welcome TO STARDEW VALLEY
A guide for successful gameplay
Dear future resident,
Stardew Valley is one of, if not, my favorite game of all time. It’s a story of a small town that’s almost isolated from the rest of the world. The main character moves into their grandfather’s old farm, and starts their life as a farmer. Throughout the story, you meet the other residents in the town, learn about the valley, and discover some of its hidden secrets. It's a versatile game, with many different paths, fishing, farming, foraging, mining, and combat. On the surface, it is peaceful and wholesome, and while it maintains this narrative throughout the story, nothing is as perfect as it seems. There is so much depth and so much to do, I’ve spent hours upon hours and whole days playing this game.
- Matilda Leighton '24
HELPING YOU, HELP YOURSELF
There's a joke in the Stardew gaming community, "You are not playing Stardew Valley unless you have 7 tabs open to the wiki at all times."
(so open this wiki!)
INTRODUCING STARDEW VALLEY...
Mayor of Pelican Town who has a secret relationship with Marnie.
Interests: Gardening
Favorite Things: Hot Pepper, Green Tea, Glazed Yams, Vegetable Medley
Birthday: Spring 7
Friends: Marnie
Owner of the general store. Married to Caroline and father of Abigail. Enemies with Morris, the owner of Jojamart.
Interests: Making Money
Favorite Things: Fried Calamari
Birthday: Spring 26
Friends: Unclear
Married to Pierre and mother of Abigail.
Interests: Aerobics, Making Tea
Favorite Things: Fish Taco, Green Tea, Summer Spangle, Tropical Curry
Birthday: Winter 7
Friends: Jodi
Daughter of Pierre & Caroline.
Interests: Rain, Adventures, Video Games
Favorite Things: Blackberry Cobbler, Chocolate Cake, Amethyst, Pufferfish, Pumpkin, Spicy Eel, Banana Pudding
Birthday: Fall 13
Friends: Sam, Sebastian
Aspiring artist who left the city to spend time in nature.
Interests: Nature, Art
Favorite Things: Goat Cheese, Poppyseed Muffin, Salad, Stir Fry, Truffle, Vegetable Medley, Wine
Birthday: Winter 23
Friends: Elliot
Aspiring author who lives in a cabin on the beach.
Interests: Writing, The Ocean
Favorite Things: Crab Cakes, Duck Feather, Lobster, Pomegranate, Squid Ink, Tom Kha Soup
Birthday: Summer 9
Friends: Leah, Willy
Local fisherman and owner of the fish shop. He grew up in the fern islands.
Favorite Things: Catfish, Diamond, Iridium Bar, Mead, Octopus, Pumpkin, Sea Cucumber, Sturgeon
Birthday: Summer 24
Friends: Elliot
Local resident who lives in a tent near the woods and considers himself an “outcast”.
Interests: Nature
Favorite Things: Blueberry Tart, Cactus Fruit, Coconut, Dish O’ The Sea, Yam
Birthday: Winter 3
Friends: Wizard
Carpenter and owner of the carpenter’s shop. Married to Demetrius, and mother of Sebastian and Maru.
Interests: Carpentry, Aerobics
Favorite Things: Goat Cheese, Peach, Spaghetti
Birthday: Fall 21
Friends: Unclear
Scientist who spends most of his time in his home laboratory. Married to Robin, father of Maru, and step-father of Sebastian.
Interests: Science, Wildlife
Favorite Things: Bean Hotpot, Ice Cream, Rice Pudding, Strawberry
Birthday: Summer 19
Friends: Unclear
Robin’s son and Demetrius’ step-son. Step-brother to Maru. Reserved and spends most of his time in his bedroom in the basement.
Interests: Video Games, Computers, Motorcycles
Favorite Things: Frozen Tear, Obsidian, Pumpkin Soup, Sashimi, Void Egg
Birthday: Winter 10
Friends: Sam, Abigail
Demetrius and Robin’s daughter, and step-sister to Sebastian. She works at the clinic.
