Stardew Valley 1.7 is expanding family life 10 years after launch

More than a decade after Stardew Valley first arrived, creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone is preparing to expand one of the farming sim's least developed late-game systems. Update 1.7 will make children "a little more interesting," while also adding Clint and Sandy as new marriage candidates.

Barone has not revealed exactly how children will change, and update 1.7 still has no release date. Even so, the confirmed additions point toward more attention being given to relationships and family life after players have already built their farms and settled into Pelican Town.

Players can marry one of Stardew Valley's eligible villagers and eventually have or adopt up to two children after upgrading their farmhouse. Those children grow through several early stages before becoming toddlers, but their development stops there.

They do not grow into older characters, take on substantial routines or become deeply involved with farm life. Once the family is established, children largely remain inside the farmhouse and offer little additional progression.

Barone acknowledged that limitation while discussing update 1.7 earlier this year. He said improving children is a popular request and confirmed that he is working on something designed to make them more interesting.

The developer has deliberately avoided explaining the feature in detail. That means there is no confirmation that children will age further, receive new schedules or become involved in farming activities.

Family options are also expanding before players even reach the child system. Barone confirmed during Stardew Valley's 10th anniversary celebration that both Clint and Sandy will become romanceable in update 1.7.

The change expands a marriage roster that currently includes 12 villagers. Clint has been part of Pelican Town since launch as its blacksmith, while Sandy runs the Oasis in Calico Desert and becomes available after players restore access to the bus.

Making both characters marriage candidates will require more than simply allowing players to give them a Mermaid's Pendant. Existing spouses have dating dialogue, heart events, marriage schedules and unique interactions after moving into the farmhouse, giving Barone several areas to expand for the two characters.

Barone first confirmed update 1.7 in 2025 without giving a release estimate. He later said the patch would contain considerably more than the child changes, including features players had not specifically requested but that he believed they would appreciate.

Work on the update is also making changes behind the scenes. Documentation prepared for mod developers shows that version 1.7 modifies several data systems to support new features and make the game easier to extend through mods.

Barone continues developing Haunted Chocolatier alongside the Stardew Valley update, so he has avoided committing to a launch date. Version 1.7 remains in development, with the expanded family system, Clint and Sandy romances, and further unannounced features all planned for the eventual release.