Stardew Valley allows players to farm, explore, and build relationships with minimal penalties for “wrong” decisions. The game provides few tutorials, leaving players to discover most mechanics independently. This guide aims to help new players understand the key aspects of the game so they can make informed choices and grow a successful farm.

Starting a New Farm

When you first start a new game, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is choosing the right farm layout. Each farm comes with its own advantages, but the choice can greatly affect your play style. Here’s a breakdown of the different farm options and which one might suit your playstyle best:

• Standard Farm: This is the best choice for beginners. It offers the largest amount of open, flat land for farming and is ideal for players who want to focus on crop production and animal husbandry. It’s the most straightforward and flexible of the farm layouts.
• Forest Farm: This farm has a little less tillable space for crops, but it offers valuable resources like hardwood and foraged items. The hardwood supply is particularly useful as it’s a resource you’ll need later in the game for certain upgrades and crafting.
• Beach Farm: This is the most challenging farm layout, especially for first-time players. While it offers beautiful ocean scenery and the ability to fish right from your farm, you cannot use sprinklers, which are essential for automating crop watering. Choose this farm only if you enjoy fishing and don’t mind manually watering your crops.
• Wilderness Farm: A unique option that spawns monsters at night. These enemies can be difficult to manage early on and are more of a nuisance than an asset. It can be a fun challenge for experienced players but is not recommended for beginners.
• Riverlands Farm: The Riverland Farm is perfect for players who love fishing and want a relaxing gameplay experience. The farm is interspersed with rivers, significantly reducing the available farming space. However, these waterways provide ample fishing opportunities directly on your farm, making it an ideal choice for players who prioritize fishing over traditional farming.
• Hill-top Farm: The Hill-top Farm is designed for players who enjoy mining and resource collection. The standout feature is the small quarry on the southwest side of the map, which spawns stones, ores, and geodes depending on your mining level.
• Four Corners Farm: The Four Corners Farm is ideal for multiplayer gameplay but is also a great choice for solo players who enjoy a diverse layout. The farm is divided into four distinct quadrants, each inspired by other farm layouts. This layout is best suited for players who enjoy experimenting with different playstyles or are playing with friends who have varying interests.
• Meadowlands Farm: The Meadowlands Farm caters to animal lovers and players who want a jumpstart into animal husbandry. This farm comes with a Coop and two chickens at the beginning, setting the tone for a farming experience centered on livestock.

Controls and Mechanics

Stardew Valley is available on multiple platforms, and the controls can vary slightly depending on whether you’re using a controller or mouse and keyboard. However, the basic functions are largely the same:

• Using tools: The left mouse button (or the “A” button on a controller) is used for actions such as planting crops, chopping trees, or tilling soil.
• Checking items and interacting: The right mouse button (or the “B” button) is used to interact with objects and people.
• Managing your inventory: Press “E” on your keyboard or use the corresponding button on your controller to open your inventory. You can drag items around, equip tools, and manage your crafting resources here. For inventory organization, rely on menu-specific shortcuts like Sort Inventory options or manual movement of items.

It’s essential to get comfortable with the controls early on, especially when managing your energy and health bars (discussed below). Check out the Stardew wiki for a full breakdown of the controls. 

Time and Energy Management

One of the core gameplay mechanics in Stardew Valley is managing your energy. Almost every action you perform—whether it’s chopping wood, planting crops, or fishing—uses energy. Your energy bar is located at the bottom right of the screen. If it gets too low, your character will become exhausted, resulting in slower movement and reduced productivity the next day. In severe cases, you may pass out, which leads to additional penalties.

There are two main ways to replenish energy:

1. Eating food: Food items such as crops, fish, and cooked meals restore energy. Early in the game, you’ll find forageable items like leeks and berries that can restore small amounts of energy. Later, cooking meals will become an essential way to restore your energy.
2. Sleeping: You can go to bed anytime to restore energy, and it will always fully replenish after a good night’s sleep. Make sure to get to bed before 2 AM, or your character will pass out. This leads to lost items and reduced energy the next day.

Additionally, you can spend some time in the spa (north part of the map) to recover energy. Make sure to stand still in the pool, and you should get back to 100% energy within two in-game hours!

Time in Stardew Valley moves quickly, with one in-game hour equating to about 43 real-world seconds. Each day starts at 6 AM and ends when you go to bed, though you’ll automatically pass out at 2 AM if you stay up too late. To maximize your productivity:

• Prioritize tasks: Plan your day carefully by prioritizing what needs to be done—whether it’s watering crops, gathering resources, or exploring caves.
• Multitask: Use rainy days or evenings to explore or socialize with townspeople since your crops are automatically watered in the rain.
• Don’t rush: Stardew Valley is designed to be relaxing. You don’t need to accomplish everything in one day—there’s always tomorrow!

