There are several characters you can choose to romance in Stardew Valley. Marriage is not a huge deal in this game as it is for other farming simulators, but your partner does help out around the farm. They also have a unique room that reflects their personality.

With so many partners to pick from, it can be difficult to choose a favorite or to even determine if there’s a “best choice”. We have some specific favorites that we’d love to share with you and recommend when you’re working on your farm. Here’s what you need to know about the best characters to marry in Stardew Valley and what makes them fantastic.

The 6 Best Characters to Romance in Stardew Valley

There are 12 characters that you can romance in Stardew Valley. You can romance Alex, Elliot, Harvey, Sam, Sebastian, Shane, Abigail, Emily, Haley, Leah, Maru, and Penny. There are not too many gameplay mechanics that make marrying one person over another important. There are small differences, such as Alex might offer to make you dinner on rainy days, but on rainy mornings Emily offers to give you a helpful tailoring resource. What really stands out between these characters are their unique personality and their different quirks.

The characters we feel are the best to romance and marry are Alex, Sam, Sebastian, Abigail, Emily, and Maru. Here’s a ranking of the six best characters to marry in Stardew Valley.

Alex

Alex is a character who never quite gives up on his dreams and plans to be the first professional gridball player from Stardew Valley. At least, at first. These dreams are difficult to obtain, and he slowly pulls away from them, trying to find other ways to fill the void, but he never stops working out to keep himself in tip-top shape. As you get to know Alex, you learn he did not have a good relationship with his father and prefers being with his grandparents. He’s a soft, caring individual who will make a perfect partner for any player in Stardew Valley.

When you marry Alex, he does his best to help around the house like the other partners. He doesn’t offer to many special items to you, but he has the chance to offer you several meals for dinner, such as the Dish O’ the Sea, Fried Eel, Baked Fish, or a Survival Burger.

Abigail

For anyone interested in romancing Abigail, you’ll find that she has an interest in video games and playing several musical instruments throughout your interactions with her in Stardew Valley. From her interest in video games, she’s always wanted to go out on adventures, and early on in her heart events, she’ll discuss her desire to go out on adventures. Abigail has a full heart and is eager to assist her partner with their dangerous adventures out in the world.

When you marry Abigail and have joined you on your farm, she’ll be playing the flute outside in her personal spot. She has the chance to offer you a variety of useful items every so often, such as Solar Essences, Void Essence, Fire Quarts, Amethyst, Parsnip Soup, Chowder, Lobster Bisque, and several other items.

Emily

Next, we have Emily, the sister to Haley, who works part-time at the saloon in Pelican Town. She’s a warmhearted individual in Stardew Valley who sends you special recipes in the mail as you progress with your relationship with her. She’s a kindhearted individual who goes out of her way to help out anyone that she can, even a poor parrot who injured itself on her window one morning. Some Stardew Valley players might say Emily is one of the easier and less interesting love interests in the game simply because there’s not too much character development, but Emily is extremely useful to have as a partner.

When you marry Emily, she’ll move in with you to your farm and brings to a parrot with her to her room. There’s a good chance Emily might offer a Cloth, Wool, or Refined Quarts on rainy mornings, or she might offer various desserts to you, such as Blueberry Tarts, Chocolate Cake, Rice Pudding, or several other choices. The wide variety of items that Emily can offer you make for good resources if you ever need any for your crafting projects.

Maru

Maru is another one of my favorite romances in Stardew Valley. She lives with her parents in Pelican Town, and is constantly working on experiments and breaking new technology for the town. With a fascination with science, and the stars, many of Maru’s special events revolve around her interests, and how she wishes to know about the world of Stardew Valley and the worlds in the skies above everyone. Although reluctant to her leave her parents behind and start a new life, Maru does it and is happy to share one with your if you wish to become her partner.

When you choose to marry Maru in Stardew Valley, her room reflects her interest in science, with a telescope at the center of it. She has the chance to offer you several gifts that she made in her workshop, such as a bomb, a gate to use on your farm, quality fertilizer, bombs from her scrap pile, or even a Warp Totem. She also has a sweet tooth and may offer you desserts like a Blueberry Tart, Chocolate Cake, or Rice Pudding.

