Not every great video game needs fantasy and flashy storylines of the world almost ending; sometimes the story of leaving the city behind and taking the plunge into a new humble farm life is all players need to have a good time.Stardew Valleydoesn’t need all the bells and whistles to be considered a great title; the mundane feel of everyday farm life is its main appeal.
In the flurry of all the fun new things to do in this new life, one can find themselves a bit overwhelmed but don’t worry. Every new farmer eventually finds the routine that works best for them. But there are a few tasks and details that most dedicated fans would recommend newcomers to prioritize before it’s too late, and year 1 has already come to a close. Here area few things every new player should do right away when startingStardew Valley.
Updated July 20, 2025, by Usama Ali: Starting out in Stardew Valley can feel overwhelming with all the possibilities, but it’s also the most magical time. The first few days in the game are key for building momentum, unlocking the right tools, and getting their farm in shape. From clearing space and planting crops to meeting the townspeople and checking the TV for helpful tips, every small action adds up. This guide covers some of the best early-game moves for players to make the most of their time and energy in Stardew Valley.
35Pet Animals Everyday
Level Up Their Friendship Meter
Taking a moment to pet farm animals every day can make a huge difference in the long run. Simply stopping to pet thedog, cat, or turtlecan help increase their friendship meter bit by bit. After maxing out the friendship meter with a beloved pet, they will sometimes gift players items they find after receiving their daily petting.
Farm/barn animals like cows and chickens can also be petted daily. Animals with a higher friendship meter are more likely to produce higher quality goods, making the daily pet run not only good for the heart but also for the wallet.
34Pick The Standard Farm Layout
Start With The Basics
Beginning this humble journey is a bit overwhelming considering how many choices new players are presented with right at the beginning. While there are atotal of eight different farm types, it’s only recommended for well-seasoned players to reach for the more diverse ones.
The standard farm layout is best for newcomers, offering lots of farmland for crops and animals. While the standard layout is well-rounded, leaning into farming, the other layouts (such as the beach farm, the Riverland farm, or the hilltop farm) specialize in more advanced skills such as fishing or combat and are only recommended for experienced players. When startingStardew Valleyfor the first time, it’s best to choose the standard layout and focus on farming before other skills that are learned later on in the game.
33Invest In Books
Knowledge Is Power
Books were introduced in the newest 1.6 update and make a world of a difference. Power books are consumable items that can be found or purchased. Upon reading the power book for the first time, the player will be granted new (and permanent) abilities or powers.
All power books are worth the price/effort, giving players handy abilities that they’ll be sure to use in their everyday farm life; ranging from speed buffs to easier access to local shops.
Aside from the power books, areskill books, which are books that grant players extra experience points in particular skills when read.
32Craft A Worm Bin
Save Money & Materials When Fishing
Investing in the materials to craft aWorm Binis a great way to save money when embarking on thejourney to be a skilled fisherman. Oftentimes, waiting for fish to bite after casting the hook can take quite a bit of time and eat into the day’s time for profits. Adding a simple piece of bait to the fishing rod can save a ton of time and cause fish to bite much sooner.
To save money on bait (or materials to craft it), it’s a good idea to invest in crafting a worm bin as soon as possible. Skip the long walk to the beach to buy bait from Willy and craft the worm bin instead; it is self-sustaining and will produce around four to five pieces of bait for fishing every day.
31Repair The Giant Stump
Help Build An Adorable Family
In the 1.6 update,a mysterious giant stumphas been introduced in the northern area of Cindersap Forest. The giant stump begins as a large tree that eventually gets blown down by a strong windstorm overnight. After it falls, all that remains is the giant stump that can be repaired with a hundred pieces of hardwood.
This will then unlock a quest that involves an adorable raccoon family that moves in and offers the player special seeds in return for various foraging materials.
30Save High-Quality Crops/Produce
Be Prepared for Any Season
There are a few occasions in which agold star (or higher) cropor produce item will come in handy. Aside from the “Quality Crops Bundle” in the community center, there are also a few town events that call for a high-quality item to help with the player’s reputation with other residents; namely the luau and the Stardew Valley fair.
As soon as players finally grow/yield high-quality items from their farming efforts, it’s best to keep a few of them in a chest for when they’re needed at a moment’s notice. No need to worry about items rotting or dying from being out of season as they’ll remain in perfect condition when stored away.
Avoid Days Of Rearranging
Although it’s possible to move buildings around after they’ve already been established, it’s a much better idea to plan things out to avoid having to shuffle everything around as an afterthought. During the early days, try and visualize what an ideal farm looks like; where will crops and sprinklers go as opposed to the livestock and other equipment? Don’t place structures anywhere thinking they can simply be “fixed” later.
Althoughbuilding coops, barns, and other structuresseem far out of reach during the first few weeks, it’s best to plan and know where everything will be placed ahead of time. This will help players avoid making their farmland a mess with no structure or organization.
28Upgrade Tools
Make Quick Work of Larger Obstacles
Early farming days can be quite tiring as the energy needed to clear land or get rid of unwanted boulders is rather high when the player first arrives in Stardew Valley. However, one of the best ways to stop the energy bar from depleting as quickly is upgrading equipment.
As soon as players find ore in the mines, it’s best to keep it until it can be smelted into barsfor Clint (the blacksmith)to use to upgrade various equipment. Although the tool that’s being upgraded will be unavailable for use for the next few days (for Clint to work on it), it’ll be worth it in the end when even the largest stumps or boulders can be cleared without breaking a sweat.
27Fish Everyday
Don’t Neglect The Waters
The fishing mini-game inStardew Valleyis rather notorious for being difficult. It can be rather discouraging to many players after the first few times a fish manages to wiggle its way to sweet escape but don’t lose hope. The fishing mechanic slowly becomes easier over time as the player ups their fishing skill and upgrades their fishing rod.
Between the new rods, bait, and various types of tackle, fishing is bound to become a breeze and open doors for a great new source of income (especially for late nights) for new farmers. It’s important not to neglect fishing, as aside from making good money, there are many fish that need to be caught for the community center bundles as well.
26Save Money for the JojaMart
The Community Developments Cost A Lot
Instead of restoring the Community Center, players can choose to go the Joja route and purchase the JojaMart. JojaMart is a large store owned by the Joja Corporation, a major antagonist inStardew Valley. It’s a rival to Pierre’s General Store and sells similar goods, but with some key differences.
The best part is thatJojaMart stays open later than Pierre’s, which can be convenient for late-night shopping. With the JojaMart, players get aSoda Machinethat gives thema free soda every day worth 26 gold.While this doesn’t seem like much, the other choice only gives a trophy, which does absolutely nothing.
Considering all of these perks, it’s best to start saving money right from the get-go. The JojaMart membership costs 5,000 gold. Upon paying this money to Morris, the Community Center gets turned into a Joja Warehouse and players can purchase different community development projects through the Joja Community Development Form.The total cost for all the developments is 135,000 gold, which means players will soon need to find a way tomake money quickly inStardew Valley.
