This page or section contains unmarked spoilers from update 1.6 of Stardew Valley. Players may want to avoid or be cautious toward reading this article/section.
The selection area for maps at character creation.
There are eight different Farm Maps to choose from in Stardew Valley. Each map features a unique layout of the Farm, offering different benefits and favoring specific skills. Only one map can be chosen when starting a new game, and cannot be changed once selected.
The Standard Farm offers the most space to plant crops and raise animals. The other seven farms lack farming area, but offer special perks in comparison:
The Wilderness Farm encourages Combat (but only gives 1/3 Combat experience for it).
The Four Corners Farm offers perks from other maps and encourages Multiplayer.
The Beach Farm offers extra items and encourages Fishing and Foraging, but discourages Farming late game.
The Meadowlands Farm encourages Farming, specifically raising animals, and comes with two chickens by default.
The interior of the farmhouse is decorated to match the theme of the chosen map. This includes furniture, wallpaper and flooring. The exterior of the house is the same regardless of map choice.
There is an abandoned building on all maps which can later be turned into the Greenhouse. Once repaired, it can be moved by visiting the Carpenter's Shop or Wizard's Tower.
Unlike all other Farm Maps, random Bubble Spots are enabled on this map.
The river in many spots around the farmhouse is wide enough to offer a max-level fishing zone allowing to catch even iridium quality Smallmouth Bass or Chub which are good sources of energy early on.
During rain in spring and fall you will be able to catch Catfish which is a good fish to sell. Fish Smoker can be used to increase profits.
The number of tillable tiles on this map is 1578, with 516 non-tillable but buildable tiles.
5% of the time (modified by daily Luck), players will catch Woodskip. The exact formula is 0.05 + Daily Luck. This means that if the daily luck is at or below -0.05, there is no chance of catching a Woodskip. With maximum luck (0.125, only possible with the Special Charm), each cast has a 17.5% chance to hook a Woodskip.
45% of the rest of the time, players will catch pond and river fish, i.e.,fish that are found in Cindersap Forest.
The southwest hill-top spawns Stones, Ore nodes, and Geode nodes depending on the player's Mining level. If the farm quarry is cleared, it will usually regenerate 7-13 items every 4th day, which appears to be the optimal day to clear the farm quarry. The mining area may sometimes be blocked by a Large Stump, Large Log, or a Boulder, making it impossible to enter until the player has the correct tool.
Additional cliffs and a stream decrease the overall farming area.
Monsters spawn at night (scales with the player's Combat level). This map can spawn more Wilderness Golems than other farms if they have spawning monster enabled. See Advanced options for more info.
The farming area is split by cliffs into four distinct areas, each reminiscent of some of the other Farm Maps.
Top left: Forest Farm. This quadrant has a small grassy area containing a Large Stump, and weeds here can transform into the unique ones that always drop mixed seeds, the same as on the Forest Farm.
Top right: Standard Farm. This quadrant has the most farming space.
Bottom left: This quadrant has a pond. Players have a 50% chance of catching forest pond fish, i.e.,fish that are found in the Cindersap Forest pond.[1]
Bottom right: Hill-top Farm. This quadrant contains a small quarry that spawns Rocks and Ore and Geode nodes depending on the player's Mining level.
Additional cliffs and ponds decrease the overall farming area.
There is a patch of 202 tiles (10x20 plus 2) where sprinklers can be placed (requires clearing from trees and large logs with steel axe or better).
Good foraging and fishing, and a lot of open space. Sometimes, supply crates wash up on shore.
After second house upgrade the supply crates can drop deluxe retaining soil which can be used in combination with garden pots inside sheds to create secondary greenhouses. Once watered the soil will never require water again.
Both forest and beach foragables may spawn.
Intended for "seasoned players", not as a first farm. A typical strategy of increasing crop fields and crafting large quantities of quality sprinklers won't work on this farm.
Large open areas can be used to build Barns, Coops or Sheds. Grass can grow on sandy soil.
Fish ponds are another option although it will take quite a while to build and populate them with profitable fish like Lava Eel
Alternatively you can opt to plant mini forests of wild trees to then place mushroom logs inside them and harvest mushrooms for income
The number of tillable tiles on this map is 2700, with 1928 non-tillable but buildable tiles.
1.5: Added Beach Farm Map. Chat interface changes, which eliminated a bug preventing placement of path tiles near Cindersap Forest. Greenhouse can now be moved.
1.6: Added Meadowlands Farm Map. Players on the Riverland Farm Map get a Fish Smoker by default. Monsters now give 1/3 of normal Combat experience when spawned on the Farm.