Sam

Another one of the better romance characters for you to pick in Stardew Valley is Sam. Sam looks like he’s been watching too much Dragon Ball Z, but really he’s trying to get the right look to be in a band. Over the course of your budding relationship with Sam as he takes care of his little brother, you’ll slowly watch his band’s dreams come together, bringing Sebastian and Abigail on to help him out. Eventually, they get to perform in a concert together.

When you choose to marry Sam and he moves into your Stardew Valley home, he’ll bring with him some of his instruments and his favorite books. He’ll also create a skating area where he can practice outside. Although he doesn’t offer a variety of items to you, such as the Cactus Fruit, Coconut, Geode, or makes a Pizza for you, he does have a great musical taste, and eventually offers a unique boombox for you to carry around.

Sebastian

My final favorite romance character in Stardew Valley is Sebastian. He’s someone who enjoys tinkering with programs on his computer as a freelancer, and he might also spend time working on his motorcycle, keen to take others with him on rides. Even though Sebastian does not spend too much time with friends, he’s a kindhearted individual with a bit of a edgy streak, who enjoys keeping to himself.

When you marry Sebastian, he’ll bring his computer setup to the farm, and he has his motorcycle outside that he regularly works on. There is a chance that he may offer you a cup of coffee, Obsidian, Void Essence, Frozen Tears, Cave Carrots, and several other items that he found while exploring the caves.

How Marriage Works in Stardew Valley

To get married to someone in Stardew Valley, you have to follow a series of steps:

1. Increase Your Friendship Level: The first step is to establish a strong bond with your chosen partner. This can be done by engaging in regular conversations, giving them gifts they love, and participating in special heart events. Your goal is to achieve a friendship level of 10 hearts with them.
2. Give Them a Bouquet: Once you’ve reached 8 hearts with a potential partner, you can express your romantic interest by giving them a Bouquet, which can be purchased from the General Store. This gesture signifies that you have deep feelings for them and wish to take your relationship to the next level.
3. Ask Them to Marry You: After you’ve achieved a 10-heart relationship with your partner, you can propose marriage by giving them a Mermaid’s Pendant.

Once you’re married in Stardew Valley, your spouse becomes a part of your daily life on the farm. They’ll assist with tasks such as watering crops, caring for animals, and repairing fences. Additionally, they’ll react differently when you give them gifts, and their conversations with you will reflect your marital status.

There are 45 characters in Stardew Valley to befriend. Having to remember 45 different peoples’ likes and dislikes can be hard to track, so you’ll want to narrow it down to their favorite gifts. If you give a character a gift they love, they’ll respond with a speech bubble with a heart inside it.

Giving characters that they love will increase their relationship with you the most. Giving them this kind of gift on their birthday will score you eight times the amount of points it normally would which provides a giant boost in your relationship. Giving something a gift on the Feast of the Winter Star will also increase your relationship significantly, with the points being multiplied by five. So, whether you’re trying to woo your favorite character into marrying you or you’re going for the Popular achievement/trophy, these are the items that you’ll want to give each villager in Stardew Valley.

Universally Loved Gifts

There are five universally loved gifts in the game that 43 characters adore, with Haley and Penny being the exception to this as they both hate a different item on this list. So, if you find these items or manage to craft them and don’t need them for crafting or any quests, feel free to give them to one of the villagers. These items are:

• Golden Pumpkin
• Magic Rock Candy
• Pearl
• Prismatic Shard (Harley hates this item)
• Rabbit’s Foot (Penny hates this item)

The Bachelors’ Favorite Gifts in Stardew Valley

The Bachelorettes’ Favorite Gifts in Stardew Valley

The Villagers’ Favorite Gifts in Stardew Valley

Universally Disliked Gifts in Stardew Valley

Here are all of the universally disliked gifts in Stardew Valley:

• All Artifacts
• All Bombs
• All Crafted Floors & Paths
• All Fences
• All Fertilizer
• All Fish
• All Geode Minerals
• All Geodes
• All Seeds (Fruit Tree Saplings, Tea Saplings, Acorns, Maple Seeds, and Pine Cones included)
• All Sprinklers
• All Tackle
• Battery Packs
• Bone Fragment
• Cave Carrot
• Clay
• Cinder Shard
• Coal
• Copper Bars
• Driftwood
• Fiber
• Field Snack
• Gold Bars
• Gold Ore
• Hardwood
• Iridium Bars
• Iridium Ore
• Iron Bards
• Jack-O-Lantern
• Oak Resin
• Oil
• Pine Tar
• Qi Fruit
• Refined Quartz
• Rice
• Solar Essence
• Spring Onion
• Stone
• Tea Set
• Unmilled Rice
• Vinegar
• Void Egg
• Void Essence
• Wheat Flour
• Wood

