Stardew Valley 1.6 Update: Unlock Trophies By Being A Good Neighbor

Stardew Valley is an incredibly popular video game that every informed gamer knows about—and for good reason. Despite being created by a solo developer, the title is filled to the brim with content and polish. This cozy farming simulation title from ConcernedApe was released in 2016 and has received tons of free content updates ever since.

The latest version with significant changes is Stardew Valley Update 1.6, which added many new gameplay options and quality-of-life features. This update was originally released for PC in March 2024 and later ported for console audiences in November 2024.

For trophy hunters, this is an excellent chance to dive back into Stardew Valley’s whimsical world, as this new update is the first to come bundled with brand-new achievements!

In this article, I will explain how to unlock all the achievements required for Stardew Valley’s platinum trophy and its newly added Update 1.6 list. By the end of this post, your mind will be filled with thoughts of platinum trophies.

Why Stardew Valley?

The first time Stardew Valley caught my eye was with the release of Update 1.5 in early 2021. While I had heard great things about the game previously, it wasn’t until this version that the one feature I couldn’t resist was finally added: split-screen co-op.

Once this came to light, I immediately purchased two copies of the title on the Nintendo Switch. It seemed like the best way to experience it since the game’s play-at-your-own-pace style was highly compatible with my vision of handheld gaming. However, I didn’t realize just how deeply the game would capture my attention back then. Once I’d properly fallen in love with Stardew Valley, I just had to earn all its trophies no matter how long it took.

So, I purchased yet another copy on my PlayStation console a year later and began the hunt. It took just over a month for me to claim its platinum trophy as my own. It was unfortunate that the journey was over so soon, but I loved every moment of it. Before long, I began to get the itch to play it yet again.

When rumors began swirling about how great Update 1.6 on PC was in early 2024, I decided to take the plunge and purchase the game a third time. I justified my purchase on Steam with ease: it allowed me to play the new content early, with the added benefit of being able to enjoy community mods. I modified the gameplay in a way that suited my playstyle and patched in story expansions like Stardew Valley Expanded and Ridgeside Village. This was (and still is!) my favorite way to play Stardew Valley.

Once version 1.6 finally made the leap to consoles, I dusted off my PlayStation copy once more and dove back in. Although my experience was slightly less engaging after having been spoiled with PC amenities, I still had a great time and would easily recommend it to other trophy hunters.

I also do not regret having purchased Stardew Valley 4 different times; the developer has released so much free content over the years and never raised the base price of the game to compensate. $20 USD feels far too cheap in comparison to how much value I’ve gathered from this title. I am excited to see what ConcernedApe’s work-in-progress, the Haunted Chocolatier, will whip up next!

The Trophy Hunt

The trophy hunting experience differs for new and returning players. Players who have already earned Stardew Valley’s platinum trophy may skip straight to the Update 1.6 section below for guidance on the new content. New players may unlock trophies from the Update 1.6 list unintentionally as well.

For our purposes, we will assume a player will be starting from scratch with the base game content before moving on to the rest. The vast majority of trophies in Stardew Valley are simple but require a lot of time and effort on your part.

Main Game

Play Naturally

As you load into a brand-new save file, you will be greeted with a selection of options to customize your experience. The type of farm you start with doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, so feel free to select your favorite.

Update 1.6 added the Meadowlands farm, which aims to incentivize players with an animal husbandry playstyle by providing a starting coop and 2 chickens right at the start. Since I started my save file when version 1.5 was released, I opted for the Four Corners farm as it was a balanced mix of everything.

A screenshot of my farm’s layout by the end of my trophy hunt is below. As you can see, I mostly prioritized function over form and didn’t quite get to finish decorating.

As you get acquainted with the game and its controls, you will be tasked with your first mission: meet all the townsfolk! You can do so while exploring the valley and starting your first spring crops.

At some point, a villager will ask you what type of produce you want to grow in the cave on your farm. While both options suffice, I would personally recommend fruit. This can get you up and running faster in terms of the Community Center, plus mushrooms are not required for as many tasks. Update 1.6 also introduced the Mushroom Log, which can make finding any mushrooms you do need much easier.

Otherwise, you can simply play the game at your own pace. Your first major goal to work toward will be completing the bundles at the Community Center. Grow crops, raise animals, sell products, make friends, explore the mines, fish, or whatever else your heart desires! You will need to become a master of all these tasks to earn all of Stardew Valley’s trophies.

