Are you ready to fulfill your dreams of getting away from the city and growing a farm? Stardew Valley can do that and more! This farm simulation has so many bits and pieces that can leave you with more questions than answers.
Here are some of the Frequently Asked Questions from players, new and old. You might find some of your own questions answered here!
THE BASICS
How much is Stardew Valley on Switch?
Stardew Valley on Switch is $14.99.
How long will it take to beat Stardew Valley?
It will take about 52 hours to complete the main story, which is around 2.2 years in-game.
How to play multiplayer in Stardew Valley?
Multiplayer can include up to 4 people and is available on PC and console.
How to play multiplayer on Switch?
From the main menu, click the Co-op option. Choose between the local or online communication options. Join the farm you want in the list of options by pressing A.
How to host multiplayer?
Choose the co-op option from the main menu, then decide if you’re hosting a local communication through LAN or online communication through IP address.
Click Host New Farm. Add in the details of your farm, like profit margin, and add a cabin for each person joining.
How to invite friends?
You can get an invite code if you’re hosting the world. On console, join remotely through PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online, or Xbox Live Gold.
How to Save in Stardew Valley?
The game automatically saves when an in-game day ends.
Where are Stardew Valley saves?
Windows: Press R, then paste this text: %appdata%\StardewValley\Saves
Linux: Go to Files, click Go, then Enter Location. Paste this text: ~/.config/StardewValley/Saves
Mac: Go to Finder, click Go, then Go to Folder. Paste this text: ~/.config/StardewValley/Saves
How to backup Stardew Valley save?
From the save files mentioned above, you can make a copy of that as a backup.
What engine does Stardew Valley use?
Concerned Ape created the game engine from scratch. He used an XNA framework or equivalent to Monogame today.
What is Stardew Valley coded in?
C#
Basic Gameplay
How long is a day in Stardew Valley?
In-game, there are 20 hours from 6am to 2am. Each hour is 60 minutes that passes in 10-minute intervals.
This is equivalent to about 7 seconds in real-time. So one in-game day is about 14 minutes in real-time.
How to drop items in Stardew Valley?
From your inventory, click on the item, then you can drag it out of the inventory and click there, and it’ll drop to the ground. Or if you’re throwing it, just drag it to the trash can.
How to move buildings in Stardew Valley?
You have to go to Robin at the Carpenter Shop. Talk to her and choose the Construct Farm Buildings option. Choose the building you want to move and on the lower right, click on the button that’ll say Move Buildings.
On the farm, you’ll see green squares where you can move them.
How to move a chest in Stardew Valley?
You have to empty your chests first, then you can hit it with a pickaxe or any tool. This will place it back in your inventory then you can set it like usual to its new place.
How to rotate items in Stardew Valley?
Not all objects or furniture can be moved or rotated. But if it can, right-click on the object to turn it.
How to run in Stardew Valley?
The default control on the PC is Left Shift.
How to change your appearance in Stardew Valley?
You can’t change the clothes you chose at character creation until you’ve got 4 hearts with The Wizard. Once you have 4 hearts, you’ll get access to a basement where you can change how you look. You can add additional items like hats or boots.
How to equip boots?
Under your inventory, you’ll see a mini version of you with slots for hats, rings, and shoes. Drag the boots you want to wear to the slot for shoes.
Where to store items in Stardew Valley?
You can store them in your inventory. The first row of your inventory can be found in the lower portion of your screen. To open the entire inventory, press Escape or E.
How many years in Stardew valley?
The game is 5 years old but in-game, there is no limited number of years. You can keep playing however long you want to.
YEAR 1
Mining
How to get coal?
You can find it in rocks, Dust Sprites in the Mines, bought at the Blacksmith shop or from the Traveling Cart, located in the recycling trash, or inside Fishing Treasure Chests.
You can also make your own through the Charcoal Kiln using 10 pieces of wood to make 1 coal.
How to get clay?
