The Earthquake in Stardew Valley [Explained]: Cause & Areas

You’ll come across some fascinating events throughout your journey in Stardew Valley.

These are filled with easter eggs, surprises, and sometimes – bonus content for you to explore!

The Earthquake happens to be an event that fits this last category.

If you saw a concerning message pop up while your character peacefully sleeps, don’t worry!

What is The Earthquake?

The Earthquake is categorized as a random event in Stardew Valley. It happens during the night of the third day of summer. The Earthquake event opens up unique new possibilities for players by clearing up the boulder in the mountains region which enables players to access the area and explore additional content.

An Earthquake is a unique event in Stardew Valley that happens only once per game file. It occurs on the third day of the summer season and is the same for all players. When this happens, you’ll see a message appear in your game at night while you’re sleeping.

This pop-up box will quote, “There was an Earthquake during the night.” After that, you’ll wake up and go ahead with your farming life as you always did.

Now before you begin to worry, this is an event that happens for all game players and is actually good news!

What Happens During The Earthquake?

When the Earthquake event happens, there isn’t any extra sequence or cutscene that you’re shown.

Your screen will go blank, and the game will return to play how it usually would.

It also does not negatively affect your crops or farm buildings as increasing Weeds would. The Earthquake doesn’t even happen in the farm area to begin with!

Additionally, the Earthquake will only happen once, so you won’t have to witness this message pop up in your sleep ever again.

What Does The Earthquake Do in Stardew Valley?

Now you know that if you see this message – a special event just occurred. But what does that mean, and what new opportunities does it unlock for you?

Well, instead of destroying stuff as earthquakes normally would, this one opens up a new area for you to explore in Stardew Valley!

You might’ve seen a large boulder blocking a stairway in the Mountains region, which would otherwise be your entry to this entirely new area.

Once the Earthquake happens in your game, this boulder will be removed – whether it’s shattered, knocked away, or picked up by Mr. Qi is up for debate!

You’ll find a Spa, Railroad, and other new secrets to explore within this area.

(The Earthquake is sorted as a random event in the game. There are a ton of these that can happen, and you can view all of them at the official Stardew Valley Wiki!)

The Spa

The first thing you’ll notice once you enter this new area unlocked by the Earthquake would be the considerably large building on your left.

This building works as an active Spa, and trust me when I say it’s a godsend!

The Spa is a unique building that will allow you to regain your Energy and Health after a tough day of farming, mining, or otherwise.

Once you enter the building, you’ll find a couple of changing rooms. You can move on in and go directly towards the hot pool located inside the building.

Your character will automatically change clothes once they pass through the pool shower curtains.

As such, don’t use up your precious inventory space by bringing some swimming trunks with you!

Resting in this Spa pool will automatically regenerate your character’s Energy and Health.

Secret in The Spa

As a bonus, you can have a secret interaction with the small water body outside of the Spa building. If you fish in this spot, you’ll receive an Ornate Necklace.

This necklace is a part of a character quest for Caroline and Abigail.

According to your stance on the quest, it can be given to either one of them to increase your friendship points.

The Railroad

When you move towards the north end of this newly discovered area, you’ll come across a Railroad and a train station/platform.

Now, this will be empty the first time you see it but bear with me.

From now on, every once in a while, you’ll see a message pop up at random days between 9 am – 6 pm saying, “A train is passing through Stardew Valley.”

If you come to this area once that message is displayed, you’ll see an entire train going right through the tracks!

There are different types of trains in the game; each can drop several rewards, such as Coal, Iron Ore, and Leprechaun Shoes (among others).

Here’s a table that describes the different types of trains you can encounter:

Train Type	Description
Joja Train	A dark grey train that has Joja logos inscribed over it
Passenger Train	A train comprised of only passenger cars
Fast Resource Train	A resource train that moves at 2x the average speed
Fast Barred Train	A blue train that has barred windows and moves at 2x the regular speed
Present Train	A red train containing presents (only appears in winters)

Stardew Valley Train Types

You don’t have to be present in the area to collect the loot dropped by a particular train.

These items will remain in the Railroad area overnight and can be picked up anytime during this period.

After 1 day, the items will disappear and be lost forever.

Trains will pass through even if you pause the game, and if you stand in front of them, you’ll take damage and be knocked back!

Lastly, there’s a box inside the train platform used for Mr. Qi’s “The Mysterious Qi” quest and Harvey’s 10 heart event.

Wizard’s Quest & Witch Hut

Another thing worth exploring here is the Wizard’s Quest leading to the Witch’s Swamp, located slightly northeast of the train platform.

A cutscene will play when you first enter this area, showcasing the Wizard and giving hints about a Witch in the area.

Initially inaccessible due to a large rock, you can gain access to the Witch’s Swamp area by completing these quests assigned to you by the Wizard.

The Witch Hut contains valuable things that allow you to reset your stats and perform other critical late-game actions.

The Summit

The last attraction to see in this region resulting from the Earthquake is The Summit.

This will be a late-game feature for you. The Summit is located at the northwest corner of the area and is blocked by a boulder till you reach Perfection.

Perfection is a stat that records how much of the game you’ve completed, and true Perfection is achieved once you’ve completed 100% of the game.

As such, the boulder placed at the entrance of The Summit will be removed once you complete the game entirely.

I won’t give you details about what happens once you unlock The Summit to avoid spoilers, but it’s a must-try!

That’s about it! Now you know everything worthwhile about the Earthquake event in Stardew Valley and all the possibilities it opens for you to explore!

The Earthquake in Stardew Valley [Explained]: Cause & Areas

What is The Earthquake?

What Happens During The Earthquake?