Emerging from the creativity of Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, Stardew Valley achieved remarkable success upon its release in 2016 and continues to enjoy popularity today. Drawing inspiration from the cherished Harvest Moon franchise, the game invites players to inherit their grandfather’s farm in the charming Pelican Town. Throughout the journey, players can build a family with one of the available bachelors or bachelorettes, restore the community center, and transform their modest farm into a thriving enterprise.
Stardew Valley offers an expansive gaming experience that can easily consume hundreds of hours, with countless secrets still waiting to be uncovered, particularly with the recent 1.6 update. New players might feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how to begin, so we’re here to provide helpful advice and strategies to help you cultivate a thriving farm and enjoy life in Pelican Town.
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Cultivating agricultural produce
Contents
In Stardew Valley, your primary means of earning money will be through crop farming, which will also be your initial source of income. The farming process involves preparing the soil using a Hoe, sowing the seeds, and then using a Watering Can to hydrate the plants.
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It’s essential to water your plants every day to prevent them from wilting by the next morning. If it happens to rain, your plants will receive the necessary water, allowing you to conserve your stamina for other tasks that day. As you progress, you will have the opportunity to create Sprinklers, which will significantly ease the watering process, so prioritize building them. In general, the most profitable crops to grow are:
- Spring: Strawberries, Potatoes, Cauliflower, Green Beans
- Summer: Cantaloupe, Hops, Blueberry, Carambola
- Autumn: Globe artichoke, Cranberries, Squash, Sweet potato
It’s important to recognize that not every crop can be cultivated throughout the entire year. Each type of crop has specific growing seasons, with some thriving for just a month while others can last for two. A few seeds, like the Ancient Seeds, can yield Ancient Fruit continuously throughout the year. Additionally, every crop has a designated growth period, so be cautious when planting near the end of a season. If the crops don’t mature before the season changes, they will wither, resulting in a loss of investment.
Pierre’s General Store serves as your primary location for buying seeds. Certain seeds yield a single harvest, while others require a specific number of days to mature and will continue to produce additional harvests every few days after the initial collection. Additionally, it’s important to note that crops can be cultivated outdoors from spring to fall, but farming is not feasible during the winter months unless you utilize a Greenhouse, which is one of the upgrades available at the Community Center.
Protecting your crops is essential, so make sure to create a Scarecrow as soon as you can. If left unchecked, crows can wreak havoc on your harvest. Additionally, consider using Fertilizers when you have the resources, as they can enhance the quality of your crops. While you can buy Fertilizer from Pierre, the simplest option is to make Basic Fertilizer on your own using two units of Sap.
Pet care
Raising livestock is an excellent method to generate income, as you can produce various materials and prepare dishes using the resources they provide. While some farm options come with a Coop already included, others require you to gather the necessary funds and materials to construct one on your own. The Coop can accommodate Chickens, Ducks, and Rabbits, whereas the Barn is designed for Cows, Goats, Pigs, Sheep, and even Ostriches.
You can create your initial animal shelter, probably a Coop due to its lower cost, at Robin’s Carpenter Shop. After it’s constructed, head south of your farm to talk to Marnie, where you can buy animals. They will begin as young ones and will mature into adults, providing products like eggs, wool, milk, and truffles.
Ensuring the well-being of your animals is essential for producing high-quality animal products. To keep them content, make sure to pet them daily, take them outdoors on sunny days, and keep them inside when it rains. Feed them with Hay, which you can obtain by constructing a Silo. This Silo, which requires Clay to build, can store the Hay you gather by using your Scythe to cut down tall grass on your farm. It’s important to gather enough Hay before winter arrives, as grass will not regrow after it has been harvested.
To ensure your animals stay comfortable during the winter months, it’s essential to provide them with a heater, which can be purchased from Marnie. Alternatively, you can opt to breed your animals rather than simply purchasing them. To enable breeding, you will need to upgrade your Coop or Barn to a larger size, which can be done through Robin.