Interests: Science, Technology, Robots
Favorite Things: Battery Pack, Cauliflower, Cheese Cauliflower, Diamond, Rhubarb Pie, Strawberry
Birthday: Summer 10
Friends: Harvey
Veteran who returns to Pelican Town upon the player’s second year. Married to Jodi, father to Sam and Vincent.
Interests: Unclear
Favorite Things: Fiddlehead Risotto, Roasted Hazelnuts
Birthday: Spring 4
Friends: Unclear
Married to Kent, and mother to Sam and Vincent.
Interests: Cooking, Aerobics
Favorite Things: Chocolate Cake, Crispy Bass, Diamond, Fried Eel, Pancakes, Vegetable Medley
Birthday: Fall 11
Friends: Caroline
Son of Jodi and Kent, older brother to Vincent. Works part-time at JojaMart.
Interests: Skateboarding, Guitar
Favorite Things: Cactus Fruit, Maple Bar, Pizza, Tigerseye
Birthday: Summer 17
Friends: Sebastian, Abigail, Penny
Son of Jodi and Kent, younger brother to Sam.
Interests: Exploring
Favorite Things: Cranberry Candy, Ginger Ale, Grape, Pink Cake, Snail
Birthday: Spring 11
Friends: Jas
Farmer and owner of the shop at her ranch. Aunt to Jas and Shane.
Interests: Animals, Cooking
Favorite Things: Diamond, Pink Cake, Farmer’s Lunch, Pumpkin Pie
Birthday: Fall 18
Friends: Lewis
Marnie’s niece and Shane’s goddaughter. Lives on the ranch with her aunt.
Interests: Unknown
Favorite Things: Fairy Rose, Pink Cake, Plum Pudding
Birthday: Summer 4
Friends: Vincent
Marnie’s nephew and Jas’ godfather. He is a grumpy alcoholic who suffers from depression, whose attitude starts to change as the player progresses in the game. Works full-time at Jojamart.
Interests: Drinking, Farming
Favorite Things: Beer, Hot Pepper, Pizza, Pepper Poppers
Birthday: Spring 20
Friends: Unclear
Daughter of Pam, who she has a frail relationship with. She tutors Jas and Vincent at the museum due to there not being a school nearby.
Interests: Teaching
Favorite Things: Diamond, Emerald, Melon, Poppy, Sandfish, Tom Kha Soup
Birthday: Winter 4
Friends: Sam
Mother of Penny. She is an alcoholic who spends a lot of time at the Stardrop Saloon. Works as the bus driver.
Interests: Drinking
Favorite Things: Beer, Cactus Fruit, Glazed Yams, Mead, Pale Ale, Parsnip, Piña Colada
Birthday: Spring 18
Friends: Gus
Local doctor who works at the clinic.
Interests: Medicine
Favorite Things: Coffee, Pickles, Truffle Oil, Wine
Birthday: Winter 14
Friends: Maru
Local blacksmith. He has a crush on Emily but is too scared to approach her.
Interests: Unknown
Favorite Things: Amethyst, Aquamarine, Emerald, Jade, Ruby, Topaz, Artichoke Dip
Birthday: Winter 26
Friends: Emily
Bartender and owner of the Stardrop Saloon.
Interests: Cooking, Socialising
Favorite Things: Diamond, Escargot, Fish Taco, Orange, Tropical Curry
Birthday: Summer 8
Friends: Pam
Married to George and grandmother of Alex.
Interests: Gardening
Favorite Things: Beet, Chocolate Cake, Diamond, Fairy Rose, Stuffing, Tulip
Birthday: Winter 20
Friends: Unclear
Married to Evelyn and grandfather of Alex. He often complains and doesn’t leave the house much.
Interests: Watching TV
Favorite Things: Leek, Fried Mushroom
Birthday: Fall 24
Friends: Unclear
Grandson of Evelyn and George. He has a dog named Dusty and hopes to become a football player.
