The Mobile Game Stardew Valley Has a Hidden Multiplayer Co-Op Mode
I’ll admit, I’ve never been one to get caught up in the Stardew Valley hype. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the game, but I wasn’t initially obsessed with it in the same way that I was with Animal Crossing or Breath of the Wild . However, the multiplayer support renewed my interest in the game: suddenly I could create a farm with my friends, and we could all take turns tending crops and livestock and completing various tasks around the city. (Personally, I just liked going fishing all day.)
As fun as Stardew’s multiplayer is, it turns out that a significant portion of fans never tried it. Until this week, I had no idea that the mobile version of Stardew Valley didn’t support co-op. Even though playing on my Switch feels like mobile gaming, it’s considered a console, meaning my small, underpowered 2017 Nintendo tablet could connect to friends over the internet, but my powerful 2023 iPhone couldn’t.
The situation has changed with the major update of the 1.6 application for mobile devices. The update arrived on PC in March this year and was finally released to mobile users earlier this month. Version 1.6 adds a ton of new features and bug fixes to the game across platforms and even adds the ability to play with up to eight other players on PC. And finally, a version of co-op multiplayer is now available to mobile users, albeit a limited one.
However, you won’t know this if you download the app normally. You won’t see any mention of it in the release notes either. Instead, you will need to use a secret backdoor to access multiplayer on mobile devices, as outlined by Android Authority .
How to Play Stardew Valley Co-op on Mobile
First, you’ll need the paid version of the Stardew Valley app for iOS or Android . ( Stardew Valley+ , the Apple Arcade version of the game, doesn’t support co-op at all.) You’ll also need to make sure you’ve updated your game to version 1.6 through the App Store (iOS) or Play Store. (Android).
After starting the game, you will need to access the hidden settings menu. When the Stardew Valley logo appears, tap the corners of the sign in the correct order, then tap ? in the lower right corner, like this:
Top right, top right, bottom left, bottom left, top left, bottom right, top left, bottom right, ?. (Astute gamers may recognize partial Konami code in the templates.) Exit the Help menu and you should now see a Co-op option in the main menu.
Unfortunately, this is not the end yet. Besides actually accessing this hidden option, you also need to be using the same version of the game as other players. Right now everything is in the same version, so this shouldn’t be an issue (as long as everyone is up to date), but it could become an issue if, say, Stardew releases a major update to PC before it comes out for other devices.
Additionally, to play together, you need to be on the same local network as other players. This will require finding the IP address of the player hosting the game, as Stardew Valley will ask you for it when you try to join. Luckily, this will work for most devices the host uses, be it Mac, PC, Android or iOS. ( Read this previous article to learn how to find your specific device’s IP address.)
Once you have an IP address, click Co-Op , then select Join > Join Local Game… and enter the IP address when prompted. Tap the green check mark, then select your active game from the list. Congratulations! You are now playing Stardew multiplayer on your iPhone or Android.