Highlights
- Stardew Valley has a passionate fanbase that creates mods adding new marriage candidates, like polyamorous relationships and unique NPCs.
- The game's 1.6 update added new content but mods like Romanceable Rasmodius & Romanceable Rasmodia bring fresh romance options to players.
- Mods like Ridgeside Village can offer a wealth of new marriage candidates, adding excitement and replay value for players looking for love.
Stardew Valley is a beloved indie farming RPG that simulates a peaceful life in the idyllic Pelican Town. After taking over their grandfather's farm, players can grow, charm and quest their way through the game to unlock achievements, secrets and to have an all around wonderful life. Since its release in 2016, the game has gained a passionate and loyal fanbase which has supported developer ConcernedApe at every turn.
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To further show their affection for Stardew Valley, many fans of the game have created extensive, well-developed mods that allow players to explore the game even further. Mods are typically downloadable content that allows fans to adjust games to include certain aspects that the original game does not have, such as new farming equipment or easy teleportation. Some mods are built exclusively to facilitate the mechanics of the game, while others introduce entirely new areas or NPCs to Stardew Valley. There's a multitude of unique mods that show immense dedication and care, including some that broaden the dating pool for players that are looking for love.
Updated June 11th, 2024, by Alexandra O'Leary: After Stardew Valley's highly anticipated 1.6 update, a whole wave of players have returned to the game with a renewed passion. The 1.6 update added a great selection of new content to keep players interested, and served as a great way to distract gamers while they wait for ConcernedApe's next game, Haunted Chocolatier. For those who've already made their way through all the new features of this update, mods are an excellent way to keep the game fresh and fun. Mods can impact all aspects of a game, and there's a particularly good selection for those who want to expand the dating roster. New romanceable NPCs add even more challenge and dimension to the game, and for those who want a little more love in their lives, there's a whole world of single people just waiting to fall for Pelican Town's newest farmer. With that in mind, some more mods that add romanceable characters to Stardew Valley have been added to this list in its latest update.
13 Polyamory Sweet
0 Additional Marriage Candidates
- Via: Polyamory Sweet
The Polyamory Sweetmod is a little unlike the others that add additional or new marriage candidates. Instead, this mod introduces the concepts of polyamory and consensual non-monogamy to Pelican Town and allows players to have multiple partners at a time. So, while it doesn't exactly add partners, it opens up the dating pool substantially.
For functional reasons, the player will likely have one main spouse (which can be changed freely), but other than that, they can have multiple partners and spouses, which will bring unique rooms to the house. It also allows the player's other spouses to attend new weddings, other NPCs to kiss, and lets multiple characters sleep in one bed. This mod is all about free love, and gives players the chance to get to know all the people in Pelican Town on another level. It even adds a new NPC (non-romanceable) to oversee the custom items that help players manage their life, and the mod is regularly updated by its creator.
12 Shiko
1 Additional Marriage Candidate
- Via: Shiko
There are plenty of custom NPCs in the world of Stardew Valley mods, and gamers all over the world work hard to tailor the game in a personal way. Shiko is a great example of the kinds of NPCs that fans are making, and is a great way to see how much they can add to the Stardew experience.
Shiko is a cool ex-model who moves to Pelican Town for a little peace after her life of stardom. This effortlessly-stylish icon comes with her own set of heart events and is completely romanceable, meaning players can marry her and have her move out of the Stardrop Saloon and into the farmer's house. Any player who wants a mysterious and glamorous partner will absolutely love this mod.
11 Isla
1 Additional Marriage Candidate
- Via: Isla
Isla is another custom NPC mod, adding a mysterious new character who's a little harder to pin down than the usual Pelican Town singles. Isla is an aqua-haired NPC with a mystical nature whom the player can meet if they venture to the beach at the right time. Getting to know her will reveal brilliant secrets, and slowly, the player can grow a beautiful relationship with her.