When you’re ready to start nailing down specific trophies, you can start with this list:

• Do Requests
  • 2 trophies are unlocked by completing “Help Wanted” requests from the villagers. These are posted on the billboard outside of Pierre’s General Store. You must complete at least 40 to earn all relevant achievements.

• Upgrade Your House
  • 2 trophies are unlocked by upgrading your house through Robin’s workshop. You must ultimately increase your house to the maximum size.
  • To upgrade your house fully, you will need to undergo 3 separate orders.
  • The first upgrade requires 10,000g and 450 wood.
  • The second upgrade requires 65,000g and 100 hardwood.
  • The third upgrade requires 100,000g.
  • There are also many other upgrades you can make utilizing renovations, but these are cosmetic and do not impact any trophies.

• Complete the Community Center
  • 1 trophy is unlocked once you fully complete Stardew Valley’s Community Center. There are 6 standard bundles that all have different requirements. In general, you must procure materials from all aspects of the game, from fishing to mining. The Traveling Cart may occasionally carry required items in their inventory.
  • Once you’ve completed the Community Center, you will be able to gain access to Ginger Island. More on that in the Update 1.6 section.

• Make Friends
  • 7 trophies are unlocked by increasing your relationship levels with the villagers. This includes reaching the maximum 10-heart level with 8 people and the more reasonable 5-heart level with 20 people. The trophy “Full House” is also acquired by marrying a villager and having two children with them.
  • You will likely acquire the vast majority of these trophies naturally. If you’re having trouble, make sure to give the villagers their most loved items—especially for their birthdays!
  • You can only propose marriage to a romanceable NPC once you’ve satisfied all the prerequisites: reach 8 hearts with an eligible character, gift them a bouquet purchased from Pierre’s General Store, further increase their relationship level to 10 hearts, upgrade your house, and then gift them a Mermaid Pendant. This item is only available during rainy days on the beach.
  • 3 days later, you will have your marriage ceremony. Once you’ve added a nursery to your home, you will randomly be given the option overnight to have children.
  • If you don’t want a family long-term, you can visit the Witch’s Hut later with a Prismatic Shard to turn your children into doves. You can also get divorced through a ledger in Mayor Lewis’ home if you choose to do so.

• Improve Your Skills
  • 2 trophies are unlocked by improving your character’s abilities. You must reach level 10 in every skill in order to unlock these achievements.
  • There are 5 skills in total: farming, mining, foraging, fishing, and combat. Foraging can be improved fairly simply if you chop trees frequently and select the Gatherer profession. You can also dig up artifact spots created by treasure totems for quick progression as well.

• Earn Money
  • 5 trophies are unlocked by earning large sums of money. The thresholds range from 15,000g on the low end to 10,000,000g on the high end.
  • Once you progress further in your homestead, you will become more familiar with the optimal ways of earning money quickly. Popular methods include aging wine in the cellar using ancient fruit or starfruit harvests, collecting fairy rose honey from beehives, or raising as many pigs as possible to cultivate a bonafide truffle factory.
  • Regardless of your methods, this will take a while. You can pass time quickly if you have nothing else to do (such as when waiting for your wine to age) by going back to sleep.
  • I opted for a combination of pigs and ancient fruit wine in my playthrough. The below layout of my cellar is close to an optimal setup. You can likely squeeze a few more casks on the end of each walking path if you’re willing to spend more time getting the perfect hitbox during collection (or if you’re willing to pick up the casks as you go), but I chose this layout to make pickup as painless as possible.

• Complete the Museum
  • 2 trophies are unlocked by delivering artifacts to the museum. The first is acquired for 40 deliveries, and the last is for full completion.
  • By the end of your trophy hunt, you may be missing one or two specific artifacts. If you’re having trouble, you can craft a treasure totem (5 hardwood, 1 mystic syrup, and 10 moss) to create 16 artifact spots around your character. Just make sure you’re in the right area for the artifact you’re missing!
  • The below image is how I chose to organize my museum’s collection. If possible, I’d recommend similarly displaying yours so you can easily see what is still missing. Otherwise, I included screenshots of the relevant menus with the artifacts and minerals. Keep in mind that the menu will not specify any artifacts you’ve collected and subsequently sold, rather than donated, so you need to stay on top of it to prevent any mistakes.
  • You can also cross-reference with the Stardew Valley wiki as needed: Artifacts and Minerals.

