Choose the shared activity
If the most appealing idea is “let’s build a place of our own”, Minecraft gives the group a clear project to invent. If you want to divide tasks and return to a growing farm, Stardew Valley is the more relevant starting point for the comparison. These are editorial fit suggestions, not a ranking of the two games.
Ask each player what would make a good evening. One may enjoy a visible shared construction, another may prefer exploring or tending a routine. A game can be well liked and still be the wrong choice for this particular group.
Compatibility is a separate decision
For Minecraft, compare the exact edition and server requirements. For Stardew Valley, use the developer’s co-op documentation for your actual platform combination; mobile has separate experimental guidance. Do not pick solely from a store’s multiplayer badge and assume every device can join.
Give the first session a small goal
For a building session, agree on one location and a modest structure so everybody can see what they are contributing to. For a farm, decide who hosts and what the group wants to accomplish without assigning every minute of the evening. Leave room for different preferences instead of turning the first session into a performance contest.
Discuss whether the shared world should progress when someone is absent. That social agreement can matter more than finding an efficient beginner route. It also keeps a player who joins later from feeling that the group has moved on without them.
The better choice is the one with fewer unresolved mismatches
Before buying, settle the devices, edition, host, approximate session length and whether everyone enjoys the central activity. Then use the relevant game-specific guide below. If a key requirement cannot be met, keeping the idea for another weekend is more sensible than buying first and trying to repair the mismatch afterward.