Making friends is a cornerstone of life in Stardew Valley. As a new resident of the charming Pelican Town, players have the opportunity to weave themselves into the fabric of this tight-knit community through acts of kindness and generosity. Whether the goal is forging deep friendships or kindling romantic relationships, building bonds with the town's residents is essential for a fulfilling experience in the game.

Most players are aware that engaging in conversations, presenting thoughtful gifts, and choosing the right dialogue options can enhance friendships. However, not all actions or gifts carry the same weight—some can significantly boost relationships while others might have minimal impact. Here's a comprehensive guide on how players can elevate their relationships with the characters of Stardew Valley to the maximum level.

Updated January 4, 2025, by Demaris Oxman: The 1.6 update for Stardew Valley has reignited interest among players, drawing both seasoned farmers back to their fields and welcoming new players to the valley. With the update now available across all platforms, it's important for players to understand any changes to the game's mechanics. While the core friendship point system remains unchanged, there are new elements introduced in the 1.6 update that players should be aware of when seeking to build relationships in the valley.

The Heart Scale

To monitor relationships with every NPC, players should open the Menu and navigate to the tab marked with a heart icon. This feature provides a clear overview of each NPC and the number of hearts (friendship levels) earned with them.

As players cultivate more hearts with NPCs, they unlock various benefits. These can include exclusive Heart Event scenes, recipes delivered via mail, and new dialogue options. However, the heart scale alone doesn't reveal the full mechanics of how friendships are developed.

What Is One Heart?

To gain one heart with an NPC, players need to accumulate 250 friendship points. Nearly every interaction, from casual conversations to gift-giving, contributes to these points. Positive actions boost friendship, whereas neglecting characters or engaging in negative behaviors can lead to a decline in friendship levels.

Boosting Friendship Gain

For those looking to accelerate their friendship growth, the book "Friendship 101" is a must-have. This valuable tome can be acquired as the ninth prize from the Prize Machine in the Mayor's Mansion or has a 9% chance of being sold by the Bookseller starting in Year 3, at a cost of 20,000g. Reading this book grants a permanent 10% increase to friendship gains, making each positive interaction more rewarding. Note that this boost does not affect friendship decreases and cannot be stacked by reading the book multiple times.

Point Values For Individual Character Interactions

Everyday Interactions

• Talking to a character usually earns +20 points. If the character is engaged in an activity like exercising or chores, the reward is +10 points. A simple greeting can help prevent friendship decay, and a check mark in the Social menu tab indicates that the player has spoken to the character that day.
• Completing an item delivery from the Bulletin Board outside Pierre's store grants +150 points with the recipient.
• Failing to talk to a character results in a friendship decrease. The standard is -2 points per day, but this increases to -10 if the player has given the character a bouquet, and -20 if the player is married to them. It's crucial not to neglect significant relationships!

Giving Gifts

Each villager has unique gift preferences, but there are universal options that are almost always safe bets:

• Loved Gifts: +80 points
• Liked Gifts: +45 points
• Neutral Gifts: +20 points
• Disliked Gifts: -20 Points
• Hated Gifts: -40 Points

Gifts given during the Feast of the Winter Star yield 5x the usual points, while birthday gifts are worth 8x as many points. Be cautious, as disliked or hated gifts on these special days can lead to a significant friendship decrease. A bit of research can go a long way in choosing the right gifts for these occasions.

Stardrop Tea

Among the universally loved gifts, Stardrop Tea stands out. Gifting Stardrop Tea to an NPC boosts friendship by 250 points, or one full heart. When given as a birthday or Feast of the Winter Star gift, this effect is tripled to three full hearts. Importantly, Stardrop Tea can be given even after reaching the usual gift limits (two per week and one per day).

Obtaining Stardrop Tea can be challenging, but it's available from the Prize Machine in the Mayor's office, occasionally in Golden Fishing Chests, as a reward for completing the Helper's Bundle on the remixed Community Center Bulletin Board, or as a thank-you from the raccoon for completing his higher-level requests.

The Movie Theater

Once the movie theater is restored, players can invite friends or romantic interests to enjoy a film. To do this, purchase a Movie Ticket for 1000g and present it to the character. Each NPC has preferences for movies and snacks, which influence the friendship points gained:

• Loved Movie: +200 points
• Liked Movie: +100 points
• Disliked Movie: 0 points
• Loved Concession: +50 points
• Liked Concession: +25 points
• Disliked Concession: 0 points

Conversations & Dialogue

During conversations, characters may ask players questions. For instance, Abigail might seek feedback on her drawings, or Haley might inquire about farm activities. Choosing the right answers can earn between +10 to +50 points, while the wrong responses can lead to a decrease. It's usually straightforward to gauge which answers will be well-received based on the character's personality. Mean or snarky replies can reduce friendship, whereas positive choices will either add points or, at the least, have no negative effect.

Similarly, Heart Events often involve more intimate dialogues, with potential increases or decreases in friendship up to 200 points. The correct responses are generally evident, aligning with the character's traits and desires.

Festivals & Events

The Flower Dance

To invite an NPC to dance at the festival, players need to have at least four hearts with them. Participating in the dance increases friendship by 1 heart (250 points).

The Luau

At the summer's community potluck, players can contribute an item to the soup, impacting their friendship with every villager based on the soup's taste:

• Best Soup: +120 points
• Good Soup: +60 points
• Neutral Soup, no item added, or Lewis' Purple Shorts added: 0 points
• Bad Soup: -50 points
• Worst Soup: -100 points

The Community Center

Completing the "Bulletin Board" bundles at the Community Center, which include the Chef's Bundle, the Enchanter's Bundle, the Fodder Bundle, the Field Research Bundle, and the Dye Bundle, rewards players with 500 friendship points (2 hearts) with every non-dateable villager. This is a significant boost to community relations and a great way to foster friendships across Pelican Town.