• Cook Everything
  • 3 trophies are unlocked by cooking unlocked recipes. You must successfully cook every single recipe in the game. You will not be able to fully complete this until you have gained access to Ginger Island.
  • Cooking recipes are primarily unlocked from daily showings of “The Queen of Sauce” television program, increasing your relationship level with the villagers, or leveling up your skills.
  • A few recipes have specific unlock requirements, including the Triple Shot Espresso which must be purchased from the Stardrop Saloon, the Ginger Ale which must be purchased in the Volcano Dungeon on Ginger Island, the Tropical Curry which must be purchased from the Ginger Island Resort, and the Banana Pudding which must be purchased from the Island Trader.
  • It’s considered best practice to cook as much as possible when you get any new ingredients. If you keep up with new recipes as they’re unlocked, you will have a lot less trouble cleaning up what’s left later.
  • The Stardew Valley wiki has an excellent resource available that shows exactly what ingredients are needed to complete every recipe. I’d recommend prioritizing getting seasonal ingredients as early as possible to avoid heartache later.

• Craft Everything
  • 3 trophies are unlocked by crafting items in the in-game menu. To unlock them all, you must successfully craft every single item in the game. You will not be able to fully complete this until you have gained access to Ginger Island.
  • Crafting recipes are primarily unlocked by purchasing them directly in a store, increasing your relationship level with villagers, leveling up your skills, completing special orders, or visiting seasonal events.
  • A few recipes have specific unlock requirements, including the Cask which is unlocked by upgrading your house, Ancient Seeds which are unlocked after donating to the museum, the Wedding Ring which must be purchased from the Traveling Cart (in multiplayer only), the Deluxe Scarecrow which is unlocked after finding all rarecrows, Fairy Dust which is unlocked after completing The Pirate’s Wife quest on Ginger Island, and the Ostrich Incubator which is unlocked after completing the Island Field Office in Ginger Island.
  • Make sure to turn on the setting to show advanced crafting information. With this option enabled, you can see how many of an item you’ve already crafted.

• Fish for Everything
  • 4 trophies are unlocked through the fishing minigame. You must catch 100 fish in total, as well as at least one of every single type of fish in the game. You will not be able to fully complete this until you have gained access to Ginger Island.
  • Fish may only be caught during specific seasons, times of the day, locations, and weather conditions. Some may also require you to reach higher levels in fishing.
  • Try to catch fish in a variety of places throughout the year to keep up. Otherwise, look for the characteristics of any specific fish you’re still missing and target them in particular.

• Ship Everything
  • 3 trophies are unlocked by selling items through the box on your farm. You must sell at least 300 of any specific crop, 15 stacks of every possible crop, and 1 of every possible item in the shipping log in the player menu. You will not be able to fully complete this until you have gained access to Ginger Island.
  • This will take at least 2 in-game years to complete, as some seeds are unavailable until the second iteration of a season. You will also need access to Ginger Island for additional seeds.

• Explore the Mines
  • 2 trophies are unlocked by delving deep into the mines and defeating the enemies held within. You must reach the lowest level of the mines, as well as defeat hundreds of monsters as listed on the Adventure Guild’s bulletin board. You will not be able to fully complete this until you have gained access to Ginger Island.
  • The most difficult enemy to find will likely be the Pepper Rex in the Skull Cavern. They spawn on Prehistoric floors, which have an approximate 2.2% chance of occurring on any floor beyond level 7. You must defeat 50 of them for one Monster Eradication Goal, so be sure to slay them whenever you come across them.

• Find All Stardrops
  • 1 trophy is unlocked by finding all the Stardrops in the game. These are usually acquired by completing story objectives or difficult tasks.
  • A list of all Stardrop locations is below:
    • Purchased at the Stardew Valley Fair in Fall
    • Obtained on floor 100 of the Mines
    • Given by the player’s spouse at 12.5 hearts in their relationship rating
    • Purchased from Krobus in the sewers
    • Obtained in the Secret Woods after delivering Sweet Gem Berry
    • Obtained after catching every fish
    • Rewarded for donating all items to the museum

Perfect the Arcade Game

One of the last tasks you are likely to tackle on your way to Stardew Valley’s platinum trophy has to be the Journey of the Prairie King. This arcade game is notorious among trophy hunters for its incredible difficulty. Unfortunately for us, there are 2 trophies tied to this game mode.

To get these achievements, you not only need to beat the Journey of the Prairie King, but you must also do so without dying a single time. There aren’t any shortcuts outside of practice and getting lucky with money drops.

One positive change, however, was the implementation of checkpoints. With Update 1.5, it was made possible to save your progress after each successful stage in the game. Essentially, you just need to finish a level without dying, exit the arcade, finish your daily activities, and go to sleep. Rinse and repeat for the next day, until you manage to beat the final boss. If you die, you can simply reload your save and start from where you left off.