You can find it by digging up dirt, sand, or Artifact Spots. It can also be found inside Geodes. Or given as a gift by Jas or Vincent.
How to mine?
Upping your mining skills is done by breaking rocks in the Mine.
When does the mine open?
It opens on Day 5 of Spring, Year 1, after you receive a letter.
How many levels are in the mine?
There are 120 levels in the mine.
How to get iridium?
Iridium can be found in Magma and Omni Geodes at levels 115-119 in the mines. You can buy it sometimes at the Traveling Cart, at Krobus on Tuesdays, and at the Oasis on Wednesdays.
You can also get lucky in the Skull Cavern, Slime Hutch, Fishing Treasure Chest, or drops from high-level monsters.
If you’ve got the Statue of Perfection, it produces 2-8 Iridium Ore per day.
How to use a furnace?
Drop your ore and coals into the furnace, and it’ll smelt it for you.
How to smelt ores?
By using the furnace.
How to make a furnace?
You’ll need 25 stones and 20 Copper Ores. You can only make it once you’ve found your first Copper Ore.
Where to find iron?
Iron nodes in the mines have about 1-3 iron ores inside. They’re most common in levels 41-79. You can also buy it from the Blacksmith or the Traveling Cart.
If you’re lucky, you may also find it by breaking crates & barrels, drops from monsters, in Fishing Treasure Chests, or in Geodes.
How to get a prismatic shard?
One of the rarest items in the game can be best found after level 100 in the Mines or in Skull Cavern and Quarry. The Statue of True Perfection also produces it once per day.
Fishing
How to use bait?
All bait is single-use, and it makes the fish bite faster to your rod. They’re not necessary with fishing rods, but crab pots need bait. A pop-up will say, “You’ve used your last piece of bait.” when it’s all gone.
How to attach bait?
Click on the bait in your inventory, then right-click on the rod. To remove it, right-click on the rod again.
Where to catch Catfish?
It can only be caught during rainy weather in the rivers in Pelican Town or Cindersap Forest. During Spring, Summer, and Fall, you can also find it in the Secret Woods and the Witch’s Swamp. In Winter, you can catch it with a Rain Totem.
How to catch a Sturgeon?
A sturgeon is found in the Mountain Lake during Summer and Winter. Most commonly found during rainy summer days.
How to fish on Switch?
To cast your rod, hold down Y, then release to cast. To control the green bar during the mini-game, just press the Use Tool button.
How to catch legendary fish?
There are a lot of factors that can help you. If you chose the Angler profession, your chances would increase by 50%. What can help in catching them is using an Iridium Rod and Tackle (Trap Bobber or Cork Bobber)
Why is fishing so hard?
Fishing involves many different factors from time of day to weather to season and even bodies of water, so yes, it’s hard.
But it’s not impossible to do, especially if you’ve got a good fishing rod, bait, and your skill level is enough for the fish you want to catch.
How to fish on Xbox one?
To cast your rod, hold down X, then release to cast. Press the Use Tool button to control the green bar to catch your fish.
How to catch Walleye?
Walleyes are found in the Pelican Town and Cindersap Forest rivers and the Mountain Lake. During Fall and Winter, you can also find it in the Cindersap Forest pond when it’s raining. During winter, you’d need a Rain Totem for that.
You can most likely catch it from 12pm-2am in the Cindersap Forest pond.
How to catch Eel?
Eels are found during Spring and Fall in the Ocean. The prime time for fishing is from 4pm-2am when it’s raining.
How to get Seaweed?
You can fish it in the ocean at any season, but the best time is in the deep-sea submarine ride at the Night Market.
Where to catch Red Snapper?
You can find it fishing in the ocean and beach farm when it’s raining. It’s only available during summer and fall or winter if you have a Rain Totem.
How to put bait in a crab pot?
Click on the crab pot while carrying the bait.
Farming
How to get chickens?
