A neat exploit in Stardew Valley has been discovered, with a new skip allowing players to enter the Secret Woods without getting the necessary axe upgrades first. These days, no game or developer's best-laid plans are safe from the reach and creativity of the increasingly mainstream speedrunning scene, and even cozy life sims like Stardew Valley aren't an exception to that rule.
Farming simulator Stardew Valley remains very popular among genre fans, having been inspired by the likes of early Harvest Moon games. The game was developed by one person, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, who continues to update and create new content for the game years after release. At the game's start, players move from the big city to a small seaside town after inheriting a farm from their grandparents. The game is pretty open-ended from there, with various activities such as growing crops, raising livestock, mining, crafting, socializing and exploring all available from the start. New areas are unlocked as players progress through the story, including the Secret Woods, an outdoor area that can only be accessed after upgrading to a Steel Axe.
Thanks to a user on Reddit, Accurate-Ad-1191, a new exploit in the game has been discovered. With the use of just a wooden chair, players are able to trick the game into granting early access to the Secret Woods. Players need to bring a chair with them to the blocked entrance of the Secret Woods and stand in a specific spot, where they can place the chair past the log blocking the entrance. They can then sit on the chair, placing them past the log. From there, players are able to access this otherwise blocked off area earlier in the game than usual. If a player has not got a spare chair to use at this point in the game, they can buy one from Robin. As long as the chair is still there, players can use it to hop back and forth, making the exploit repeatable. According to the player, this is only possible in the latest version of Stardew Valley.
However, the usefulness of this exploit is limited, as one of the main reasons to access the Secret Woods everyday is to gather Hardwood from the logs and stumps in the area. This requires the use of a Steel Axe or better. However, the mushrooms and foraging options in the region could be very useful to players who are trying to knock out as many of the bundles in the Community Center in the first year.
Players who wish to try this out should do so quickly, as ConcernedApe is very active in the game's community and is relatively quick to patch glitches and exploits players find in the game. If one has never tried Stardew Valley, there has never been a better time to get into the game, with so much extra content having been added in the Stardew Valley 1.5 update.
Stardew Valley is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, Android, and PlayStation Vita.
Source: Accurate-Ad-1191/Reddit