Stardew Valley multiplayer lets up to 8 players share one farm, but the real limit depends on your platform: PC allows 8, most consoles allow 4, and the Switch 2 allows 8 online. One player hosts the world and the others join as farmhands, each in their own cabin, through a Steam or GOG Galaxy invite code, a console friend list, split-screen or an IP address. Crossplay does not exist between PC and consoles, so everyone in a farm needs to be on the same family of platform.
We checked the official Stardew Valley Wiki and the developer's mobile multiplayer guide on November 2, 2026. Limits can change with future patches.
Quick facts
| Topic | What we found |
|---|---|
| Players per farm | 1 to 8 on PC, 1 to 4 on most consoles, up to 8 online on Switch 2 |
| Roles | One host, the others are farmhands |
| Cabins | One per farmhand, up to 3 on most platforms, up to 7 on PC and Switch 2 |
| Cabin cost | 100 gold each from Robin, up to 3, if you did not add them at farm creation |
| Money | Shared wallet or separate wallets, switchable in the Town Ledger |
| Invite codes | PC, through Steam or GOG Galaxy |
| Split-screen | PC and consoles, 2 players on Switch, 4 on other consoles and Switch 2 |
| Crossplay | Between PC versions only, plus an experimental mobile mode |
| Console online | Needs PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online or Game Pass |
How hosting works
Stardew multiplayer is built around a host. The host owns the save file, and farmhands can only play while the host is online and the farm is open. If the host logs off, nobody else can get into that world, and ownership of the farm cannot be transferred without mods.
To start fresh, choose Co-Op instead of New on the title screen, open the Host tab and pick Host New Farm. You choose the number of cabins, the profit margin and whether wallets are shared at that point. An existing single-player farm can also be turned into a multiplayer one: build the cabins, save, exit to the title screen and load the save through Co-Op.
Players per platform
The wiki gives these limits as of November 2, 2026:
- PC (Windows, macOS, Linux): up to 8 players, meaning the host plus 7 farmhands. A config value can raise it, but the wiki flags that as experimental and potentially unstable.
- PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch: up to 4 players, even after the 1.6 update.
- Nintendo Switch 2: up to 8 players online.
- Mobile: an experimental, hidden mode, covered below.
Cabins
Every farmhand needs a cabin. If the farm started with fewer than 3, Robin can build up to 3 in total for 100 gold each, and building is instant, so you can add them on day one. Most platforms top out at 3 cabins; PC and Switch 2 allow up to 7, chosen at farm creation.
The host can demolish a cabin at any time. That removes its occupant from the game and drops their inventory into a chest where the cabin stood. Only the farmhand who lives in a cabin can upgrade it, and they need to be on the farm for Robin to finish the work.
Shared or separate money
You decide when you create the world, and you can change it later through the Town Ledger in the Mayor's Manor.
- Shared wallet: everyone spends from and earns into the same pot. It is the simplest setup for a group of friends who split chores.
- Separate wallets: each player keeps their own gold, and the Town Ledger can send money between players.
If you turn on separate money after the game started, the existing gold is divided evenly among everyone in the game. On a farm converted from single-player, the wiki advises activating separation before the first farmhand logs in, so that farmhand starts with the standard 500 gold.
The profit margin is the other economic knob. At creation you can pick 25%, 50%, 75% or the default 100%. A lower margin reduces what most items sell for, which compensates for several players working the farm.
Invite codes, friend lists and IP
How a farmhand connects depends on the platform:
- PC with Steam or GOG Galaxy: an invite code appears in the in-game options. Friends with Steam or GOG Galaxy type it into the join screen. Steam friends' farms may also show up on the join screen directly.
- PC by IP address: works over a LAN or the internet, but may need an open firewall port (UDP 24642 by default) or a virtual LAN tool.
- PlayStation: friends join remotely with a PlayStation Plus subscription.
- Switch and Switch 2: friends join through Nintendo Switch Online, and farms hosted by friends appear on the join tab. Nearby Switch players can also use local communication play without a subscription.
- Xbox: friends join remotely with an Xbox Game Pass tier that includes online multiplayer.
Split-screen
Split-screen is free on every platform that supports it, with no online subscription. Build a cabin per extra player, connect a controller for each, open Options and choose Start Local Co-op, then have each extra player press start. On PC the keyboard is always reserved for player one.
Limits: 2 players on Switch, 4 on the other consoles and the Switch 2. Consoles cannot mix split-screen and remote players in the same session, though a PC world loaded via Co-Op can. On Switch and Switch 2, each player needs a full controller or two Joy-Cons.
Crossplay: what exists and what does not
According to the wiki, crossplay between platforms is not supported, with two exceptions: PC versions can play with each other (Windows with macOS, for example), and mobile has an experimental mode. The developer's guide says mobile has a hidden multiplayer feature on Android and iOS, but not the Apple Arcade version. There is no farm discovery on mobile: you connect by IP only, and the guide says you can join a PC-hosted farm from a phone this way.
The practical rule: if your friend is on PlayStation and you are on PC, you cannot share a farm. Settle platforms before anyone buys anything.
What to agree on before you start
- Who hosts, and when they will be online, since the farm only exists while they are.
- Money, shared or separate.
- Profit margin, and whether the group wants a relaxed or tight economy.
- Cabin count, with room for a friend who joins later.
Finding farmhands
If your friends do not play, you have several real options:
- Reddit and the official community spaces: the Stardew Valley subreddit and its Discord have threads where people look for co-op partners. State your platform, time zone and whether you play relaxed.
- LFG Discord servers: many have a cozy or farming-games channel. Our list of the best LFG Discord servers in 2026 is a starting point.
- GameVerse: a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, with mobile coming soon. It shows players online now for the same game and region, chill or competitive, and lets you message them, with up to 8 players per search. It does not match on rank, role or schedule, so agree on those in chat. Open the Stardew Valley page to see how it works for this game, or browse find players.
FAQ
How many players can play Stardew Valley multiplayer?
Up to 8 on PC and up to 8 online on Switch 2. PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch are limited to 4 players, according to the wiki.
Is Stardew Valley multiplayer crossplay?
Not between PC and consoles. PC versions can play together across Windows, macOS and Linux, and mobile has an experimental IP-based mode, as of November 2, 2026.
Do you share money in Stardew Valley multiplayer?
It is your choice. You set a shared or separate wallet when creating the farm and can change it later in the Town Ledger. Switching to separate wallets splits existing gold evenly.
How do I invite friends in Stardew Valley?
On PC, open the in-game options to find an invite code that Steam or GOG Galaxy friends can enter. On consoles, friends join through the platform friend list with the right online subscription.
Can you play Stardew Valley multiplayer split-screen?
Yes. Build a cabin for each extra player, connect their controllers and choose Start Local Co-op. It supports 2 players on Switch and 4 on other consoles and Switch 2.
Can the farmhand play when the host is offline?
No. The host has the save file, so farmhands can only access the world and their characters while the host is online.