Stardew Valley Game Guide: Tips and Tricks

Jump to the tips in this post:

• Gifting and Relationships
• Energy Management
• The Community Center

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Stardew Valley is a cozy farming simulation game where you leave the city behind to restore your grandfather’s old farm, build relationships with the townspeople, and shape a life at your own pace. It has easily become one of my top cozy games of all time, and it was actually my first game featured on this blog.

One of the things I love most about Stardew Valley is the freedom it gives you as a player. Nothing rushes you through the game. You can spend your days farming, fishing, mining, decorating, or simply wandering around the town and getting to know its residents. The game rewards curiosity and consistency rather than speed.

That said, if you are a completionist like me, Stardew Valley can quickly become a lot more complex. Between seasonal items, relationship requirements, bundles, and time-sensitive events, it is surprisingly easy to miss things without even realizing it.

To help make that process easier, I have put together a collection of my favourite Stardew Valley tips and tricks, broken down into simple sections with visual guides you can reference while playing.

Gifting and Relationships

The early game in Stardew Valley can feel tight on time, energy, and resources. To make relationship building easier, I put together this guide highlighting some of the simplest gifts you can give the bachelors/bachelorettes early on.

These are the characters you can build romantic relationships with in Stardew Valley. Each one has their own likes and dislikes, and gift choices play a big role in how quickly you earn friendship points.

These gifts are not all favourites, but they are liked and easy to find, making them a great option for boosting friendship without going out of your way.

Energy Management

Early-game energy management is a struggle every Stardew player will face. There are some ways you can maximize your energy use through your early game days.

The Community Center

The Community Center can feel overwhelming at first, especially when you are trying to keep track of bundles across multiple seasons.

By breaking everything down by season and quantity, it is easier to plan ahead and prepare for each new season.

I also recommend setting aside a dedicated chest for Community Center items. Storing bundle items in one place helps you quickly see what you still need and prevents accidentally selling or using something important.

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While these tips and visuals are meant to make Stardew Valley easier and more enjoyable, no single guide can cover everything this game has to offer.

If you are working toward 100% completion or just want more guided information, the Stardew Valley Wiki is an invaluable resource. It is by far the best place to go for tracking items, schedules, and requirements throughout the game.

If you haven’t played Stardew Valley yet and still need a bit more convincing, watching a cozy streamer play it is another great way to learn more about the game.

Below is a full stream of lilsimsie’s newest Stardew save file, and she’s still uploading episodes as of this post’s publication. Note: she is using mods, which will slightly alter gameplay mechanics and visuals compared to the normal version.

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Have any of you Stardew players actually completed the game to 100%? If so, what was your experience? Did you use a guide like this?

Let me know in the comments, and share your favourite tips with others!