Isla is a very cool and unique custom NPC unlike any other denizen of Stardew Valley, which gives players a really fresh romantic experience. She prefers sea-based gifts and comes complete with all the heart events, as well as her own spousal room if players decide to marry her. She even has different seasonal outfits, just like Stardew Valley's 1.6 update, and attends Pelican Town's various events - with her own dialogue and location.
10 Romanceable Rasmodius And Romanceable Rasmodia
1 Additional Marriage Candidate
This mod does add a "new" marriage candidate, but not quite in the way players may think. Romanceable Rasmodius specifically makes Rasmodius a marriage candidate and brings 6 unique heart events as players grow their relationship with him. It also adds dozens of new dialogue lines for Rasmodius and adjusts his behaviour post-marriage. The mod works alongside Stardew Valley Expanded, and will need that installed to work properly.
Romanceable Rasmodia works with Stardew Valley Expanded or Romaceable Rasmodius to make a female iteration of Rasmodius that is romanceable. It literally turns Rasmodius into Rasmodia, and will adjust the game to fit Rasmodia's character without changing too much else. It's a perfect option for players who don't really want to switch up their game, but would like to see a cool Witch in the forest tower instead of a Wizard.
9 Always Raining In The Valley
1 Additional Marriage Candidate
This brilliant Stardew Valley mod adds three wonderful new NPCs, and one of them - Sterling - is available for players to fall in love with. It's a mod that specifically builds on the East Scarp mod, so players should be sure to download that one first. All three new characters, Henry, Mia, and Sterling Cooper, have unique dialogue and outfits that change based on the event and location.
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The main draw of this mod is the new storyline it adds to the East Scarp area, but Sterling is a great new addition to the marriage pool. Although he's a little bit lost, his genuine nature makes him a very endearing and a brilliant new choice for players - particularly since he's unlike any other marriage candidate so far. The mod also adds new recipes for any players who enjoy cooking. It's worth noting that the mod does not change the weather, and the title is more for dramatic impact.
8 Adventurer's Guild Expanded
2 Additional Marriage Candidates
The Adventurer's Guild Expandedmod elaborates on the monster aspects of Stardew Valley and adds completely new lore on where they come from, as well as additional information about the mines. Players can even become friends with a little monster companion who will come to live in their house.
Most importantly, this mod adds two additional NPCs - Marlon's children - who move to Pelican Town to start a monster research wing of the Adventurer's Guild. Gabriel and Zinnia move to the Stardew Valley as young adults, and each of them have 6 unique events at different stages of their relationship with the player. This mod adds a whole new dimension to the mines/monster sections of the game, and both new NPCs bring something fresh to the dating pool while also giving the player a little more insight into Marlon's backstory.
7 Boarding House And Bus Stop Extension
2 Additional Marriage Candidates
This Stardew Valley mod adds a boarding house behind the bus stop, along with a few new characters and dateable NPCs. The great part about the Boarding House and Bus Stop Extension mod is that it provides a home for any players who want to create and add their own custom NPCs without having to design a whole new area or house for them to live in.
Any players simply looking to jump in and date a new NPC will be happy to meet Greg, who can be found at the end of the new abandoned mine. Greg has six events that are generally mine and artifact oriented, making him perfect for players that are eager to explore the mines. Players can also romance Sheila, the daughter of Joe (who runs the boarding house) and owner of the brand new Buffalo Ranch.
6 Lunna - Astray In Stardew Valley
3 Additional Marriage Candidates
This charming mod focuses on the story of Lunna, a mysterious woman who is not quite what she seems. Lunna will be under the care of Rasmodius, the reclusive wizard found in Cindersnap Forest. Lunna: Astray in Stardew Valley adds three brand new dateable NPCs: Lunna, Bianka and Raphael.
Players will have to play through Lunna's story in order to meet Bianka and Raphael, but once they do, all three characters are romance options and players can marry any one of them. There are also exclusive recipes that can be unlocked for any Stardew Valley cooking enthusiasts. This mod adds an extra spark of magic and exploration, allowing players to visit Lunna's home, Umuwi, if they're persistent enough with her story.