Your First Few Days

When you begin, you are given a small plot of land and a handful of parsnip seeds. Your first task will be to clear some space using your axe, pickaxe, and scythe. Once you have cleared out a suitable area, you can plant these seeds. To get started:

• Clearing debris: Use your scythe to clear weeds and fiber, your pickaxe to remove rocks, and your axe to chop trees for wood. Wood and stone are two key resources that will be useful for building structures, crafting, and upgrading. Once you’ve gathered 50 pieces of wood, craft a storage chest to hold all your resources. Backpack space is limited in the early days!
• Planting and watering crops: Once the ground is cleared, use your hoe to till the soil. Then, plant your parsnip seeds in the tilled ground and use your watering can to water them. You’ll need to water your crops every day unless it’s raining (rain will water them automatically). After a few days, you can harvest your first crops and sell them for money. Toss the harvested crops into the bin near your home, and you’ll automatically be credited for those goods the next day!

Crafting is essential for building useful tools and organizing your farm. As you level up your skills, you’ll unlock crafting recipes for items like chests (for storing items), sprinklers (for automating crop watering), and scarecrows (to protect crops).

Use chests to store resources and organize your inventory. Always keep at least one of each item you find—you never know when it’ll be needed for crafting, a quest, or a Community Center bundle.

Otherwise, take some time to explore the town. You’ll meet the locals, get an idea of where key POIs are, and likely forage some items off the ground for additional cash. 

Seasons and Crop Growth

Stardew Valley has four seasons—Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter—each lasting 28 days. Every season brings different crops and activities:

• Spring: The first season, where you’ll plant beginner crops like parsnips and potatoes.
• Summer: Time for high-profit crops like blueberries.
• Fall: Focus on crops like pumpkins and cranberries.
• Winter: Most crops won’t grow, so use this time for fishing, mining, and improving your farm.

Always plan ahead to make sure crops will mature before the season ends—crops left unharvested at the end of a season will wither. This is the most “feels bad” situation you can end up in. 

As you progress, farming becomes a larger focus, and managing your crops efficiently will be key to success. Here are some farming tips to help you along the way:

• Buy more seeds: With each harvest, reinvest your earnings into buying more seeds. Early in the game, crops like parsnips, potatoes, and cauliflower are good choices for maximizing profit.
• Use fertilizer: Once you unlock fertilizer, start using it to increase the quality of your crops. Higher-quality crops sell for more money and can be used in bundles or recipes.
• Unlock sprinklers: Once you start gathering iron and gold, you can craft sprinklers, which will automate the watering of your crops. This will free up a lot of time each day. The starter sprinklers aren’t great since they only cover the four surrounding tiles, but the tier 2 sprinkler can provide an efficient farming operation.

Exploring the Farm and Surrounding Areas

Exploration is key to unlocking resources and progressing through the game. Your farm has several points of interest:

• Farmhouse: Your home and place to sleep, restore energy, and upgrade.
• Shipping Bin: Place items here to sell them and receive gold the next morning.
• Farm Cave: Initially empty, it can be upgraded to grow mushrooms or house bats that collect fruit.

Beyond your farm, you can explore Cindersap Forest, Backwoods, and Marnie’s Ranch. These areas offer valuable forageables and resources like wood and fiber. Perhaps most importantly, in-game events will often occur outside your Farmhouse, so look out for mail or announcements about things you should participate in.

Foraging, Fishing, and Mining

Foraging involves collecting wild plants, flowers, and other items that appear on the ground. Each season offers unique forageables, which can be an essential way to earn money early on. Foraging doesn’t require energy, making it a great way to spend your time if you’re running low on energy. 

Generally speaking, you can transform foraged materials into goods that sell for a higher price. Create a chest to store all your foraged items, and you will later discover recipes for some money-making craftables!

Two of the most important early-game activities that will help you progress are fishing and mining.

On Day 2, you’ll receive a letter from Willy inviting you to visit him at the beach. He’ll give you your first fishing rod, allowing you to start catching fish, which you can sell or use for energy. Fishing is a great way to make money early in the game, though the fishing mini-game can be tricky for newcomers. 

Don’t worry if you struggle at first—it gets easier as you level up your fishing skill, and you can always purchase the Training Rod from Willy to make things easier. You can either tap the fishing button to gradually raise the fishing bar or hold down the button to raise the bar more consistently. Adjust your fishing method to keep the fish icon within your fishing bar. 

Different fish spawn in various water bodies, and the time of day and season also affect what types of fish you can catch. Some of the most valuable fish are only available during certain weather conditions or times, so planning when and where to fish is crucial. There are plenty of guides out there to describe the exact conditions you need to catch a specific fish, and I really like this section on the SV wiki.

Around Day 5, the boulder blocking the mines will be removed, and you can begin mining for valuable resources such as copper and iron. Mining is essential for upgrading your tools and crafting new items. As you descend deeper into the mines, you’ll encounter enemies, but you’ll also find rare ores, gems, and treasures that can be donated to the museum or sold for profit.