You can buy them from Marnie’s Ranch for 800 gold. Or you can hatch your own by putting an egg in the incubator.
How to feed chickens?
You can let your chickens out of the coop and let them eat the grass outside. If you don’t have grass outside or if it’s winter, you can give them hay. Get hay from their hopper and put it on their feeding bench, and they’ll eat it.
What do chickens eat?
They eat hay or grass, but they prefer grass.
How to get chickens back in the coop?
Chickens will automatically go back inside once it’s 5pm unless the coop doors are closed.
How to make chickens happy?
They are happy when they get to eat grass, are fed every day, and are petted.
How to make hay?
You can get hay from grass and wheat by using a Scythe or Golden Scythe. You can also buy it from Marnie’s Ranch or the Desert Trader.
How to build a silo?
You’ll need 100 stones, 10 clay, and 5 copper bars. It also costs 100 gold from the Carpenter’s shop.
How to use a silo?
There’s a 50% chance you’ll get Hay if you cut wheat or grass using a Scythe; that’ll be automatically added to the silo. If you buy hay, you can put it in the silo by interacting with the silo.
How to get the hay out of the silo?
Hay from the silo is automatically placed inside the hoppers in the barn and coop. You can get the hay out of the hopper.
How to build a coop?
A coop costs 4,000 gold and requires 300 wood and 100 stone.
How to upgrade coop?
Go to the Carpenter’s Shop and follow the same steps with building a coop. Pick the coop building, and on the lower right side, you’ll find a button to upgrade the coop. The big coop needs 10,000 gold, 400 wood, and 150 stones.
When to plant trees?
You can plant non-fruit trees any season. Fruit trees have specific seasons you can plant them in.
How to upgrade tools?
Go to the Blacksmiths, and Clint will upgrade your tools in exchange for gold and metal bars. A tool upgrade takes two days, at which time you won’t be able to ask Clint for anything or use your tool.
How to make wine?
You can make wine by putting any fruit into a keg, and it takes 7 days to make.
How to level up farming?
Level up your farming with experience points. That means harvesting crops, petting farm animals, milking a cow or goat, shearing sheep, or picking up animal products in a coop.
Except for harvesting crops, all other actions will give you 5 experience points each. Points from harvesting depend on the specific crop.
To fast track your progress from 0 to 1, you’ll need to harvest 13 parsnips, or 8 potatoes, or 5 cauliflowers.
How to get a keg?
Kegs need 30 wood, 1 copper bar, 1 iron bar, 1 oak resin. You’ll also need to be level 8 on farming.
How to milk cows?
You can milk cows daily using a milk pail.
How to grow grass?
You can buy a grass starter from Pierre’s. Once you’ve planted the grass starter, it’ll grow more grass over time.
How to get animals?
You can buy animals from Marnie’s ranch.
How to use a tapper?
Tappers are put on trees to produce maple syrup, oak resin, pine tar, or sap. It can take a day or up to 9 days to create the products depending on the tree.
How to get large eggs?
Make sure to have enough friendship and happiness points with your chickens, and they’ll produce large eggs!
How do sprinklers work?
Sprinklers can automatically water your crops for you every 6am. They can’t water a pet’s bowl or plants in a garden pot. A normal sprinkler can only water 4 adjacent tiles every morning.
To get a broader range, upgrade to either the quality sprinkler or the iridium sprinkler.
How to breed cows?
Cows becoming pregnant are rare in the game. But to increase your luck, make sure to have space in your barn for one more animal.
You can also check if they can get pregnant in the animal information screen, the same pop-up that shows you their heart levels. There’ll be a toggle there where you can turn on/off their ability to get pregnant.
How to plant trees?
Plant common trees using the seeds that fall off mature trees. Fruit trees’ seeds are available to buy at Pierre’s.
How to make animals happy?
Let them eat grass outside, pet them, give them a heater during winter, and feed them every day.
How to un-till the soil?
Just till the soil again to undo the till.