5 Downtown Zuzu
6 Additional Marriage Candidates
- Via: Downtown Zuzu Mod
Downtown Zuzu is a cool, expansive mod that adds an entirely new area to Stardew Valley. Downtown Zuzu is more urban than Pelican Town, and offers a huge amount of new places to explore and characters to meet. Some of the best places in this mod include a busy mall, a lovely high street and an airport.
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Regarding romance, Downtown Zuzu adds 6 brand-new dateable NPCs. Each of them are unique and interesting in their own right, ranging from shy goth-girl Gwen to uppity Joja CEO Kristoff. This mod adds an entirely new dimension to the game and the dateable characters are very much integrated into the complex new areas of Stardew Valley.
4 Stardew Valley Expanded
6 Additional Marriage Candidates
Longtime fans of Stardew Valley will likely be familiar with the Stardew Valley Expanded mod. It is a massive mod that adds absolutely everything to the game, expanding on the world, NPCs and even the types of fish players can catch. The amount of care and dedication put into this mod cannot be overstated.
Along with the incredible amount of content players get from it, Stardew Valley Expanded also adds 6 new dateable characters. The familiar face of the Wizard is among these, which will delight any players who have been keen to romance Rasmodius. However, there are 5 other brand-new characters with carefully created backstories and dialogue, such as daring adventurer Lance or classy mother Olivia.
3 Looking For Love
9 Additional Marriage Candidates
- Via: Looking for Love Mod
Looking for Love is a great mod that allows players to romance some of the other single, but previously unavailable NPCs. Some Stardew Valley players, particularly older ones, can be disappointed that most of the bachelor/bachelorette NPCs are young adults. There are many players who wish to romance some of the more mature and endearing singles in Pelican Town.
This mod will allow players to date the likes of Gus, Clint, Marnie and Pam. In total, it adds 9 of the unmarried, classic Stardew Valley NPCs to the dating pool which offers players new dialogue, events and spouse rooms. It is worth noting that this mod specifically builds on another mod named Siv's Marriage Mod which, unfortunately, has not been updated since 2017. Looking For Love offers updated files and relevant fixes, and is more reliable for players who are looking to dive into this new pool of dateable characters.
2 East Scarp
10 Additional Marriage Candidates
- Via: East Scarp Mod
Alongside Stardew Valley Expanded and Downtown Zuzu, the East Scarp mod adds an entirely new area of Stardew Valley for players to explore. It includes new homes, shops and secrets to uncover, as well as a group of 10 new dateable NPCs. This allows players to experience new romance events, areas and a brand-new bird-watching aspect.
These dateable NPC's cover a broad spectrum, including Sen, a mine-dwelling shadow, and Aideen a well-spoken, Victorian-era enthusiast. These new marriage candidates also tie in with familiar Stardew Valley faces, such as Tristan, a rebellious but charming adventurer, who is (non-canonically) Jas' father.
1 Ridgeside Village
22 Additional Marriage Candidates
Ridgeside Village is another enormous mod for Stardew Valley, adding an entirely new village along with an incredible slew of over 50 NPCs. Longtime fans of the game will be satisfied for months while playing through all the new content, including a vast field of dateable characters. This also makes it perfect for replays, allowing gamers to choose different partners and options each time.
Ridgeside Village offers 22 new marriage candidates, some of them obvious bachelors and bachelorettes, and others more difficult to romance. Among the bachelors are June, a gentle pianist, and Ian, a kindhearted and reliable laborer. A few of the bachelorettes include Alissa, another farmer with a flair for the arts, and the awkwardly adorable Flor. For players after the trickier dateable NPCs, there are a few secrets to winning their hearts. For example, Irene and Anton can be marriage candidates, but players will have to dedicate time to reaching their 8 heart events in order to pursue them. Others, like Daia and Jio, are unlocked after certain events and stories are completed.
