarf, which the players will meet in the mines. These characters are quite fleshed out, as players interact with them a lot. However, the Merpeople continue to be a mystery to Stardew Valley players, as they rarely get to interact with them. That’s a missed opportunity that should be rectified in future updates.

Stardew Valley was released over a decade ago, and it continues to be a hit among players old and new because its developer, ConcernedApe, continues to update the game with quality-of-life fixes, fresh maps, and even new gameplay mechanics. The game started as single-player-only, and now that Stardew Valley update 1.6 is out, a maximum of eight players can manage a farm together online. The player used to be limited to the towns of the base game, but now they can visit the Ginger and Fern Islands for new quests and a resort to operate and profit from. These updates breathe so much life into the game, and the next one shouldn’t miss out on expanding on the lore and presence of the Merpeople.

What’s Known About Stardew Valley’s Merpeople So Far

There are only a few ways to meet and interact with Stardew Valley’s Merpeople.

• The Mermaid Boat: During the Night Market festival in winter, players can enter the Mermaid Boat (available from 5:00 PM to 12:30 AM) where they’ll see a Mermaid sing to them. This is accompanied by a cutscene as well. The Mermaid’s performance lasts about an hour and 40 minutes. After this, the player can play the clam shells in the boat to play notes and possibly win a Pearl, which is perfect as a gift or trading item.
• Perfection: When the player achieves a perfection score of 100% and they head to the ridge, they’ll be greeted with a cutscene of the game and its characters congratulating them. Stardew Valley’s different fantastical creatures, like the Merpeople, appear and greet the player.
• The Coast: Those who want to consistently see the Mermaid can head to Pirate Cove during rainy days. They’ll find the Mermaid hanging around on top of a rock who will reward them with a Golden Walnut if they solve her puzzle on the coast. A green sea creature also pops its head out at The Beach from time to time, but players aren’t sure if it’s a Mermaid.

The village people don’t talk about Merpeople at all outside of the Wizard acknowledging that they exist during the Luau festival. There aren’t any books about this race in the museum, either. Therefore, they’re the perfect focal point for a future Stardew Valley update.

How Stardew Valley Can Expand on the Merpeoples’ Lore

The most obvious way to approach the Mermaids’ story is to take the player to their village under the sea, which can be a whole new addition to the map. Perhaps the player can craft some item or be gifted the ability by a Mermaid or the Wizard to explore the depths of the sea. Then, they can venture into this new location to learn all about the Merpeople’s society through quests, exploration, and interaction with the locals. Having an Atlantis-like map can also open a whole world of opportunities for foraging, farming, and even combat.

There are various ways to approach the Merpeoples’ story, too. It would be great to learn why they rarely interact with humans. Uncovering a century’s worth of a secret conflict between Atlanteans and the surface-dwellers could also be a neat idea since Stardew Valley doesn’t shy away from talking about heavy stuff, like the Ferngill Republic – Gotoro Empire War, despite its cozy gameplay. Legends of the Merpeople are present in folklore across the globe, and this game shouldn’t miss out on using these to create interesting new lore and experiences.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is a hit Indie release that spawned a cult following thanks to its similarities to titles like Harvest Moon and The Sims. Players will take control of their own characters as they are dropped into the eponymous Stardew Valley and given an old dilapidated farm. They’ll cultivate new crops and relationships with the NPCs scattered around the area, as well as combat monsters and embark on other quests.

Released

February 26, 2016

Developer(s)

ConcernedApe

Publisher(s)

ConcernedApe

Genre(s)

RPG , Simulation

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer , Online Multiplayer

Engine

Proprietary

ESRB

E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)

How Long To Beat

53 Hours

X|S Enhanced

No

File Size Xbox Series

1 GB (November 2023)

Metascore

89

Split Screen Orientation

Vertical or Horizontal

Number of Players

1-4

Steam Deck Compatibility

Verified

Local Co-Op Support

1-4 Players