Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Light No Fire
Survival Games No Man's Sky player discovers new planet that looks a whole lot like Hello Games' upcoming survival sandbox
Stardew Valley Robin
Simulation Games Stardew Valley at 10: How a decade in the countryside has helped long-distance relationships thrive
A character in Terraria dressed in armour and holding a torch
Survival Games I can't even make jokes about Terraria's final update anymore when the devs are already teasing "long requested items"
Pokemon Pokopia screenshot showing Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle all gathered around a Ditto in human form between two green trees
Pokemon After 30 years, Pokemon Pokopia finally answers an important question for "the hardcore lore freaks"
An early build of Stardew Valley shows the player character holding a tool over a dry plot of land
Simulation Games Stardew Valley creator reveals 14-year-old footage of Sprout Valley, a technically "functioning game"
Balatro Joker card
Roguelike Games Balatro's big 1.1 update is still coming, LocalThunk says: "Last night I stayed up until the early hours of the morning"
Stardew Valley
Simulation Games Stardew Valley creator "wanted the mines to be like Terraria," but it was way "too ambitious" in the end
Fields of Mistria screenshot shows a farm with some cows and crops and a homestead
Games The 15 best farming games to help you reap what you sow
A screenshot of the player in Starsand Island at the ranch shop looking at a chicken
Simulation Games I've played Starsand Island for 25 hours, and this is the most invested I've been in a cozy game for years
Stardew Valley berry
Simulation Games Stardew Valley creator went through it 6 months before launch, and the game didn't come together until "the last moment"
Best games like Stardew Valley: a screenshot of a Stardew Valley farm during spring.
Simulation Games 10 Games like Stardew Valley that'll keep you working on the farm until the cows come home
Stardew Valley Robin
Simulation Games Stardew Valley creator announces 10-year anniversary video with "pre-release footage" and "new 1.7 marriage candidates"
Haunted Chocolatier: a screenshot of a player standing in a dark house.
RPGs Haunted Chocolatier: Everything we know about the Stardew Valley creator's next game
Starsand Island
Simulation Games My biggest problem with Stardew Valley is fixed in the hottest new life sim RPG on Steam
Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone holds up a piece of paper saying "Clint & Sandy"
Simulation Games The new Stardew Valley marriage candidates are Clint and Sandy, ConcernedApe confirms
  1. Games
  2. Simulation Games
  3. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley still has "a secret that no one has ever found" after 10 years, but ConcernedApe says it "reveals something that actually isn't even true anymore"

News
By Anna Koselke published 4 February 2026

"Do I want to reveal it or not?"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Stardew Valley character Emily, a woman with short bright blue hair, smiles ahead of a blurred cloudy backdrop
(Image credit: ConcernedApe)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
0
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

The ever-beloved farming sim gem Stardew Valley has now been around for nearly 10 years, so you'd think we dedicated fans would've discovered just about everything it has to offer by now – but, according to developer Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone, that's not the case.

There is, in fact, a secret remaining that no one in the community has uncovered. Speaking in a recent interview with IGN, ConcernedApe reveals as much. "There's still a secret that no one has ever found," he admits. "I don't think they ever will. Maybe I'll reveal it someday, but the problem with the secret is that it's basically a secret message that's in the game, and it reveals something that actually isn't even true anymore."

What could the dev possibly mean by that? He does begin to explain, but cuts himself short, asking, "Do I want to reveal it or not?" Sadly, he opts not to. "Well, that's all I'll say. I'll say it was a secret message that was basically announcing something that I actually shifted gears [on] and that thing wasn't even true anymore, but it's still in the game."

At this point, I'm pretty desperate to find out what the heck it is – but I doubt we ever will.

You may like
  • Stardew Valley Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe wants to make the farming sim "infinitely replayable" – but "without the use of AI"
  • Stardew Valley Stardew Valley 1.7 update might be as big as the farming sim's last, as ConcernedApe hints there's "lots more" to come
  • Stardew Valley goblin ConcernedApe reveals he "completely scrapped" Stardew Valley goblin villages, and fans "just want" the axed feature now

As ConcernedApe puts it, "I just don't know if anyone will ever discover it because it's so obscure." I'm sure it is. It's only been a decade, and Stardew Valley is only one of the most popular games, available on like a billion different platforms… so, yeah, I believe him.

