Almost six years since it's original release, Stardew Valley remains one of the most popular indie titles today. The farming RPG from ConcernedApe has grown massively since its 2016 launch, and the 1.5 update was one of the biggest ever. Stardew Valley 1.5 greatly expanded the endgame content, offering new challenges for experienced players to overcome.
One of the most difficult of these challenges is unlocking the "dangerous" version of The Mines, Stardew Valley's starting dungeon. Although players gain access to The Mines shortly after starting a new game, they'll most likely stop visiting them after reaching Floor 120 and unlocking the Skull Cavern. It's not until much later in the game that The Mines become a vital resource again, with some help from the mysterious Mr Qi.
How To Begin Danger in the Deep
In order to unlock the "dangerous" Mines, players will not only need to have reached Stardew Valley's Ginger Island, but also have amassed the 100 Golden Walnuts necessary to enter Qi's Walnut Room. This room is vital for completionists, as it contains a number of endgame quests and challenges.
One of the quests offered by the room's Special Orders Board is Danger in the Deep, which will take players back to The Mines. There are ten possible quests available from Mr Qi's Special Orders Board, and only two are displayed each week, so it may take some time for players to get Danger in the Deep.
How To Unlock The Shrine of Challenge
When players accept the Danger in the Deep quest, it will reset the elevator progress in The Mines, and fill them with new and powerful monsters. It will also reset all the purchasable gear in the Adventurer's Guild. In order to complete the quest, players will need to descend through all 120 Floors in a single week, though Staircases can be used to speed up the process.
Defeating 120 Floors of "dangerous" Mines isn't easy, and players should make sure that they're fully prepared for the challenges when they take the quest. Completing Danger in the Deep will award 50 Qi Gems and unlock the Shrine of Challenge, which can be found at Floor 120 of The Mines.
The Shrine of Challenge is a switch that allows players to toggle between the normal Mines or the "dangerous" Mines, though changing from one to the other won't take effect until the next morning. The "dangerous" Mines not only offer a tougher challenge, but are also the only source of Radioactive Nodes, a vital resource for endgame crafting.
Stardew Valley is available on Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.