As you descend into the mines, you’ll encounter various monsters that can damage your health. You’ll start with a basic sword but can upgrade your weapons as you progress. Combat skill increases as you fight enemies, making battles easier over time.

The mines have checkpoint levels every five floors, and you can unlock elevators to easily return to lower floors without having to re-explore the upper levels. Always bring food for energy restoration, and watch your health bar during combat. The game will sometimes trigger swarms of enemies to a specific floor, and players can easily get overwhelmed if they can’t quickly dish out significant damage.

Introduction to Pelican Town

Pelican Town is the central hub of Stardew Valley, filled with interesting characters, shops, and activities. Your interactions with the town’s inhabitants will play a crucial role in your experience. 

Each character has their own daily routines and preferences, so you’ll want to talk to them regularly and give them gifts to build friendships.

• The General Store: Run by Pierre, this store is where you’ll buy most of your seeds and farming supplies. It’s also where you can sell crops for a quick return.
• The Blacksmith: Clint, the blacksmith, can upgrade your tools using materials you collect from the mines. Upgrading your tools will make tasks like chopping wood or mining much faster and more efficient. Clint can also break geodes so you can uncover useful items hidden within!
• The Saloon: Here, you can buy food and drinks to replenish energy, and it’s a great place to socialize with the townspeople. It’s especially popular in the evenings and on the weekends. Stop by then if you want to chat with your friends.

Tool and House Upgrades

As you progress, upgrading your tools will make your life much easier. The blacksmith can upgrade tools in exchange for copper, iron, or gold. It takes a couple of days for the upgrade, so make sure to plan appropriately. You don’t want to be in a situation where you need to water your crops when your watering can is being upgraded.

You can also upgrade your farmhouse to add more space and unlock cooking. The first house upgrade costs 10,000 gold and 450 wood, allowing you to cook food for energy restoration. Having the kitchen addition means you can also craft meals as gifts for townspeople.

The Community Center and Bundles

The Community Center is a significant part of Stardew Valley’s progression. Bundles in the Community Center require specific items, often tied to seasonal crops, forageables, and fish. Completing bundles restores different parts of the Community Center. Additionally, they unlock rewards, such as access to new areas or new game mechanics (e.g., the bus to the desert).

For those who prefer a more capitalist approach, you can choose to buy a Joja Mart membership instead of restoring the Community Center. Doing so locks you out of the Community Center questline but allows you to pay for upgrades directly.

Relationships and Gifting

Building relationships with Pelican Town’s residents is one of the most rewarding aspects of Stardew Valley. As you get to know the townspeople and give them gifts, you’ll increase your friendship level (represented by hearts). Reaching certain friendship levels unlocks special cutscenes and rewards.

Each character has their own loved, liked, and disliked gifts, and giving them loved gifts will increase friendship much faster. Remember that you can only give a maximum of two gifts per week to each person, so choose wisely!

Additionally, keep an eye out for the town’s festivals. Festivals happen on specific days of each season and offer unique activities, rewards, and socializing opportunities. They are also a great way to boost your relationship with multiple townspeople at once.

Special TV Channels and Their Uses

The TV in your farmhouse offers several important channels:

• Weather Report: Check the weather forecast for the next day, which is especially useful for planning your farming tasks.
• Fortune Teller: Determines your luck for the day, which affects activities like mining and foraging.
• Living off the Land: Provides tips on farming, fishing, and foraging.
• Queen of Sauce: Teaches new cooking recipes every Sunday.

Checking the TV daily ensures you stay informed and prepared for the day ahead.

Final Tips and Advice

Stardew Valley’s charm lies in its open-ended gameplay, allowing you to progress at your own pace. However, following these tips will help ensure you make the most of your time and resources:

• Prioritize Energy Management: Focus on low-energy activities when your bar is running low, such as foraging, fishing, or interacting with NPCs.
• Plan Around the Seasons: Keep an eye on the calendar and plan your crops and activities based on the current season. Remember that crops will die when the season changes.
• Upgrade Tools Strategically: Tool upgrades can drastically improve your efficiency. Start by upgrading your watering can, pickaxe, or axe, depending on your immediate needs.
• Balance Farming and Exploration: It’s easy to get caught up in farming, but don’t forget to explore the mines, fish, and build relationships with townsfolk to unlock new opportunities.

By mastering energy management, exploring all aspects of the game, and gradually upgrading your farm and tools, you’ll find success and enjoyment in every season.

Enjoy the Stardew Valley Experience!

Stardew Valley is a rich, open-ended game that offers endless ways to play. By mastering time management, balancing energy, and planning tasks based on the season, you’ll be well on your way to building a successful farm. With these tips, you’re now equipped to navigate the challenges of the game and fully enjoy all that Stardew Valley has to offer.