The Stardew Valley 1.5 update has introduced an entirely new location for players to explore. While the Ginger Islands can't be accessed until the player has completed the Community Center bundles and repaired Willy's ship, this new post-game content has given long-time players a new narrative to enjoy, as well as fun challenges like puzzles and NPC backstories to unravel. Stardew Valley's 1.5 update has also introduced new maker machines, like the Bone Mill, Coffee Maker, and Cookout Kit, all of which improve quality of life elements and add to the fun of Stardew Valley.

Related: Stardew Valley Counts Over 94,000 PC Players Following 1.5 Update

Thanks to the information provided by the Stardew Valley website, players can see exactly what changes were made and what content was added when the 1.5 update released. Instead of focusing entirely on new gameplay to expand Stardew Valley, developer ConcernedApe has also included a long list of special changes and improvements for mechanics that were already present in the game. These fixes include everything from streamlining combat systems to improving the cosmetic appearances of items, people, and animals that players interact with during their in-game day.

Stardew Valley 1.5 Updates That Feel Little But Make Big Improvements

Below is a list of little changes that greatly improve overall player experience while enjoying their farm in Stardew Valley. It is likely many players may have discovered a handful of these little tweaks already, but several changes may surprise fans of the game who have struggled with these little glitches since the game's original release.

• A "Lost and Found" box was added to Mayor Lewis' house. Players can now retrieve lost items like tools and hats, as well as regain items potentially left in the grange display at the Stardew Valley Fair, or that got locked into quests that expired before completion.
• After many long years, players can finally sit down in the chairs they have places in their homes. While sitting doesn't get the farming done, having functional chairs is a fun practical improvement.
• Quality no longer effects players trying to add a certain number of items to the Community Center bundles. Players can now use any quality items or crops they like to hit the required number needed to complete the task.
• Players can now see everyone they have interacted with in town for the day. They no longer need to bombard every character every time they see them to ensure they did their social requirements while in town.
• The "Tool Tips" tab now keeps track of how many of each item a player has crafted, letting fans see their crafting productivity.
• After many years of knocking sprinklers loose while prepping a new season of crops, hoes will no longer unseat sprinklers when accidentally smacked.
• The Prairie King arcade game in the Stardrop Saloon now has a save feature! While some fans have enjoyed beating the game in its original difficulty level, being able to save will let more fans reach the end of the mini-game without such a tedious grind.
• Sorting inventory items no longer rearranges a player's tool order.

Related: Three Stardew Valley Challenges For Players Who've Done Everything

• Repairing a fence simply fixes the entire fence, instead of 50% of it, saving players time and resources.
• Ducks are now less expensive. Before the 1.5 update, Stardew Valley players would have to fork over 2000g per duck, but now the price has been slashed to 600g.
• Catching junk no longer degrades fishing tackle, extending the life of players expensive bobbers and spinners.
• Gem nodes can now drop diamonds when players crack them open.
• Game nodes are also available on any level of the mines, when they were once limited to spawning at a certain depth.
• Pure White slimes now drop both refined quartz and diamond, making them a real prize to find.
• Pierre will now sell season specific items to the player when they complete required quests.
• Certain maker machines like the Bee House, Mushroom Box, Strange Capsule, Tappers, and Worm Bins are now always ready to harvest in the morning of the day they will be done, instead of at random times of day.
• The Stone Owl and Strange Capsule have always been extremely rare events in Stardew Valley, but now the rarity of the event has been reduced so more players can experience them.
• Local split-screen has been added for multiplayer mode, a feature that many players were excited for.
• Trees now fall away from the direction the player is chopping, so they have more control on where their logs and sap will end up. This is wonderful for players who have lost their fair share of wood to the pond near their home.
• Game files created after the 1.5 update will use the farm title instead of the player's character name.
• A fix has been issued to prevent Stardew Valley from crashing when a player resizes their game window.
• A long list of cosmetic fixes have been implemented to improve the over all visual of the game. This includes and updated sprite for sleeping dinosaurs, so they can look extra cute.

The addition of free updates, and the constantly improving overall gameplay of Stardew Valley, is one of the reasons the game has maintained steady popularity since its release. Players have been able to rely on ConcernedApe's continued work to expand the narrative, offer new mechanics, and smooth issues that impede a player's experience while running their farm. While many players would love to see what the developer may put out in a future game title, Stardew Valley will likely continue to tide fans over with possible updates while they wait for other projects, giving them new ways to enjoy their daily lives on their own personal farmsteads.

Next: All Stardew Valley Farming Home Locations, Ranked By Difficulty

Source: Stardew Valley