Stardew Valley fans are just learning the game isn’t as cosy as it seems.
Ever since its release in 2016, the farm life simulation game has become a cult classic among gamers looking for something relaxing to while away the hours on. Stardew Valley has even become the blueprint for other games in the genre, with more recent releases clearly inspired by the title that started it all.
In Stardew Valley, players take up the role of a farmer who has moved to Pelican Town to take over their grandfather’s farm. You can plant crops, tend to farm animals, make friends with the colourful cast of characters, and even explore dangerous mines that help you unravel the secrets of the mysterious valley you find yourself in.
The game is sure to keep you entertained for a long time, and it turns out that even die-hard fans are only just finding out some of the hidden gems within the title – including one rather “distressing” ending.
In a viral video posted to TikTok, one Stardew Valley fan uncovered a harrowing detail hidden deep within the game that you can only find if you do something very specific. She claimed that under certain circumstances, the farmer – your character – can be murdered “in cold blood.”
It’s already well-known that the farmer can “die” in the mines if you get attacked by monsters and lose all your health. But in her TikTok video, the woman claimed that they can also be “pushed off a cliff” by another character in the game.
The hidden ending occurs at The Summit, an area of the map that is only uncovered once you reach “Perfection”. You can do this by completing the game to 100%, which involves cooking every single recipe, selling one of every sellable item, maxing out your friendship with every villager, catching every fish, and various other tasks.
In her video, streamer Millkberry said: “If you somehow make it to The Summit without reaching perfection, Mr Qi will be there with some choice words for you. As the background of The Summit glitches out eerily behind you, Mr Qi will ‘congratulate’ you on reaching perfection before mocking you and calling you selfish.
“He will then call you ‘despicable’, turning towards the farmer for a split second as the screen cuts to black and the death sound can be heard. The empty Summit will flash creepily on screen for a second before you’re woken up by Doctor Harvey.”
Seasoned Stardew Valley players will know all about the mysterious Mr Qi, but for those who haven’t played the game extensively, he’s a bizarre character who pops up every now and again with baffling quests for the farmer to complete.
Reaching The Summit before you’ve reached “perfection” in-game can only be done by exploiting a couple of known glitches, so if you’re playing the game as it was intended, you don’t need to worry about accidentally getting your character murdered.
Commenters on the post were baffled by the hidden scene. Many had no idea it existed despite pouring hundreds of hours into the game. Others said it was a “genius” move by the developers to add the extra scene instead of simply fixing the glitch.
One person said: “That’s crazy! I love that this is in the game.”
Another added: “I feel like this was a bug the developer didn’t want to fix. He COULD’VE fixed it, but he was like, you know what? I’ve got another idea.”