Stardew Valley is finally making its way to the Nintendo Switch, bringing the fun of farming to players everywhere—even on the go! In celebration we’ve put together a list of several handy things we think all players should be aware of going into the game. Of course, it’s perfectly acceptable to dive into the game completely blind, and discover things on your own. If you want to make your first year in Stardew Valley a bit more efficient, then make use of these tips to help you build up your farm and become a better farmer.
Ten Things Not to Do in Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley might seem like a shallow experience, but there is a lot of depth tucked away underneath all the fields and fishing poles that you’ll encounter throughout the game. To help you have a better first year, we’ve put together ten things that we think are extremely important to be aware of, and here you’ll find a list of ten things we think all players should avoid doing in their first year in the game.
Cut Down All The Trees
It can be tempting to cut down every tree on your farm when you are trying to clear things out, but you should really avoid doing this for multiple reasons. First off, tree toppers are something you’ll want to invest in at some point, and they can produce all kinds of different goods. Sure, you can replant later on, but it takes a bit for trees to grow up. Not to mention, trees are the best source of wood available in the game, and chopping them all down early on, and then selling off the wood is just going to make it harder to build things down the road.
Sell The Seeds From Trees
Whenever you cut down a tree and completely dig it up, you often get seeds. While it may be tempting to sell these off, you should always hold onto them for planting new trees later on, or even for crafting “field snacks” which are great food items for restoring your energy.
Craft Sprinklers
Watering your plants within the first year isn’t that hard, and you should hold off on crafting sprinklers in order to maximize the use of your resources. Sprinklers are extremely expensive to craft—they cost iron and gold—so hold off until later on in the game.
Mine on Bad Luck Days
It’s important to constantly check the forecast each night, so that you can be prepared for the things you’ll encounter the next day. You should also always keep track of good and bad days, and refrain from doing things like mining on a bad luck day. You’ll find no items to sell, or any of the ores that you want to find. Instead, wait until you have a good luck day and then go from there.
Get Married
For many, the farming life can be dull alone, and it’s tempting to jump into marriage as quickly as possible. While marriage can be helpful in the game, we’d suggest holding off until later on—after you first year—to do it, as it doesn’t really have any early game benefits.
Go Mining With Valuable Items On You
We’ve all done it. We’re running around, items in tow, just joyously enjoying our time. Then you decide to go mining. You die or pass out, and poof, all your valuable items are gone. Don’t fall into this same trap. Instead, be sure to store your precious items in a chest before going mining. Trust us, you’ll be happy you did—especially if you take a little nap inside the mine.
Walk Around Town With Tools Out
Sometimes you may forget to put a tool up when you’re just walking around or talking to people. Always try to store tools and keep items like the Sword or Scythe out instead. These things don’t use energy, and walking around with a tool may cause you to make a mistake and end up wasting energy that you need later on.
Upgrade Your Watering Can on a Sunny Day
This one might not make much sense now, but just trust us. It will all make sense when you’re playing the game. Wait until winter, or you reach a rainy or overcast day to upgrade your watering can. Just trust us.
Check Trash Cans Around NPCs
Trash cans can sometimes hold really handy items, but you need to be careful when you check them. Checking out trash cans near other characters can cause them to look down upon you, costing you friendship points you might need at a later point in the game.
Pull an All-Nighter
While it can be tempting to max out your energy and stay up working all night, it isn’t recommended. Staying up past 2AM will cause your character to pass out, even if they have full energy. To maximize your time and energy, try to go to bed before midnight, as staying up past midnight will make your character’s energy much lower the next day, which isn’t a good thing at all.
Keep these things in mind when playing Stardew Valley, and be sure to avoid them where possible. Of course, if you’re just playing the game for the first time, you should feel free to make mistakes. You’re not going to be able to make every event happen, and sometimes it’s better to make the mistake, and then learn from it later on. For more help, be sure to check out our guide on ten things you should do in Stardew Valley.
