The tranquil town of Stardew Valley is a perfect place for players to settle down and start a farm. New and returning players to this fantastic indie farming simulator will find mountains of content to explore. With such a breadth of content available for players, the game can feel overwhelming for some, especially during the first year of the game. This is because so many aspects of the game rely on each other, each building up to the joy that comes from managing a farm in Stardew Valley.
There are many factors players may wish to consider when starting their first year in Stardew Valley. Players may want to jump on many end-game goals in Stardew Valley, and a good starting year can accelerate players to their goals. From tool upgrades to seasonal crop choices, many connected mechanics of Stardew Valley can snowball players into their first winter.
A significant key to success in the first year can be determined by the goals players set for themselves in Stardew Valley. One key decision is whether to renovate the Community Center or buy a JojaMart membership. Stardew Valley features two broad story paths: players restore Pelican Town to its former glory with the Junimos and side with the Joja Corporation.
The choice between the Junimos and Joja Corp changes how players achieve their goals. Players who choose to restore Pelican Town must source various items to complete the Community Center bundles and unlock town upgrades. In contrast, the Joja route is all money-based; town upgrades are purchased for lump sums of Gold instead.
However, regardless of story choices, life in Stardew Valley isn’t only about Farming, mining, fishing, and making gold. Players should also aim to get involved in town life by giving gifts to Pelican Town’s villagers, attending festivals, and even becoming involved with one of Stardew Valley’s twelve marriage candidates.
Good energy management is essential for making the most of each day in Stardew Valley. Many player actions consume energy, including watering crops, mining, fishing, and chopping down trees.
In Year 1, players can expect energy to be a major roadblock; every in-game minute is precious, and players won’t have the time or energy to get everything done, at least to begin with. As such, an essential aspect of playing Stardew Valley is learning how to be efficient with time and how to increase energy levels.
Food is the best way to overcome this limitation. Early in the game, players will have two primary sources of food: foraging andfishing. During the first few days of the game, before the fishing activity unlocks, foraging and cutting down trees are good uses of time.
Foraging provides a good supply of food for replenishing the energy meter, and cutting down trees provides Wood, an essential resource for dozens of crafting recipes.
However, after acquiring the fishing rod, fishing becomes an essential energy management tool and an incredible source of early-game income. While time is still left in the day, players can eat any fish they catch to gain energy and continue fishing. Any fish can then be sold for profit at the end of the day. Selling fish drastically increases the number of Strawberries players can purchase during the Egg Festival on Spring 13.
Eventually, players can acquire Stardrops in Stardew Valley to increase their energy meter. However, energy and time management are essential skills that are valuable beyond Year One.
While Stardew Valley is known as a farming simulator, other games of the genre should take note of Stardew Valley‘s mining system. Tool upgrades in Stardew Valley require creating metal ores, with more advanced upgrades requiring rare metals. Ores and metals are also needed to craft advanced equipment for maintaining farms.
As players get used to their activities, the game provides options to automate certain aspects of the experience or improve efficiency. As such, even if players mainly want to farm or forage, mining is still an essential part of the Stardew Valley experience.
While progress in the mines is crucial to getting better equipment, players should proceed down the mine alongside their equipment. Better pickaxes, as well as foods like foraged plants and fish, are essential for progress down the later stages of the mine. Mining is best done during a rainy day, as players will not need to water their plants during these days. Not only does watering plants cost energy, but it also eats up valuable time that day.
Two useful tips for mining in Stardew Valley involve placing wooden chests and crafting staircases. Time is a significant hurdle when journeying deeper into the Mines, so having chests at the start of the mines allows players to unload their inventory without walking back to the farm. Players can also craft staircases from 99 Stone starting at Mining Level 2. These staircases can save time and lives, as players may need to skip to the next level for many reasons. Players will have precious ores pouring out of chests using these two tips by the end of the first year.
Returning Stardew Valley players often keep track of the day the Mines open, as it marks a point where better tools and upgraded equipment become available.
Unless players plan on creating a multiplayer farm with friends, most of their time in Stardew Valley will be spent in solitude, working on activities. However, Stardew Valley has a social aspect that shouldn’t be ignored; players should make friends and get to know the good folk of Pelican Town.
One of the best ways to befriend villagers is to give them gifts. Each villager loves and hates different items; for example, tea-loving town mom Caroline has different favorites compared to sweet old Granny Evelyn. Gifting loved or liked, items grant friendship points and unlocks special heart events: snapshots of life in a rural town.
Players should also attend festivals. There are quite a few significant events throughout the seasons, many of which offer fun activities and opportunities to win prizes, rare items, and friendship points:
Players can upgrade their tools to even more powerful versions with the ore they obtain from the Mines. This is one of the best activities to do in the winter since the cold climate means far less farm work. These upgrades will allow players to accomplish more tasks in less time and with less energy. This can be pivotal to trekking deeper into the mines or tending to an ever-growing farm. Of course, not all tool upgrades are created equal, and a couple should be prioritized over the rest.