Stardew Valley’s latest update has added a ‘secret, experimental mobile multiplayer’ mode. To unlock it, you need to use the Konami Code on a bunch leaves.

Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone has revealed, in addition to everything else, that the newly released 1.6 update includes a "secret experimental mobile multiplayer feature", which allows players on mobile platforms join the fun.

The big 1.6 update was released on PC in March but consoles and mobile platforms didn't get it until November 4. This update also added more content to what was already in the original update. There was more to the update than we thought, hidden amongst the lush greenery of title screen.

Barone wrote that Stardew Valley's mobile version 1.6 has a hidden multiplayer option. You can now access it in the Stardew Valley mobile multi-player guide. "Mobile multiplayer is pretty much the same on other platforms except that there is no farm discovery capability. You can only connect using IP. You can join a PC-hosted Farm from a mobile device using IP."

Barone warned that it is unlikely to work well to host or connect to games over a mobile network. The "best case scenario" for mobile gamers who want to connect with other players is when players on "high-end mobile devices" connect to a PC hosted game via WiFi.

The other end of this scale would be if someone was to host a video game on a low-performance cell phone, on a cellular network (you'd probably have to create an mobile wi-fi Hotspot to allow others to connect locally), while they were on the train or something else, going through tunnels. The host may also be receiving calls, which will cause the app to be repeatedly interrupted. Barone stated that the multiplayer experience in this oddly specific scenario would be "potentially frustrated," which I imagine is an understatement.

Barone respects your maturity as an adult. "If you're interested in trying these things out, nothing will stop you," he wrote. "Just be aware of the inherent connectivity issues that may arise when trying to host a multi-player game from a smartphone."

The mobile multiplayer mode has been hidden because it is still "experimental". It may have bugs, or other issues. It may also not be very fun depending on how it is used. To unlock the mobile multiplayer mode, you will need to use - and at first I thought Eric wasn't serious here - the Konami code as translated onto the leaves on Stardew Valley's logo.

After you've done this, close the "?" menu. You should now see a new co-op button on the title screen that gives you an option to either host or join a game. You should now see a co-op option on the title screen. This allows you to host or join a multiplayer game. If you are hosting a game, you will need to first set up your farm and make cabins for other players. If you are joining, you will need the IP address to connect.

Barone released a bug fix patch 1.6.10 for PC today, which, I'm sorry to say, removed the invisible coyotes. I continue to hope that Stardew Valley's 1.7 update will include adoptable Canis Latrans.