Beginner's Guide to Stardew Valley

New to Stardew Valley? This guide covers everything from your first day on the farm to becoming a successful farmer.

Your First Day

  • 1Clear your farm of debris to make space for crops.
  • 2Use the 15 Parsnip Seeds from the Mayor to start farming.
  • 3Water your crops every day or they won't grow.
  • 4Introduce yourself to villagers in Pelican Town.
  • 5Chop trees for wood and break rocks for stone.
  • 6Don't stay up past 2am or you'll pass out and lose money.

Spring Year 1 Strategy

  • 1Invest in Potatoes and Cauliflower for good profit.
  • 2Save money for Strawberry Seeds at the Egg Festival (Spring 13).
  • 3Start fishing early - it's the best money maker in Spring.
  • 4Craft a Chest to store items (50 Wood).
  • 5Visit the mines after Spring 5 to start collecting resources.
  • 6Build a Silo before your first Coop to store hay.

Farm Management

  • 1Use Sprinklers as soon as possible to automate watering.
  • 2Quality Sprinklers (Iron Bar + Gold Bar + Refined Quartz) water 8 tiles.
  • 3Plant crops in organized rows near your sprinklers.
  • 4Keep some of every crop for Community Center bundles.
  • 5Build a Greenhouse by completing the Pantry bundles.
  • 6Process crops into Preserves or Wine for 2-3x more profit.

Making Friends

  • 1Talk to villagers daily to gain +20 friendship points.
  • 2Give villagers their Loved gifts for +80 points (2 gifts per week max).
  • 3Give birthday gifts for 8x the normal friendship bonus.
  • 4The Social tab shows friendship levels and birthdays.
  • 5At 3 hearts, villagers start sending you recipes in the mail.
  • 6At 8 hearts with a bachelor/ette, give a Bouquet to start dating.

Money-Making Tips

  • 1Kegs turn fruits into wine (3x value) and vegetables into juice (2.25x).
  • 2Preserves Jars turn fruits into jelly and vegetables into pickles.
  • 3Ancient Fruit + Kegs is the ultimate late-game money machine.
  • 4Pigs produce truffles which sell for a lot (get a Barn + Pig).
  • 5Fishing is the best early-game income source.
  • 6Processing materials (Bee Houses, Tappers) provides passive income.

Community Center

  • 1Complete the Community Center to restore the town and unlock rewards.
  • 2Check the bundle requirements and plan which crops to grow.
  • 3Some items are season-specific - don't miss them!
  • 4The Traveling Cart (Fridays/Sundays) sells rare bundle items.
  • 5Red Cabbage Seeds are only available Year 2+ at Pierre's.
  • 6Completing all bundles unlocks the Bus Repair, Greenhouse, and more.