Today, ConcernedApe (Eric Barone) celebrated the 10 years of Stardew Valley with a retrospective on the last decade of this beloved slice-of-life simulator.
The video starts with Barone sharing insights and footage from early builds of the game, including its original 2012 iteration titled Sprout Valley, even detailing some scrapped features and the journey from its initial Steam launch in 2016 to the present. The biggest reveal came at the end of the video, where he reads from an envelope the two new marriage candidates that are coming alongside the Stardew Valley 1.7 update.
The new candidates are Clint, the local blacksmith in Pelican Town, and Sandy, who runs the Oasis shop in the Calico Desert. From a community standpoint, it is a pretty interesting set, as players have been begging toromance Sandy, while everyone despises Clint, who comes off as a bit of a creep in-game. While nothing is confirmed, the community has also been on board with the possible rework – aka redemption arc – that the character is rumored to get to make this marriage more effiable.
Alongside this, Stardew Valley Update 1.7 will feature efforts to make the game’s children more “interesting” and interactive, while also adding in a new farm type and additional social content. As a way of celebrating in real life, a special one-night-only performance, the Symphony of Seasons, will take place at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on October 25, 2026, featuring new musical arrangements and fan activities.
Earlier this year, Barone also addressed fan speculation about the update’s development, noting that it won’t hinder the development of his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, and that the new title is still on its way.
If you’re unfamiliar with Stardew Valley, it’s one of the most popular life and farming sims on the market. It was released all the way back in 2016, with each brand-new update and content patch released free of charge.
It’s currently available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android, and even the venerable PS Vita.