Ensure that your buildings have enough space to accommodate additional babies, and that you have both a male and female of the same species. The occurrence of pregnancy is unpredictable, so patience is required. However, in Coops, you have the option to utilize the incubator to hatch Chickens or Ducks.
Handcrafted Products
It’s important to establish methods for producing Artisan Goods on your farm. Various machines and tools can manufacture higher-value products that require some time to complete, utilizing the resources you already possess. The sole machine that handles the entire process for you is the Bee House, which generates Wild Honey every four days.
Besides Bee Houses, processors such as Casks can produce Wine or Beer from fruits and Wheat, while Kegs utilize fruits and vegetables to craft a range of drinks. Additionally, Preserves Jars can transform vegetables into pickles and fruits into jams. The most profitable items to create for maximizing gold are Caviar, Wine, Pale Ale, and Dried Fruit.
Rather than simply offering your animal products in their raw form, consider transforming them into higher-quality items. Utilize the Cheese Press to create Cheese from Milk, the Mayonnaise Machine to produce Mayonnaise from Eggs, an Oil Maker to extract Truffle Oil from Truffles, and a Loom to convert Wool into Cloth.
It is advisable to opt for the Mushroom cave rather than the Fruit Bats when Demetrius presents the option after you accumulate 25,000 gold. This choice allows you to convert mushrooms into Dried Mushrooms with the help of a Dehydrator. Additionally, selecting the Mushroom cave grants you a Dehydrator at no cost, which is an added benefit.
The final effective production machine is the Fish Smoker, designed specifically for creating Smoked Fish. After mastering the art of fishing, you’ll be eager to either deliver your catch to the Community Center or sell it. If selling is your preference, using the Fish Smoker to process your fish will enhance their selling price, effectively doubling it.
Presents and love
In Stardew Valley, you’ll encounter a variety of characters who are eager to receive your gifts, which can enhance your bond with them. While not all residents can be romanced, all of them appreciate receiving gifts. Simply hold the item you wish to present and engage with them to make the exchange.
Individuals will respond in a manner that indicates their feelings toward the item, as every resident has their own preferences. Consulting our gift guide can assist you in understanding which villager appreciates which items, making it easier for you to win the affection of a special someone.
To initiate a romantic relationship with a character, you must accumulate a total of eight hearts with them and present them with a Bouquet, which can be purchased at Pierre’s General Store. This action will unlock the ninth and tenth hearts. After achieving the tenth heart, you can give them a Mermaid’s Pendant to begin the process of marriage.
This item is available for purchase from the Old Mariner for 5,000 gold. You can find it on the beach beyond the broken bridge, which requires 300 wood for repairs. Additionally, the Old Mariner can be found at the Night Market during the winter months.
When you tie the knot with your partner, they will move into your home. At that point, their affection level will increase to a maximum of 14 hearts, allowing you to eventually start a family. To have a child, you need to upgrade your Farmhouse two times to unlock the nursery, and then wait for your partner to express a desire for a child. Once your child grows into the Toddler phase, the final stage of their development, you can consider having a second child.
Extraction and warfare
Throughout your days, you’ll frequently find yourself immersed in the mines, gathering ores, gems, and loot from defeated monsters. On the fifth day of Spring in your first year, the Mines will become accessible, featuring a total of 120 levels. As you descend, the monsters you encounter will grow increasingly perilous.
Begin at the ground level and use your Pickaxe to extract all the rocks until a ladder is revealed, allowing you to ascend to the next level. Continue this process for each level, unless you have created stairs to descend. The mines are divided into four distinct sections, each featuring its own unique theme.
The initial segment, spanning floors 1 to 39, features an earthy ambiance and offers resources such as Copper, Amethyst, Quartz, and Topaz. From floors 40 to 79, the theme shifts to a frozen landscape, where you can find Iron Ore, Aquamarines, Frozen Tears, and Jade, with Diamonds becoming available starting at floor 50. Lastly, the range from floors 80 to 120 showcases a lava theme, predominantly yielding Gold, along with Rubies, Fire Quartz, and Emeralds.