Although this “cheesy” method helps, it doesn’t make the trophy easy by any means; You still need to perform well to reach the end. Successfully doing so will reward you with a Journey of the Prairie King arcade machine so you can play it from the comfort of your farmhouse! …Everyone will want to revisit the arcade game, right?

Second Playthrough

The very last task remaining for the platinum trophy is an abbreviated second playthrough. Stardew Valley essentially has two different routes: complete the Community Center or sell out to Joja Corporation. Since we’ve already completed one route, we need to start a new farm to do the other.

You unlock this route by purchasing a Membership from JojaMart for 5,000g. Instead of colorful varied bundles to be completed, you now simply need to deliver large sums of money. When all is said and done, you will need to spend 135,000g to unlock all the community development projects.

Since this is the last thing you need to do, you can breeze through the game without worrying about anything else. Just try to make as much money as you can, as fast as you can. Once you’ve earned this trophy, feel free to return to your original save file.

Update 1.6

Play Naturally

Many trophies added in Update 1.6 are unlocked very easily through story progression and natural gameplay. Once you’ve experienced the base game and know what they entail, you can earn these achievements in a matter of minutes.

It is worth noting that several of these trophies were bugged during my playthrough. In particular, the trophies for unlocking Ginger Island and reaching the end of the Dangerous Mines were swapped. However, this appears to have been fixed in a patch.

• Watch a Movie
  • The movie theater can be unlocked after you complete the Community Center. You get access to the Missing Bundle in the now-abandoned JojaMart, which requires more valuable items to be completed.
  • Once the movie theater is built, you just need to watch a movie to get this trophy!

• Win the Stardew Valley Fair Contest in Fall
  • This seasonal event in Stardew Valley allows players to show off 9 items from their farm in a Grange Display Contest. You must win first place in the competition to unlock this trophy.
  • There are many ways to go about this, but the key to success is using a variety of items with high qualities. The different categories include animal products, artisan goods, cooking, fish, forage, fruit, minerals, and vegetables.

• Make a Delicious Soup for the Luau in Summer
  • This seasonal event in Stardew Valley tasks the player with bringing one ingredient to the community potluck. To unlock this trophy, you must bring an ingredient that elevates the dish and subsequently delights the governor.
  • Many possible ingredients are capable of generating the best response from the governor. High-quality wine or cheese is always a great choice.

• Unlock Ginger Island
  • To get to Ginger Island, you first need to complete the Community Center. Willy will request your assistance in repairing his boat. Successfully doing so will grant you access to a brand-new area!
  • You will need to supply 200 hardwood, 5 iridium bars, and 5 battery packs to repair the boat. You can get a few new pieces of hardwood every day in the Secret Woods. Battery packs can be acquired from lightning rods on your farm, especially during the Summer.
  • On Ginger Island, you will need to find all 130 Golden Walnuts hidden around the various regions. You can talk to the parrot in Leo’s Hut for hints, but you can also use the Stardew Valley wiki for additional insight when you’re struggling.

• Get the Infinity Blade
  • The Infinity Blade is one of the strongest weapons available in Stardew Valley. For that reason, it takes a lot of effort to obtain.
  • First, you must acquire a Prismatic Shard during your adventures in the mines.
  • Then, you must take it to the center of the Three Pillars in the Calico Desert. It will be transformed into the Galaxy Sword.
  • Once you reach Ginger Island, you will need to start collecting Cinder Shards from the Volcano Dungeon. You must get at least 60 for the next step.
  • After finding all 130 Golden Walnuts and gaining access to Mr. Qi’s Walnut Room, you must purchase 3 Galaxy Souls within. You can also get them on the last day of a season from the Desert Trader in exchange for 10 radioactive bars each, which may be easier depending on your resources.
  • At long last, you can craft the Infinity Blade. Bring your Galaxy Sword, 60 Cinder Shards, and 3 Galaxy Souls to the top of the Volcano Dungeon and submit them to the forge.

