Even after 1.6, Stardew Valley is missing a tiny

There is plenty to enjoy in Stardew Valley in its present state, but even the impressive 1.6 update has failed to introduce one logical feature to the game. Every major update to the popular farming simulator has brought with it a wealth of new content, expanding the scope of the game further and further. Despite this, however, there is one small but notable exclusion that has persisted over the years.

Naturally, there are several features that Stardew Valley 1.7 should arguably include if such an update does lie in the game’s future. However, it is also worth noting that with developer ConcernedApe focusing on his new title Haunted Chocolatier, any substantial update is likely far away. This means that the impressive range of mods for Stardew Valley will probably be the best source of major alterations for the time being. This also only emphasizes the fact the game still lacks one simple feature despite having come so far in the last nine years.

Stardew Valley Doesn't Let You Have A Birthday

The Feature Should Be Relatively Easy To Implement

As observed by Reddit user Ok-Examination9090, it is an unfair fact that Stardew Valley does not let the player character celebrate their birthday, despite the many NPCs in the game all having their own. Mechanically, Stardew Valley allows people to give any NPC an extra gift on their birthday in addition to the normal limit of two per week. A birthday for the Farmer, therefore, could simply invert this interaction.

Unlike Stardew Valley's hidden features, a birthday for the Farmer is still a clear, total omission, and very obvious among the many other birthdays in the calendar. I am far from the only person disappointed by this, and I would be very happy to see the feature implemented. NPCs would be able to reciprocate their own birthday gifts, bringing them closer together to the Farmer. As such, a birthday would further solidify the Farmer’s place among the people of Pelican Town; the resulting emotional connection would be just as, if not even more valuable than any gifts received.

How Birthdays Work In Games Like Stardew Valley

Cozy Games Can Celebrate A Provided Birthday With Letters And Presents

A Stardew Valley farmer standing outside their house with mail waiting to be opened. — A Stardew Valley farmer standing outside their house with mail waiting to be opened

Other cozy games similar to Stardew Valley show that the implementation of a birthday is perfectly achievable. For example, Animal Crossing: New Horizons features a fairly elaborate birthday party with the player character’s close friends, including a cake and gift, as well as a surprise performance from K.K. Slider. Similarly, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town sees the protagonist receive letters; this is especially notable because the Story of Seasons series was a key source of inspiration for the development of Stardew Valley.

The wizard smiles, overlaid atop a screenshot of the mines from Stardew Valley.

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Stardew Valley is one of the most popular farming sims out there, but there are still certain features missing from the base game that mods can fix.

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Implementing a birthday for the Farmer would be as simple as adding a new field to the game’s character creator, and could see NPCs send letters or give presents. The precise nature of these gifts could even change depending on Friendship level and relationship status, becoming more valuable as a given relationship deepens. If any gift-giving occurred at the very beginning or end of a day, then this would also help prevent a Farmer’s birthday from clashing with Festivals, while letters would be a non-issue.

A birthday event for the Farmer would easily offer an extra opportunity to deepen relationships with NPCs through unique interactions.

The lack of a birthday event for the Farmer is a small but disappointing exclusion for Stardew Valley, something that will hopefully be fixed in the future. In addition to potentially useful gifts, such an event would likely prompt some fun interactions with the other characters, especially those the Farmer is close to. Of course, mods can help remedy this, but I know that I am far from alone in hoping for an official implementation instead.

Source: Ok-Examination9090/Reddit