Stardew Valley's Strange Capsule Mystery Explained

Many years later, Stardew Valley's Strange Capsule remains one of the most mysterious elements of the farming simulator game.

Stardew Valley is a magical place. Junimo forest spirits watch over the Valley, a mysterious Wizard lives in his tower deep in the forest, and dwarves inhabit the depths of the Mines. But one of Stardew Valley's strangest and most mysterious events hints at the presence of yet another type of creature: aliens. Years after the game's release, the "Strange Capsule" mystery continues to confound players.

Creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has remained frustratingly vague about the Strange Capsule's origin and whether it truly confirms that aliens exist in the Valley. The event remains one of the rarest in the game, meaning that some players could play Stardew Valley for months or even years without encountering it. Fans hope that Barone's upcoming title, Haunted Chocolatier, might include a follow-up to the Strange Capsule explaining where this otherworldly item truly originated. Otherwise, it might remain a mystery forever.

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The Strange Capsule is an item that can randomly appear on players' farms in Stardew Valley. It is a completely random event, with only a 0.8% chance of occurring each in-game night. In the morning, players will receive the message "A strange sound was heard in the night". They can then find the Strange Capsule on one random previously empty tile on their farm.

The Strange Capsule can be left where it was found or picked up and moved somewhere else on the farm. The capsule's description indicates that there's "something fleshy" bobbing around inside. After approximately three days, the capsule will break and be replaced with the "Empty Capsule" item. Using the "Fairy Dust" item from Stardew Valley's 1.5 content update will also cause the Capsule to break immediately. The Empty Capsule can be stored or displayed but is otherwise useless. The Strange Capsule event can only happen once per save file, so it is impossible to acquire more than one Strange or Empty Capsule without modifying the game to duplicate items.

Once the Strange Capsule has been broken, another mysterious event can be observed in Stardew Valley. Occasionally, a short, dark creature can be seen scuttling around various areas of Stardew Valley and Pelican Town at night. The creature, theorized by fans to be an alien of some kind, appears most often near the Bus Stop. However, it can also show up behind Jodi and Kent's house, in front of Emily and Haley's house, or next to the bridge leading to the Beach.

The creature is extremely shy and will run away as soon as the player gets too close. It may briefly stop and wave at the player, but cannot otherwise be interacted with in any way. Because of its shyness, it is impossible to learn anything more about the creature, including whether it is truly an alien. However, due to its dark coloration, many fans have theorized that it may be connected to Krobus, a "shadow person" who lives in the sewers beneath Pelican Town.

It is currently unlikely that anything concrete will ever be revealed regarding the Strange Capsule, the creature, or their possible origins. It is one of many mysteries remaining in Stardew Valley, alongside sea monsters, possibly haunted dolls, and the enigmatic Mr. Qi. Although Eric Barone did recently reveal that he is working on more Stardew Valley content during a break from Haunted Chocolatier, the Strange Capsule will likely not be addressed in this planned update. It is likely going to stay a fun Easter Egg that hints at the presence of "something out there". Fans may never truly know if aliens dwell in outer space far above the peaceful Stardew Valley.

Stardew Valley is currently available for Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox One.

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