Please note that there ar e exceptions:

• Clam is universally neutral
• Carp and Snails are universally hated

And here are the exceptions per character:

Universally Hated Gifts in Stardew Valley

Here are all of the universally hated gifts in Stardew Valley:

• Bait: All types
• Fossils: All types
• Monster Loot
• Trash
• Artifact Trove
• Bug Steak
• Carp
• Copper Ore
• Crab Pot
• Dragon Tooth
• Drum Block
• Energy Tonic
• Error Item
• Explosive Ammo
• Fairy Dust
• Flute Block
• Grass Starter
• Green Algae
• Golden Coconut
• Hay
• Iron Ore
• Journal Scrap
• Monster Musk
• Muscle Remedy
• Oil of Garlic
• Poppy
• Qi Seasoning
• Radioactive Bar
• Radioactive Ore
• Rain Totem
• Red Mushroom
• Sap
• Sea Urchin
• Seafoam Pudding
• Seaweed
• Secret Note
• Slime Egg (all colors)
• Snail
• Strange Bun
• Sugar
• Torch
• Treasure Chest
• Void Mayonnaise
• Warp Totem: Beach, Desert, Farm, Island, Mountains
• White Algae

However, there are exceptions to these universal dislikes. Solar Essence and Void Essence are just disliked, not hated. Driftwood is also just disliked. There are some others, but they are character specific:

The beloved cozy game Stardew Valley is an excellent time for anyone interested in focusing on a small plot of land and building it up to cover it with lush plants, vegetables, and farm animals. While Stardew Valley is great on your own, many fans enjoy linking up with friends in multiplayer.

With the Stardew Valley 1.6 Update on the way, multiplayer in the game will expand to allow up to eight friends to build a virtual farm together. With this change coming to multiplayer, gamers are curious if it will mean anything new for playing Stardew Valley cross-platform.

Related: Stardew Valley 1.6 Update: Release Date & All New Content

Can You Play Stardew Valley Cross Platform?

Unfortunately, even though multiplayer is supported in Stardew Valley and will be expanded with the 1.6 Update, we likely still won’t be able to play it across platforms. We don’t have all the details about the 1.6 Update, but so far, no news about changes to the lack of cross-platform multiplayer has been announced.

As of now, Stardew Valley only supports players using the same hardware to share the multiplayer experience. If you and your friends want to play on the same server, you need to choose the same platform to play. There is a lot to choose from, though. 

You can play Stardew Valley on the PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, and mobile. The 1.6 Update is coming to PC earlier than these other platforms, but the updated game will eventually be supported for all platforms – just not with multiplayer across platforms, as far as we know.

How Multiplayer Save Files Work in Stardew Valley

The person who hosts the game will have the save file on their platform, which means that person will have to host and start the game whenever you and your friends want to play it. In other words, choose wisely when starting your game and make sure that the host isn’t your least available friend, or else you won’t be able to hang out together on the farm very often.

This hosting structure also means the gamer who hosts can freely continue to play the game, even without the other players in the game.

Will We Ever Get Cross-Platform Play for Stardew Valley?

At this time, the sole developer of the game, Eric Barone, commonly known as ConcernedApe, has not shared any details about cross-platform play or if he plans to make it happen in the future. Because he is the single developer working on the project, it’s unlikely he plans to drive for it to become a reality.

Barone continues to update Stardew Valley regularly and is working on a new project, Haunted Chocolatier, which has a similar art style and cozy feel. He posts updates about the extended universe of Stardew Valley on his blog.

Today, fans of cozy farming game Stardew Valley got the news we’ve been waiting for – confirmation of the release date for the Stardew Valley 1.6 update. Developer Concerned Ape shared this information on the eight year anniversary of the game’s initial launch, because what better way to celebrate?

Concerned Ape has shared tidbits about the development process and what we can expect from Update 1.6 for Stardew Valley. Fans eagerly accepted each new bit of news while waiting to know when we’d be able to actually play the thing. Now, at long last, we have a release date for the PC version of Stardew Valley 1.6.