Grind Toward Completion

• Read Every Book
  • Books were introduced in Update 1.6. 19 power books must be read to unlock an achievement. There are an additional 7 skill books that are helpful but are not required for any trophies. These auxiliary titles give you experience points in your farmer’s various skills or teach you any cooking recipes that you’ve missed.
  • The Price Catalogue, Way of the Wind pt. 1, Way of the Wind pt. 2, Horse: The Book, and Ol’ Slitherlegs are all purchased from the Bookseller located above the JojaMart or movie theater.
  • The Animal Catalogue is purchased from Marnie, the rancher.
  • The Dwarvish Safety Manual is purchased from the Dwarf in the mines.
  • The Diamond Hunter is purchased from the Volcano Dungeon shop in exchange for 10 diamonds.
  • The Monster Compendium is a random drop from monsters.
  • Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Thick is a random drop from artifact spots.
  • Jewels of the Sea is a random drop from fishing treasure chests.
  • Woody’s Secret is a random drop from chopping trees.
  • The Book of Mysteries is a random drop from mystery boxes or golden mystery boxes.
  • The Treasure Appraisal Guide is a random drop from artifact troves.
  • The Alleyway Buffet can be retrieved from the trashcan between JojaMart or the movie theater and the blacksmith, through a hole in the fence.
  • Mapping Cave Systems can be snagged from the backroom of the Adventurer’s Guild once you’ve defeated 1,000 monsters.
  • Friendship 101 is acquired from the prize machine in Mayor Lewis’ home. You earn prize tickets by performing tasks for the townspeople, which serve as the currency for the machine. The book is the 9th reward on the list.
  • The Raccoon Journal is one of the rewards for helping the raccoon family.
  • The Art O’ Crabbing is the final reward from the SquidFest event in Winter. You must catch 10 squid to get this book.

• Help the Raccoon Family
  • Update 1.6 included a furry new neighbor: Raccoon! He begins living in the Giant Stump in Cindersap Forest after a storm blows through. To unlock this trophy, you must complete every request the raccoon family poses.
  • The first step is to build a home for the raccoon family. This is accomplished with 100 hardwood.
  • After 7 days, you will meet your new raccoon neighbor. He will ask you to deliver him a few items currently in season or will be soon. Often, these items will need to be processed through a Dehydrator or Fish Smoker.
  • Once you complete a request, a new one will become available exactly 7 days later. You must repeat this process 9 times to continue growing the raccoon family. That means this trophy will require at least 2 full seasons in-game to be completed.

• Reach the Bottom of the Dangerous Mines
  • Once you’ve unlocked Mr. Qi’s Walnut Room in Ginger Island, you will have access to a rotating selection of quests. One quest that can be selected is named “Danger in the Deep.” For this trophy, you will need to select this quest.
  • In doing so, your progress in the mines will be reset. You will need to start from the first floor and make it down to floor 120 within a week. New, more powerful monsters will also appear, making the journey that much more challenging.
  • If needed, you can always craft staircases to quickly breeze through difficult sections of the dungeon. Either use stacks of stones or trade using rubies with the Desert Trader to bolster your supply.

• Reach the Summit
  • Last but certainly not least, you must reach perfection. Doing so successfully will unlock a special cutscene where the game congratulates you at the summit.
  • Reaching perfection requires completing nearly every facet of the game. Thankfully, you will have already done much of the work to get to this point.
  • Shipping every item, completing all monster slaying goals, reaching the maximum level for all of your skills, finding all of the Stardrops, cooking every recipe, crafting all items, catching every fish, and finding all the Golden Walnuts on Ginger Island are all requirements that you should have already finished.
  • In addition to the above, you must also reach the maximum friendship rating with every villager. Thanks to your work during the platinum trophy hunt, you should already have a decent start at this.
  • You must also build all 4 of the warp obelisks on your farm. These are crafted in the Wizard’s Tower using large sums of money and a variety of ingredients.
  • Lastly, you must also build the Gold Clock on your farm. This can also be crafted in the Wizard’s Tower for a hefty 10,000,000g. This will most likely be your last task.
  • Note that the game’s tracking can be buggy. Although I’ve completed the monster slayer goals in my playthrough, they’re not properly tracked in my screenshot. You can check your progress on the right side of Mr. Qi’s Walnut Room.

Conclusion

Despite its reputation as a chill game, Stardew Valley is not an easy platinum trophy to earn. On the journey toward 100% completion, you will need to experience just about everything there is to the game.

Stardew Valley’s popularity combined with its tricky trophy requirements means that the title’s completion rate is surprisingly low among achievement hunters. For that reason, it is a great game for anyone to add to their trophy list without regrets.

Have you earned the platinum trophy for Stardew Valley? Did you struggle with the Journey of the Prairie King? Let us know how your experience with the game was in the comments below. If you’re looking for more game recommendations, consider reading my article about the Void Terrarium duology next. It is an incredibly fun dungeon crawler with roguelike mechanics and an engaging story!