I'd love to know what misinformation it actually points to, though – something tells me it has to do with a past update. All I know is I'm going to be inspecting every nook and cranny.

With the 1.7 update underway, two new marriage candidates and all, ConcerendApe is likely to shake things up even more. How, I'm not certain, but knowing the creative mastermind, we might even find ourselves grappling with other secrets – yes, on top of the one we have evidently not been able to uncover.

Plus, with Haunted Chocolatier in the works, too, there's plenty of ConcernedApe-style charm to look forward to.

"That's never going to happen": Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe wants to make his farming sim "infinitely replayable," but only "without the use of AI."

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Xbox Series X Xbox One PS5 PS4 Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Switch Mobile Gaming Platforms Xbox PlayStation Nintendo
Anna Koselke
Anna Koselke
Social Links Navigation
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe wants to make the farming sim "infinitely replayable" – but "without the use of AI"
 
 
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley 1.7 update might be as big as the farming sim's last, as ConcernedApe hints there's "lots more" to come
 
 
Stardew Valley goblin
ConcernedApe reveals he "completely scrapped" Stardew Valley goblin villages, and fans "just want" the axed feature now
 
 
Stardew Valley berry
Stardew Valley creator went through it 6 months before launch, and the game didn't come together until "the last moment"
 
 
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe will "announce something very soon" on the farming sim's Switch 2 edition
 
 
Stardew Valley character Haley, a blonde young woman with long wavy hair and bright blue eyes, against a blurred backdrop of a farm
Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone still feels "like an amateur" even with nearly 50 million copies sold
 
 
Latest in Simulation Games
Fruit Piece Incremental codes
Fruit Piece Incremental codes (March 2026) and how to redeem them for free Beli, Scrolls, Rolls, and more
 
 
The Sims 4 tattoo artist career
The Sims 4 Marketplace sparks angry fan reactions and comparisons to paid Fallout and Skyrim mods
 
 
The Sims 4 burglar
The Sims 4 Marketplace is coming with paid mods – because that's definitely what fans of EA's life sim want
 
 
Turquoise
Subnautica's rare cozy moments meet my favorite Windows 98 screensaver in this relaxing new life sim
 
 
Stardew Valley goblin
ConcernedApe reveals he "completely scrapped" Stardew Valley goblin villages, and fans "just want" the axed feature now
 
 
Stardew Valley berry
Stardew Valley creator went through it 6 months before launch, and the game didn't come together until "the last moment"
 
 
Latest in News
Ghostwire Tokyo
Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami has been working on a new AAA action RPG for at least 1 year, and no one noticed
 
 
Key art for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen showing Venasaur against a swirling green background, cropped for a header image
Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have been on Switch for over a week, but many players are still stuck in Oak's Lab
 
 
Big Walk
"Complicated feelings on our end": Indie devs behind new Peak-like co-op understand you think it's friendslop
 
 
A Na'vi draws a bow in Avatar: Fire and Ash
James Cameron says Avatar 4 is still "very likely", despite Fire and Ash making $870 million less than The Way of Water
 
 
Ghost of Yotei Legends
"Mark my words. You cannot win without 4 players," Ghost of Yotei multiplayer lead warns of Legends' "hardcore content"
 
 
Dragon Age 2
Dragon Age 2 was originally planned to be "much bigger" before EA made other demands, says series lead
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Ghostwire Tokyo
    1
    Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami has been working on a new AAA action RPG for at least 1 year after Microsoft closed his last studio, and no one noticed
  2. 2
    How to complete the Marathon Introducing Sekiguchi contract
  3. 3
    How to start Ghost of Yotei Legends online co-op
  4. 4
    Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen have been on Switch for over a week, but many players are still stuck in Oak's Lab trying to get shiny starters: "I'm going to cry"
  5. 5
    James Cameron says Avatar 4 is still "very likely", despite Fire and Ash making almost a billion dollars less than The Way of Water

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...