Related: Stardew Valley Festival of Seasons Tour: Dates, Locations, and Where to Buy Tickets

Stardew Valley 1.6 Update Will Release for PC in Mid-March 2024

On X, @ConcernedApe shared that we finally have a release date for the PC version of Stardew Valley 1.6, which will come out on March 19 2024. The exact release date for console and mobile versions are still not confirmed, but “will follow as soon as possible.”

As you can already see from the traction this tweet has gained, fans are thrilled to finally have some confirmation about when we can expect this massive update to the game that got many of us into the cozy genre.

At this point, Stardew Valley is a whole lot more than just a game, with the Story of Seasons concert tour, board game, and cookbook, but we’re all pretty excited to see continued support for the game that started it all.

The developer also shared a thank you to the community in honor of the game’s continued success on its eighth anniversary today. The replies are full of fan excitement about the upcoming new content, which Concerned Ape let us know will be pretty robust compared to previous updates. Many are saying some variation of “time to head back to the farm!” and honestly, same.

While we don’t know everything the update will entail just yet, we know that it will add new features to the game from start to finish. The previous update added a new area, whereas this one will add new bits throughout the game, including new story points and new festivals.

Many are planning to start a new game to experience all the new content, and frankly, I’m right there with them. We’ve got a few weeks to wait for Stardew Valley 1.6 on PC and a little longer for the Nintendo Switch and mobile versions, but I think we’re all pretty confident it will be worth the wait.

The latest update for the role-playing game Stardew Valley is called 1.6, and comes eight years after its initial release. Developer Concerned Ape built the update while taking a break from their second game, Haunted Chocolatier. While they wanted to give modders more tools to work with, they couldn’t help but add some new game content for players simultaneously.

This guide explains when the release date for Stardew Valley 1.6 is and what it adds to the game, as well as all the teases and information its developer has shared along the way.

Related: How many Purple Starfish are there on Ginger Island in Stardew Valley?

All New Content in Stardew Valley 1.6 update

Concerned Ape has confirmed the two main elements players should be concerned about with Stardew Valley 1.6. The first is new gameplay content, but not as much as Stardew Valley 1.5 introduced. While the previous update added an entirely new region, update 1.6 will likely simply add more to what’s already in the game.

This brings us to the second new element Stardew Valley 1.6 adds, which is new dialogue. We don’t know how comprehensive this will be, but a few characters will have new things to say to you. We suspect this will be linked to the new game content, potentially a new activity or set of quests you’ll need to complete.

We also know that Stardew Valley 1.6 will bring changes that modders will appreciate. These changes will make it easier to mod Stardew Valley and provide powerful modding tools for those that want to create custom content for the game. While the official new content Stardew Valley 1.6 adds might be lighter than fans want, the new modding tools will undoubtedly lead to hundreds of hours of unofficial content being added to the game.

In a sneak peek post to X in September 2023, Concerned Ape shared a few more additions we’ll see in the 1.6 update for Stardew Valley, including new end-game quests related to Joja Mart, three new festivals (one major, two mini), and a ton of new items and crafting recipes. In spite of previous remarks about the size of the update, it seems that we’ll get a lot more than initially expected with 1.6.

When is the Release Date for Stardew Valley 1.6?

The Stardew Valley 1.6 update will release on March 19 2024 for PC gamers. The exact date for the console and mobile releases of the update isn’t yet confirmed, but Concerned Ape did let us know that it will follow “as quickly as possible.” This most recent update about the release for 1.6 came to us on the eight-year anniversary of the game’s original release, in a tweet from Concerned Ape.

On January 26, 2024, Concerned Ape explained in a Twitter post that the update would be a bit larger in scope than previously suggested, which means fans man not be quite so disappointed with the amount of new content as we may have thought.

Concerned Ape had previously shared that they were working on the update, and fans were pleasantly surprised to hear that the game would get new content despite the developer’s focus being on Haunted Chocolatier. This update, in particular, seems to have been a bit of a palette cleanser from the current project.

The latest news from ConcernedApe is that Update 1.6 will release for PC on March 19 of this year. They’ve also mentioned a potential Update 1.7 for Stardew Valley, but it’s a very vague comment. However, it does show that the developer isn’t discounting the idea of a much larger update for the game immediately, so a big chunk of content could be on the cards once Haunted Chocolatier has been released.

