Building strong relationships is key to thriving in Stardew Valley's charming Pelican Town. Connecting with villagers through kindness and thoughtful gifts is crucial, whether you're aiming for friendship or romance. While conversations and gifts impact your relationships, understanding the nuances of the friendship system is essential for maximizing your bonds.
Many know that talking, gifting, and choosing dialogue options boost friendship, but not all actions are equal. This guide details how to cultivate friendships to their fullest.
Updated January 4, 2025, by Demaris Oxman: Stardew Valley's 1.6 update has re-energized the farming sim community. While the friendship system remains largely the same, new additions in 1.6 are worth noting for those aiming to befriend the entire valley.
The Heart Scale
Access your relationship status with each NPC via the in-game menu's heart tab. This shows friendship levels (hearts) earned. While the heart scale provides an overview, it doesn't fully explain how friendship points are earned.
What Is One Heart?
Each heart represents 250 friendship points. Most interactions (talking, gifting) affect friendship, awarding points for positive actions and deducting them for negative ones or neglect.
Boosting Friendship Gain
For faster friendship building, acquire the "Friendship 101" book. This book (available as a Prize Machine reward or from the Bookseller in Year 3) grants a permanent 10% friendship point boost, making each positive interaction more impactful. Note that this bonus doesn't affect friendship point deductions.
Point Values for Character Interactions
Everyday Interactions: Talking to a villager usually yields +20 points; +10 if they're busy. Ignoring a villager results in a friendship decrease (-2 points daily, or -10 if you've given them a bouquet, -20 for your spouse). Completing Bulletin Board deliveries awards +150 points with the recipient.
Giving Gifts: Gift preferences vary. Loved gifts: +80; Liked: +45; Neutral: +20; Disliked: -20; Hated: -40. Gifts given on the Feast of the Winter Star are worth 5x, and birthday gifts 8x their usual value.
Stardrop Tea: This universally loved gift grants +250 points (+750 on birthdays/Winter Star Feast), even after reaching daily/weekly gift limits. It's obtainable from the Prize Machine, Golden Fishing Chests, the Helper's Bundle, or from the raccoon for completing requests.
The Movie Theater: Invite villagers with a movie ticket (1000g). Loved movies: +200; Liked: +100; Disliked: 0. Loved concessions: +50; Liked: +25; Disliked: 0.
Conversations & Dialogue: Dialogue choices can yield +10 to +50 points or cause decreases. Heart Events offer similar opportunities with potentially larger point swings (+/- 200 points).
Festivals & Events
The Flower Dance: Dancing with an NPC (4+ hearts) grants +250 points.
The Luau: Soup contributions affect friendship: Best: +120; Good: +60; Neutral/No Item/Lewis' Shorts: 0; Bad: -50; Worst: -100.
The Community Center: Completing the Bulletin Board bundles awards +500 points with each non-dateable villager.
