Stardew Valley: Mobile Multiplayer Guide

Stardew Valley fans, rejoice! The beloved farming and life-sim game added a hidden multiplayer feature for mobile players with its 1.6.9 update, finally bringing the magic of cooperative farming to Android and iOS. Unlocking multiplayer mode is easy but requires a precise sequence of taps to get going.

If you're ready to host friends on your farm or join their idyllic world, this guide covers the simple steps and key setup tips to help you and your friends jump into Stardew Valley’s first mobile multiplayer experience with ease. Ready to get started? Let's dive in to what you need to know.

This is an experimental feature and is still in development, so there may be connectivity issues. Additionally, it is not available on Apple Arcade .

How To Unlock Mobile Multiplayer Mode

To unlock the multiplayer mode, start on the title screen. Look for the four groups of leaves attached to the Stardew Valley logo and tap them in this exact order: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right. Then, press the '?' button in the screen's lower-right corner. Exit the '?' menu, and a new 'Co-op' button will appear on the title screen.

Once you click 'Co-op,' you can choose to either host or join a game. If you’re joining, enter the IP address of the player hosting the farm. If you’re hosting, you’ll need to set up your farm and ensure there are available cabins for others to join, like in any other multiplayer mode. To find your IP address, simply Google the phrase "What's my IP address?".

You need to be on the same network as the other players, such as using the same Wi-Fi or hotspot, or connect to a player who is port-forwarding their game with port 24642 UDP.

Tips To Consider

As this is an experimental feature, hiccups are likely. However, for a smoother experience in Stardew Valley's mobile multiplayer mode, consider a few important setup tips.

Use A PC To Host

For the best multiplayer experience, it’s recommended to connect to a PC-hosted farm from a high-performance mobile device on a stable Wi-Fi network. Hosting from a mobile device is possible, but you may experience issues if using cellular data or a lower-end device.

Prepare Your Files And Permissions

Before starting, back up any important save files since this feature is experimental. Make sure all players are on the same game version, which can be checked in the '?' menu in the bottom left of the title screen. On iOS, you may need to allow network permissions to connect on your first try, and retry if the connection doesn’t go through.

Turn On Do Not Disturb

Calls or notifications while hosting can interrupt the game, so if you do decide to host from your mobile device, turn on 'Do Not Disturb' mode to avoid interruptions.

Reduce Lag

Lag may occur, especially if multiple players are performing intensive tasks (like mining or fishing). To reduce lag, make sure you aren’t running other intensive apps in the background and keep your phone plugged into a charger.