This guide explores friendship in Stardew Valley, detailing how to maximize relationships with villagers. Building friendships is crucial for integrating into Pelican Town, whether aiming for platonic bonds or romance. While conversation and gifting are key, not all interactions are equal.
The Heart System:
The in-game heart scale (accessed via the menu) displays friendship levels with each NPC. Each heart represents 250 friendship points. Positive interactions increase points, while negative ones decrease them.
Boosting Friendship Gain:
The "Friendship 101" book (obtained from the Prize Machine or the Bookseller after Year 3) provides a permanent 10% bonus to friendship gains.
Interaction Point Values:
- Daily Conversations: +20 points (or +10 if the NPC is busy). Ignoring an NPC results in a friendship decrease (-2 points daily, or -10 if a bouquet was given, or -20 for a spouse).
- Bulletin Board Deliveries: +150 points with the recipient.
- Gifting:
- Loved gifts: +80 points
- Liked gifts: +45 points
- Neutral gifts: +20 points
- Disliked gifts: -20 points
- Hated gifts: -40 points
- Winter Star Festival gifts: 5x points
- Birthday gifts: 8x points
Special Gifts:
- Stardrop Tea: +250 points (one heart) per gift, tripled on birthdays and the Winter Star Festival. Obtainable from the Prize Machine, Golden Fishing Chests, the Helper's Bundle, or from the raccoon.
Movie Theater:
Inviting an NPC to the movies (using a Movie Ticket) yields varying points based on movie and concession choices.
- 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 and Dialogue:
Dialogue choices during conversations and Heart Events can significantly impact friendship (+10 to +50 points or more, or a decrease).
Festivals and Events:
- Flower Dance: Dancing with an NPC (4 hearts or higher) grants +250 points (one heart).
- Luau: Contributing to the community soup yields varying points based on the soup's quality.
- Community Center Bulletin Board: Completing all bundles awards +500 points (two hearts) with each non-dateable villager.
This comprehensive guide provides a detailed framework for cultivating strong relationships in Stardew Valley. Remember to consider each NPC's preferences for optimal friendship building. The images remain in their original format and location as requested.