How to harvest giant crops?
Harvesting giant crops takes three hits from any kind of ax.
Why raise slimes?
Raising slimes is complex and requires some effort. But you can get extra money from slime eggs and benefit from the drops slimes make when you kill them.
But make sure to have the Slime Charmer Ring since raising slimes is no picnic, and they will still attack you.
How to upgrade the watering can?
You can upgrade it the same way you do the other tools by going to Clint’s and having it upgraded. But since watering cans are essential for your crops, it’s best to upgrade them during winter when you don’t use them. You can also wait for a rainy or storm forecast or upgrade it towards the end of the season.
How to get large milk?
Make sure your cows have enough friendship and happiness points, and they’ll produce large milk!
Other basic Year 1 questions
How to cook?
You’ll need to upgrade your farmhouse to include a kitchen to be able to start cooking. The refrigerator acts as an inventory for your ingredients. You’ll have to learn the recipes first to unlock them.
If you’ve got the recipe and the ingredients, you can use the stove for cooking.
How to make money?
It’s primarily done by harvesting crops and selling them. Each fruit, vegetable, or animal product can give you a profit. Looting from monsters or the Mines can also make you money.
How to get cloth?
You can make cloth by putting one wool in the Loom. You can also recycle one soggy newspaper in the Recycling Machine. Other places you can get it are from the Desert Trader or drops from Mummies.
How to eat?
Interact with any fruit, vegetable, or anything edible. It will prompt you to ask if you want to eat the item.
How to craft?
Crafting depends on the crafting recipes you know. You get more recipes the more you level up your skill and experience points. You can craft items and see the necessary ingredients by clicking the tab with a hammer icon beside the inventory.
How to read secret notes?
Once you get a secret note, right-click on it, and you’ll be able to read it. It will also show up in your Secret Notes Collections tab.
How to sell things?
Most crops and items can be placed in the Shipping Box beside your house to sell them. Old weapons can be sold at the Adventurer’s Guild. You can also sell directly to stores if you need money immediately.
How to refill the water?
You can refill your watering can at any body of water.
How to spawn items?
You can’t spawn items in Stardew Valley, but there is a cheat to it. You can do this by naming an animal or your character by specific ID codes.
Where to buy seeds?
You can buy them at Pierre’s or JojaMart.
How to get to the desert?
The desert will only be available once the bus stop has been repaired. (Which you can do by completing the Vault Bundles at the Community Center). The bus is operated by Pam and costs 500 gold.
What to do with old weapons?
You can sell them at the Adventurer’s Guild.
How to sell furniture?
You can’t sell furniture, but you can throw them away.
How to get a sword?
You can get swords as a reward in the Mines or buy them in the Adventurer’s Guild.
How to use a warp totem?
Warp Totems are like teleportation devices to specific areas on the map. Right-click on it in your inventory to use.
How to change skills?
You’ll need to give 10,000 gold to the Statue of Uncertainty. Afterward, you can choose the different professions in your new chosen skill.
How to get energy?
The quickest way is to eat food with positive energy. You can also stand at the Spa or on your bed if you’re in multiplayer. These methods will slowly restore your energy.
How to unlock the community center?
A cutscene happens when you enter the town through the bus stop from day 5 of Spring and onwards. This unlocks a series of quests that lead you to unlock the community center. To restore the community center, you’ll need to complete all the bundles inside.
How to get rid of bushes?
You can only get rid of bushes on your farm and only with an upgraded ax.
How to get a greenhouse?
You have to complete all Pantry Bundles to get the greenhouse. Or buy it from the Joja Community Development Projects for 35,000 gold.
How would you classify a tomato?
Tomatoes are vegetable crops.
How to edit Stardew Valley sprites?
Editing a sprite can be done with different types of modding. The easiest one is XNB modding, where you use a program to unpack the XNB from your game content file and edit that.
Other methods require knowledge of programming and C# like API modding.
Where is the museum?
