Invite-code or friend-invite buttons are missing on desktop
Missing Enter Invite Code, Invite Friend or Show Invite Code options have a specific account-access explanation in the official support guide: Stardew Valley could not access the Steam or GOG account. The first check is the launcher session, rather than rebuilding the farm or changing cabin style. The troubleshooting guidance is for desktop clients. [1]
Documented steps
- Keep Steam or GOG Galaxy open and confirm it is logged into a valid account, then check whether the invite controls appear. [1]
Friends cannot see a farm opened through the ordinary Load menu
A host must open the save through Co-op. If the Options screen has no Multiplayer section above Sound, the developer says that session was not started in multiplayer mode. This distinction matters for an existing farm: adding a cabin and then loading the save in the wrong mode does not follow the published hosting procedure. [1]
Documented steps
- Return to the title screen, choose Co-op, open Host and load the farm there. On desktop, also check that Server Mode is Online. [1]
Another player cannot join because the farm lacks a cabin
The host needs enough cabins for the connecting players. For an existing farm, Robin supplies additional cabins; for a new Co-op farm, starting cabins are chosen during setup. The old support table illustrates two to four players, while the later 1.6 changelog explicitly allows eight on PC. That older table should not be read as the current PC player cap. [1] [2]
Documented steps
- Have the host visit Robin to add the needed cabin. If Cabins is absent from her construction list, check whether the farm has reached capacity or was opened outside Co-op. [1]
A multiplayer farm cannot be joined after an update
Before treating a failed join as a broken farm, compare the versions used by the host and each joining player. The developer’s support page requires the same game version, and the 1.6 changelog makes the condition more precise: the build number must match too. Updating only one computer can therefore leave the group on incompatible builds even when everyone considers their installation current. [1] [2]
Documented steps
Sources & verification
Platform and version details belong to the individual issue or guide section. A documented workaround may not resolve every case.
- Stardew Valley - Multiplayer Troubleshooting Guide official-supportRetrieved
- Stardew Valley - Stardew Valley 1.6 Update Full Changelog official-newsRetrieved