Stardew Valley: A Comprehensive Guide to Friendship
Forging strong relationships is key to thriving in Stardew Valley. Integrating into Pelican Town's close-knit community involves showing kindness and generosity to your neighbors. Whether aiming for friendship or romance, building bonds is crucial.
While talking, gifting, and thoughtful dialogue choices boost friendship, not all actions are equal. This guide details maximizing your relationships. Updated January 4, 2025, to reflect the 1.6 update's additions.
The Heart System
The in-game heart meter (accessed via the menu) tracks your relationship with each NPC. Reaching heart milestones unlocks events, mail, and dialogue options. However, the meter only shows the result; understanding how friendship points are earned is vital.
One Heart = 250 Friendship Points
Increasing friendship by one heart requires 250 points. Most interactions—talking, gifting—affect friendship, offering points for positive actions and deducting them for negative ones.
Boosting Friendship Gain
The "Friendship 101" book (ninth Prize Machine prize, or a rare Year 3 Bookseller item, costing 20,000g) grants a permanent 10% friendship point bonus. It doesn't affect friendship loss.
Friendship Point Values
Numerous interactions impact friendship points:
Daily Interactions
- Talking: +20 (or +10 if the NPC is busy). Ignoring an NPC daily results in a -2 point penalty (-10 with a bouquet, -20 for a spouse).
- Bulletin Board Deliveries: +150 with the recipient.
Gifting
Gift preferences vary, but point values are consistent:
- Loved: +80
- Liked: +45
- Neutral: +20
- Disliked: -20
- Hated: -40
Feast of the Winter Star and birthday gifts multiply point values by 5x and 8x, respectively.
Stardrop Tea
This universally loved gift (obtainable from the Prize Machine, Golden Chests, Helper's Bundle, or high-level raccoon requests) grants +250 points (+750 on birthdays/Winter Star). It bypasses daily/weekly gift limits.
Movie Theater
Inviting an NPC to the movies (using a Movie Ticket and concessions) offers significant point gains based on preferences:
- Loved Movie: +200
- Liked Movie: +100
- Disliked Movie: 0
- Loved Concession: +50
- Liked Concession: +25
- Disliked Concession: 0
Conversations & Dialogue
Dialogue choices significantly impact friendship, with positive responses earning +10 to +50 points and negative ones resulting in point losses. Heart events can yield even larger changes (+/- 200 points).
Festivals & Events
- Flower Dance: +250 points (4+ hearts required).
- Luau: Soup contributions impact friendship (+120 to -100 points).
- Community Center: Completing the Bulletin Board bundles rewards +500 points with each non-datable villager.
This comprehensive guide ensures you can cultivate strong relationships and fully enjoy your Stardew Valley experience.
