Stardew Valley is awesome. I wanted a new injection of Harvest Moon/Rune Factory gameplay in my life and I got just that. And so did you!
I can’t express my surprise at Stardew Valley enough, and I certainly didn’t expect it to be packed with so many features and so much content. The game was/is clearly a labor of love for developer ConcernedApe.
These types of games are always complicated and there’s a lot to do and know to get your farm up and running and keep it that way — especially since village life has its own complications. I’d be lying if I said the game doesn’t heavily remind me of Harvest Moon: Back to Nature/64.
Below are some of the most common questions I’ve seen pop up in the game’s various communities. There are a ton of questions on everyone’s mind in regards to the game and the secrets it holds, but these are the most basic questions almost every new farmer has and should know the answers to.
How do you save?
The game automatically saves when you go to bed.
How do you refill the watering can?
Simply click on the pond in your farm with the watering can equipped to refill it.
How do you restore energy?
As in Harvest Moon, you can eat to restore a bit of energy and can recover all your energy via sleeping.
One thing to note is that if your character is exhausted before they go to bed, they will not recover all their energy by morning. You will either have to be frugal with your energy that day or eat.
How do you craft a chest?
The game’s menu (‘Esc’ key) has a crafting section in which you can craft a chest if you have 50 wood on hand. It’s a good idea to get one crafted ASAP in a new game because your inventory is so small.
How do you move a chest?
If you want to move a chest you’ve already placed, simply take out its contents and hit it with a tool.
What’s with the worms in the ground?
Whip out your hoe and dig! You can get books and other goodies from digging at these spots. Keep an eye out!
Where are the mines?
The mines will open up on the northeast side of town a few days into the game.
How come I move so slowly?
Movement in Stardew Valley is pretty slow in general. Make sure you turn on auto-run in the game’s options. You can drink coffee — sold at the saloon — for a temporary movement speed boost.
How do you attach bait to a fishing pole?
You can’t use bait with the Bamboo Pole, but you can with the Fiberglass and above. Once you have a Bamboo Pole, you can click on the bait in your inventory, then right click the rod to apply the bait.
How do you put bait in a crab pot?
The only difference between adding bait to a crab pot and adding it to a fishing pole is that you have to put the crab pot in the water before you can add the bait.
Adding bait is as easy as clicking on it in your inventory, then right clicking on the crab pot.
How long does the game last?
Like in Harvest Moon and Rune Factory, Stardew Valley‘s main story ends in just a couple years. Don’t worry if you get attached to your farm and relationships with the villagers. You can keep playing even after that point, for an indefinite period of time.
How do you smooth out tilled dirt?
If you accidentally tilled some dirt with your hoe, you can flatten it back out again by hitting it with a pickaxe.
How do you smelt ore?
You need to craft a Furnace before you can smelt ore into bars. 5 ore = 1 bar.
How do you check the weather?
Check out the TV. It will tell you tomorrow’s weather so you can plan ahead.
How do you feed chickens?
Chickens can be let outside in grass to feed themselves (don’t do this on rainy days), or you can put hay in the trough inside the chicken coop.
How do you cook?
You need to upgrade your house with a kitchen, which costs 10,000g. You learn new recipes by watching TV.
Where are the Mayor’s shorts?
In Marnie’s bedroom. You have to befriend her before you can retrieve them.
How do you get married?
First, you need to get your potential spouse to a high enough heart level and Pierre sends you a letter saying he has flower bouquets in stock.
Give the potential spouse a bouquet and get their heart level to 10. On a rainy day after your house has been upgraded, go to the side of the beach across the plank you spend 300 Wood to repair and you’ll find a man who will give you a Mermaid Pendant.
Give the person your courting the Mermaid Pendant and ta-da! Marriage!
If you need help getting the eligible villager to fall in love with you, check out my guide to wooing.
Where is Robin’s axe?
You can find her axe in the forest south of your farm, a bit above and to the right of the sewer grate.
And that’s it for now! More questions and their answers will be added to this article over the coming days as I rub my chin over some questions of my own and try to rake in that sweet, sweet money. If you’re new to the game you may also want to check out my beginner’s tips guide.