Interests: Football, Exercising
Favorite Things: Complete Breakfast, Salmon Dinner
Birthday: Summer 13
Friends: Haley
Local resident and sister of Emily, who she lives with in her parents’ home while they are traveling.
Interests: Fashion, Dancing
Favorite Things: Coconut, Fruit Salad, Pink Cake, Sunflower
Birthday: Spring 14
Friends: Alex
Local resident and sister of Haley, who she lives with in her parents’ home while they are traveling. She works at the Stardrop Saloon.
Interests: Sewing, Crafting
Favorite Things: Cloth, Wool, Amethyst, Aquamarine, Topaz, Jade, Ruby, Emerald
Birthday: Spring 27
Friends: Sandy
Resident of Calico Desert (which can be traveled to by bus) and owner of the local store, The Oasis.
Interests: Flowers, Agriculture
Favorite Things: Crocus, Daffodil, Mango Sticky Rice, Sweet Pea
Birthday: Fall 15
Friends: Emily
Also known as M. Rasmodius. Practitioner of the mystical arts that lives deep in a tower deep in Cindersap Forest. He is familiar with the Junimos, a group of forest spirits that help the player restore the beauty of the valley.
Interests: Magic, Alchemy, Forest Spirits
Favorite Things: Purple Mushroom, Solar Essence, Super Cucumber, Void Essence
Birthday: Winter 17
Friends: Linus
A secluded shadow person that lives in the sewers of Pelican Town, where he sells an array of things. He can also be a roommate for the player.
Interests: Isolation, Gems & Valuables
Favorite Things: Diamond, Iridium Bar, Pumpkin, Void Egg, Void Mayonnaise, Wild Horseradish
Birthday: Winter 1
Friends: Unclear
HOW TO PLAY
Available to play on your laptop, Nintendo Switch, PS4 and more. Enter the Stardew Valley here.
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START
In Stardew Valley, you play as a character that has just inherited their grandfather’s old farm. In the beginning, you’ll be available to customize your character and choose your farm choice. There are seven different types of farms to choose from, each coming with their own perks and benefits. For the first playthrough, I recommend choosing the standard farm. In the intro, you move into the rustic plot of land in Pelican town and start your journey. The game will guide you through the basics through quests. There are hundreds of hours of gameplay available, and so many secrets and adventures to explore!
NAVIGATING THE VALLEY
FARMING Your main source of income in the beginning. Plant as many crops as you can and sell as many as you can, but keep some around for future quests.
SEASONS The valley operates in four seasons. Each season lasts 28 in-game days, which can each last from 10-15 minutes in real time, depending on when the player decides to “go to sleep”. Different crops are grown in different seasons, with Winter not yielding any. Crops that are for a specific season will not grow in other seasons and will die if left planted.
MINING The mines will be unlocked on the 5th day. There you can find important loot such as gems and ores, which can be used to upgrade tools and craft items. However, be careful because they are also filled with monsters.
VILLAGERS Talking and giving gifts to the residents of Pelican Town will increase your relationship with them and unlock recipes and cutscenes. Be careful though, not everyone likes the same gifts!
COMMUNITY CENTER The community center is an old and worn down building near the town square. One of your primary jobs is to restore it to its former glory by gathering a variety of items. However, there is a commercial route that you can take, where you instead purchase a membership to Joja, a large shopping company that is trying to capitalize off the valley. For your first playthrough, I recommend taking the community center route, as it is slightly easier and in my opinion, more satisfying.
SHOPS Take a look around at all the different businesses in the valley. There’s a blacksmith, a doctor, a carpenter, a fishing supply shop, an adventurer’s guild, the stardrop saloon, a museum, a ranch, and Pierre’s general store!
Make as much progress as you can on the community center; this is what will help you progress the most
Reach the bottom of the mines
Talk and give gifts to villagers whenever you can
Upgrade your tools
Construct farm buildings
Level up as many skills as you can