The museum is southeast of the town, below the Blacksmith’s.
How to make it rain?
You can use a Rain Totem to make it rain the next day.
How long does it take to upgrade tools?
Tools are upgraded in 2 days.
Where is the blacksmith?
The blacksmith, Clint, lives in the Blacksmith’s shop. It’s located in the southeast of the town, across the town’s river.
Foraging
How to get hardwood?
Chop up Mahogany trees to get hardwood. You can also chop a Large Stump with a Copper Axe. The Secret Woods respawn 6 Large Stumps every day that you can chop down for 12 Hardwood. Having a Forest Farm map also gives you 8 Large Stumps daily on the left side of your farm.
What to do with artifacts after donating?
Not much can be done with them. You can give them as gifts to Penny or the Dwarf. Some of them have specific recipes you can use them for or use them in the Sewing Machine.
How to get a rabbit’s foot?
Rabbits drop Rabbit’s foot, but it all depends on its friendship points, mood, and daily luck. You can also sometimes chance upon it in the Traveler’s Cart.
How to level up foraging?
The quickest way is to constantly chop down Large Stumps and Logs. Next, chop down a tree and its tree stump. Other ways to level up include picking up a foraged item on the ground and harvesting Spring Onion from the Cindersap Forest.
Seasons
What to do in winter?
You can’t grow crops, grass, and weeds during this season, but it’s the perfect opportunity to do everything else you need to do.
Things you don’t have time to do in other seasons are mainly dealt with here. You can upgrade tools or the farm, explore the Mines or the Skull Cavern, forage, and fish.
How to make money in winter?
You can sell foraged items, drops from monsters or loot from the Mines, fish you’ve caught, or wild winter seeds.
How long are seasons?
All seasons have 28 days.
YEAR 2 & BEYOND
How to get married?
The prerequisites of getting married are:
- have 10 hearts of friendship with a future partner (and giving them a bouquet at 8 hearts)
- upgrade the farmhouse at least once
- have access to the Tide Pool at the beach
In single-player, you can get married to villagers who are also single. In multiplayer, you can marry the other players. Proposing to your partner is signified by giving them a Mermaid’s Pendant (in single player) or a Wedding Ring (in multiplayer).
How to have kids?
Upgrade your house for the second time and add a nursery. Your partner will ask you if you want to have or adopt kids. Your options are “yes” or “not now.”
THE COMMUNITY
What does Penny like?
Penny likes all artifacts, all milk, a Dandelion, and a Leek.
What does Abigail like?
Abigail likes Quartz.
What does Haley like?
Haley likes Daffodils.
What does Emily like?
Emily likes Daffodils and Quartz.
What does Sebastian like?
Sebastian likes Quartz and Flounders.
What does Sam like?
Sam likes all eggs except Void Eggs and a Joja Cola.
What does Leah like?
Leah likes all eggs except Void Eggs, all fruit, all milk, all mushrooms except Red Mushroom, Daffodil, Dandelion, Driftwood, Ginger, Hazelnut, Holly, Leek, Snow Yam, Spring Onion, Wild Horseradish, and Winter Root.
What does Alex like?
Alex likes all eggs except Void Eggs.
What does Shane like?
Shane likes all eggs except Void Eggs and all fruit except Hot Pepper.
What does Maru like?
Maru likes Copper Bar, Iron Bar, Oak Resin, Pine Tar, Quartz, and Radioactive Ore.
What does Marnie like?
Marnie likes all eggs except Void Eggs, all milk, and Quartz.
What does Jas like?
Jas likes Coconut and Daffodil.
What does Lewis like?
Lewis likes Blueberry, Cactus Fruit, and Coconut.
How to make friends?
Villagers have a friendship meter that indicates how close you are as friends. They can send you gifts in the mail or become your spouse (if they’re single).
You can earn friendship points by talking to them every day, giving them a gift (plus points for two gifts a week), completing a quest for them, inviting them to the movie theater, buying a snack for them at the Movie Theater, or some specific choices in heart events.
