Dive into Stardew Valley's Riverland Farm: An Ultimate Expert's Guide for Thriving Harvests

Choosing a map in Stardew Valley can be challenging, whether it's the player's first time or not. While the benefits and drawbacks of each map may seem evident from their names, it can be difficult for players to fully grasp what they're getting into until they've made their selection.

Among the more challenging options is the Riverland Farm map. This choice requires a great deal of responsibility and is not for the faint-hearted (or for players who despise the fishing minigame). In this guide, we will delve into the details of Stardew Valley's Riverland Farm map, including the ease of farming the land, the advantages and disadvantages of the map, and the intricacies of fishing on this waterlogged farm.

Everything You Need to Know About the Riverland Farm Map

Farming Potential

In general, the size of Riverland Farm is quite limited for cultivating crops. This limitation is partly attributed to the extensive water bodies present on the map, which occupy a significant portion. Additionally, a considerable amount of the seemingly vacant space is unfit for farming purposes.

In addition, players will likely want to allocate space for various types of structures, such as animal housing, further limiting the amount of land accessible for farming purposes. However, this constraint should not discourage players from thinking outside the box and finding innovative solutions. It will certainly pose a challenge! The total number of tillable tiles is 1578, while there are 516 tiles suitable for construction but not for tilling.

Fishing Potential

The Riverland Farm is a perfect location for fishing, given its abundant water resources on the map. It offers a lucrative opportunity for players to make money through fishing, especially when compared to other types of farms and when combined with game buffs. In this farm layout, players can catch a variety of river fish, as well as fish from different parts of the Valley. Unlike other farms, random Bubble Spots are present on this map, allowing players to take advantage of them. However, it is important to note that ocean fish cannot be caught on this farm layout. Therefore, players will still need to make an effort to travel to the beach for beach-only fish and pay close attention to seasonal changes to ensure they don't miss any fish they may need.

Fish Catching Specifics

Players have a wide variety of fish to catch on their farm, but the details about the specific fish available, their locations, and catch rates can be unclear.

On the Riverland Farm, players will mostly catch town river fish, which constitute 70% of the catches. These fish can be found in Pelican Town. The remaining 30% of the catches consist of forest fish, which are typically exclusive to Cindersap Forest. This is particularly significant for early-game players as Cindersap Forest is usually inaccessible until at least Summer, which can deter casual players. The fish that can be caught include Bream, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, and Carp, all of which are used in recipes and Community Center bundles. Therefore, this map is also a great resource for first-year players to make progress on the Community Center.

Bubble Spots will also be present, where casting into them will cause little blue sparkles to emerge. These spots provide players with fishing enhancements, such as a fourfold increase in fish biting speed and a reduced likelihood of catching trash. Additionally, fish tend to be more easily caught in these areas. Legendary fish may also be found within these bubbles, often being located closer to the shoreline than usual, granting easier access compared to their outside farm counterparts.

Stardew Valley can be played on various platforms including PC, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.