Earlier this month, Stardew Valley creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone announced that the game's 1.7 update would include two new marriage candidates. Ever since then, fan speculation has run wild. Names were thrown around, ranging from Marnie the rancher to the mysterious wizard to Gunther the librarian to an entirely new character or even the dwarf who lives in the mines. Today, during a video celebrating the tenth anniversary of Stardew Valley, ConcernedApe officially revealed the two characters that players can marry in version 1.7. The choices are pretty safe – but maybe this isn't a bad thing.
The two new marriage candidates are the widely expected choices
From Stardew Valley 1.7, players will be able to marry the blacksmith Clint or Sandy, the owner of the Oasis store in the Calico Desert. These are two of the names that have been thrown around the most by fans in recent weeks. Clint and Sandy are both single, relatively young, and have an existing friendship path in the game. They are some of the few characters left Stardew Valley who fit this profile, making them pretty obvious choices to be Pelican Town's newest bachelor and bachelorette.
There are definitely some bolder decisions ConcernedApe could have made. A highly requested option was M. Rasmodius, the wizard who lives in a tower in Cinderella's Forest. He is a fan favorite character for his mysterious past and connection to the Junimo spirits and other more mysterious elements of Stardew Valley's lore. Others wanted to bring happiness to the single mother Pam, or learn more about the dwarf and their culture. (Fortunately, Stardew Valley's extensive modding scene includes mods that add the ability to romance and marry several of these characters.)
Still other fans looked beyond the “obvious” options and wanted to marry older characters like Linus or Pam, romance minor characters like Gunther or Marlon. Some even theorized that ConcernedApe could allow players to break up existing couples like Lewis and Marnie or even married couples like Robin and Demetrius. With all these names in the mix, Clint and Sandy feel a bit like the “safe” choices – but adding a romance to these two characters' stories could be extremely beneficial to their growth and development.
Clint and Sandy are in desperate need of character development
As they currently stand, Clint and Sandy are perfect characters – but they could be better. Sandy's story is pretty straightforward: she's friendly and happy, but gets a little lonely due to spending all her time at Oasis, and she's happy to make a new friend in Player. She often talks about wanting to visit Stardew Valley, but can actually only do so if she is invited to the cinema with the player.
A romance for Sandy will likely add more depth to her and allow players to learn more about her beyond her isolation and desire to hear stories about Pelican Town. Seeing her move into the player's house after marriage could be especially adorable, as could potential post-marriage events that could see Sandy finally make more friends and become part of a welcoming community after her years of isolation in the desert. It would also be nice to see Sandy interact more with Emily, with whom she has a mostly letter-based friendship. The addition of Desert Festival helped somewhat, but Sandy deserves more.
Clint could improve on his mixed reception
Stardew Valley players have had mixed feelings about Clint since the game's release. He has attracted controversy for his inconsistent schedule, the heavy focus his crush on Emily has received, and his potentially “creepy” behavior of watching her from afar. Clint's current story has him either working up the courage to talk to Emily or walking past her (if the player romances her), and it will be fun to see that story expand as Clint opens up to the idea of finding new love after pining for Emily for so long.
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Start
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)
Yes, choosing Clint and Sandy as the new Bachelor and Bachelorette might feel a bit like “the easy way out” and will disappoint some fans, especially those who prefer Marnie, the Wizard or other options. But at the same time, they're two characters that could desperately use an update to their stories, as they're currently pretty one-dimensional and focused on a single subject. A romance will allow them to have that depth and explore more aspects of their personalities. In particular, when Clint realizes he's moved on from Emily and has feelings for the player instead has the potential to be an extremely hard-hitting and emotional moment.
Also, it will be extremely satisfying to see them both achieve their central goals: finding community for Sandy and finding love for Clint. There remains one important question that is unlikely to receive an official answer until now Stardew Valley 1.7 update release later this year: will they continue to commute to and run their respective shops after marrying the player, or will Oasis and Blacksmith be under new management?
- Released
-
February 26, 2016
- ESRB
-
E for All (fantasy violence, mild blood, mild language, simulated gambling, use of alcohol and tobacco)
- Developer
-
Worried Ape
- Publisher
-
Worried Ape