How to give a gift?
Gifts are classified between love, like, neutral, dislike, and hate. Give them gifts they love, like, or are neutral towards to earn points.
How to meet everyone?
The Introductory Quest allows you to meet everyone. Some villagers are easy to find; others are in weird places. You can get a locator guide online to help you or just walk around town and go into buildings and houses, and you’ll surely chance upon people.
Where is Jodi?
Jodi has different schedules on different days and seasons. She lives at the house right next to the southwest passage beside Haley and Emily’s house. Some of the common places you can find her are Town Square, Pierre’s, or Joja Mart.
Where is Robin?
You’ll most likely find Robin in the Carpenter’s Shop, where she also lives. Except on Tuesdays, she’s in Caroline’s house.
Where to find Leah?
Leah is often in her cottage or near a body of water. Sometimes, you’d see her in the Saloon at 4pm.
Where is Lewis?
Mayor Lewis is a busy bee and can be seen going to many places depending on the season. Some of the most common areas you’ll find him are at Pierre’s, the Town Square, or other local stores like Willy’s Fish Shop or Robin’s Carpenter Shop.
Where is Caroline?
Caroline’s regular schedule takes her to the town square with Jodi or inside her house at Pierre’s.
Where is Clint?
Clint is always in the Blacksmith’s unless there’s a special event. After work, he goes to the Saloon, and once the Community Center is back, he goes there every Friday.
Where to find Elliot?
You can find Elliot in his cabin by the beach, on the beach itself, or on the bridge near his house.
Where is Abigail?
Abigail goes to several places throughout the week. You might find her at home in Pierre’s, at the bridge near JojaMart, the museum, the graveyard, or the Saloon.
Where is Penny?
Penny is often found near her trailer, the town square, or hanging out with Jas and Vincent.
EVENTS
Where is the flower dance?
The flower dance takes place in the Cindersap Forest in an area that’s only accessible during the event. It’s west of the forest and south of the Wizard’s Tower.
How to win the Stardew Valley fair?
Make sure to submit 9 items to the Grange Display. They also have to be diverse and part of these categories: Animal Products, Artisan Goods, Cooking, Fish, Foraging, Fruits, Minerals, and Vegetables. Additional points are based on the selling price and quality.
Where is Linus’ basket?
You have to go to the left of the Bus stop, near the tunnel entrance.
How to unlock the sewer?
Donate 60 items to the museum to get the Rusty Key. You can use it to unlock the sewer.
Where is Robin’s ax?
It’s near the sewer in Cindersap Forest.
What to bring to a luau?
Your goal for the luau potluck is to get a good response from the governor. The best things to bring are:
- Ancient Fruit Wine, Angler, Apple Wine, Artichoke, Beer, Blobfish, Cactus Fruit Wine, Catfish, Cauliflower, Chanterelle, Cheese, Cherry Wine, Coconut Wine, Cranberries Wine, Crimson fish, Crystal Fruit Wine, Fairy Rose, Glacier fish, Goat Cheese, Goat Milk, Grape Wine, Ice Pip, Large Goat Milk, Large Milk, Lava Eel, Legend, Magma Cap, Mead, Melon, Melon Wine, Mutant Carp, Orange Wine, Pale Ale, Peach Wine, Pomegranate Wine, Purple Mushroom, Red Cabbage, Rhubarb Wine, Spice Berry Wine, Spook Fish, Starfruit, Starfruit Wine, Strawberry Wine, Sturgeon, Super Cucumber, Truffle, Wild Plum Wine, Wine (from Traveling Cart), Yam
How to win egg hunt?
You can check a location guide if you want to see where each egg is hidden. In a solo player, you have to get 9 eggs to win. In multiplayer, it varies depending on how many people are playing.
Where are the mayor’s shorts?
The shorts are in Marnie’s bedroom.