As you progress through the various levels, you will encounter Geodes hidden within the rocks. In the initial area, you will find Normal Geodes, followed by Frozen Geodes in the next section, and finally, Magma Geodes in the last. After exiting the mines, you can bring your Geodes to Clint, the Blacksmith, who will crack them open for a fee of 25 gold. It’s advisable to donate any new minerals you discover to the Museum or the Community Center first, and once you’ve done that, you can begin to sell them.
In addition to gathering resources in the mines, you’ll also need to fend off various monsters. You begin your journey equipped with a Rusty Sword, but as you progress, you’ll have the opportunity to discover or buy superior weapons. When you head out to mine, it’s best to leave your farming tools at home and only take the necessities: a Pickaxe, a weapon, a handful of torches, and some food for healing. Enhancing your Combat skill is crucial, as it allows you to unlock valuable items such as the Warrior Ring, which boosts your Attack, and Bug Steak, which transforms Bug Meat into a consumable food item.
Community Hub
After gaining access to the Community Center, you can begin placing items into bundles to earn valuable rewards. You have two options for the Community Center: restoring it to its former glory or converting it into a JojaMart. It is strongly advised to steer clear of the JojaMart option, as it is the least favorable choice for the future of Pelican Town.
Revitalizing the Community Center allows Pierre’s General Store to operate daily, eliminating the Wednesday closure, and this choice honors the charming Junimos who have diligently maintained the building. Opting for the JojaMart path, while it permits the unlocking of all bundles with gold, ultimately proves to be unworthy.
Determining the best bundles to unlock initially can be challenging, but the following donations are arguably the most crucial to prioritize:
- Pantry: It’s essential to complete the bundles in the Pantry room prior to the onset of your first winter. Doing so will grant you access to the Greenhouse, allowing you to cultivate crops throughout the entire year.
- Vault: By investing a total of 42,500 gold to unlock these four bundles, you will have the bus fixed, enabling you to travel to the Calico Desert.
- Boiler Room: This space will allow you to utilize minecarts for convenient travel to several key spots throughout Pelican Town.
Multiplayer
The great news is that you can enjoy Stardew Valley with others! If you’re on PC or console, you can team up with up to seven friends to create a cooperative multiplayer farm. However, the mobile version does not offer this feature. Keep in mind that cross-platform play is not available, so you’ll need to play with friends on the same platform.
To initiate a co-op game, access the main menu and choose the Co-op option. The player who wishes to host can then set up a new game. In the character creation section, you’ll find the option to add cabins to your farm on the left side. Ensure you add enough cabins to accommodate all players participating in your game. If you prefer to start a co-op game using a single-player save, you can do so by building a cabin at Robin’s Carpentry shop for a cost of 100 gold.
Mods
If you’re a PC gamer looking to refresh your experience, consider downloading mods to enhance your gameplay. Some of the top mods for Stardew Valley include Stardew Valley Expanded, Lookup Anything, and NPC Map Locations, along with a variety of others.
So, how do you use mods in this farming simulator? It’s simpler than you might expect, but you will need to download a few things beforehand:
- Obtain the latest version of SMAPI.
- After downloading, unzip the compressed file.
- Within the document, launch the installation file that corresponds to your operating system, whether it be Windows, Mac, or Linux.
- Adhere to the provided guidelines and be patient while SMAPI installs in your Stardew Valley game.
- Locate the SMAPI launcher within your files (on Steam, right-click on Stardew Valley and choose Browse local files), then right-click on it and select Create shortcut.
You can now conveniently launch your modified version of Stardew Valley separately from your standard game. The ideal source for downloading mods is NexusMods. After selecting your desired mods, simply move them to the appropriate mods folder located alongside the SMAPI launcher (C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonStardew Valley/Mods).
After extracting the mod, simply move it into your mods directory, and you’re all set. Each time you start SMAPI, it will inform you if it encounters any issues running a specific mod, and it will also automatically update any mods it detects.
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