We’ll update this section of our guide once the mobile and console release dates and more content are revealed.

On Ginger Island in Stardew Valley, you can find many unique things in this new area to add to your farm. There are distinct crops like pineapples, mangos, bananas, and livestock you can bring with you back home.

While exploring the island, you’ll likely encounter Birdie, an old woman fishing by the island’s coast on the west side who has a request from you. In this guide, we’re going to detail how to complete The Pirate’s Wife quest and how to find the keepsake that belonged to Birdie’s husband.

How to Get to Ginger Island in Stardew Valley

The first step before partaking in The Pirate’s Wife quest is getting to Ginger Island. We have a full guide on exactly how to do this here, but we’ll give you a brief rundown of what to do. First and foremost, you’ll need to complete the entirety of the community center. Yeah, this is going to take a while. Once that is over, you’ll unlock Ginger Island.

On the island, you need to give the parrot by the giant turtle 10 golden walnuts, which will unlock the west side of the island. Then you need to find Birdie, a woman fishing by a small island hut. Talk to her to start The Pirate’s Wife quest.

The Pirate’s Wife quest in Stardew Valley

Before making it to this portion of the island, you’ll need to provide a parrot guarding this section with 10 golden walnuts. The best way to find these walnuts is to grind your way through the volcano, destroying the many metal cases and monster spawns inhabiting the various levels of the dungeon. There are only 10 levels inside the volcano, but it won’t take you long.

Related: The best fish for fish ponds in Stardew Valley

Once you reach the west side of the island, speak to the old woman, and she’ll tell you about her husband, who had once been a pirate. He shipwrecked years ago, and she scoured the sea finding several sections of his broken ship, bringing it back to the island. But there are other keepsakes she’s looking for. To complete this quest, you’ll have to do a good amount of trading amongst the villagers in Stardew Valley.

Return to Pelican Town, and make sure you have the item War Memento on you, which Birdie gave you. You will now need to find each person in a specific order to receive an item from them. This is the order you’ll need to speak to people and what items they give you. Each person’s location will vary based on the time of day.

• Visit Kent to give him the War Memento, and you will receive Gourmet Tomato Salt
• Visit Gus to give him Gourmet Tomato Salt, and he gives you a Stardew Valley Rose
• Visit Sandy to give her the Stardew Valley Rose, and she will give you an Advanced TV Remote
• Visit George to give him the Advanced TV Remote, and he will give you the Artic Shard
• Visit the Wizard to give him the Arctic Shard, and he gives you a Wiggling Worm
• Visit Willy to give him the Wiggling Worm, and he will provide you with a Pirate’s Locket

Once you have the Pirate’s Locket item in your inventory, return to Ginger Island and speak to Birdie. There will be a cutscene that follows. After it finishes, Birdie teaches you the Fairy Dust recipe, and you receive five golden walnuts.

Stardew Valley is a big game, and it just keeps getting bigger. Check out the release date for the upcoming mega update 1.6 here.

Stardew Valley: The Board Game

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Few farming simulation games have made as big of an impact or have had as long a life as Stardew Valley. Originally an indie game, Stardew Valley is now available for most consoles, including mobile devices, and has enjoyed expansive free updates. And now, after a long wait, update 1.6 is in its final stages before launch.

Stardew Valley’s 1.5 update, which was released in the fall of 2020, left expectations high for new content among fans. The update included the Ginger Island location, end-game content, and the Beach Farm location for players to customize. Because of this, the announcement of 1.6 has left fans hungry for their next adventure in the cozy sim. However, development progress has been a mystery up until the most recent announcement from the developer.

Related: Stardew Valley – How To Make Wine

Is Stardew Valley’s 1.6 Update Still In Development

In a Twitter post by ConcerenedApe, the developer for Stardew Valley has confirmed the 1.6 update is now in the bug-fix stage of development and that active content additions have come to a close.

While a firm release date hasn’t been given at this time, ConcernedApe did confirm in response to a question in the post that the update is planned for 2024. The developer has also responded to questions about the size, stating that it is designed to flesh out currently available areas instead of adding large new content. This coincides with information offered in 2023 in a breakdown of additions planned for 1.6.

Everything Included in Stardew Valley’s 1.6 Update

As detailed in the above image, Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update has plenty of exciting ways to shake up gameplay. While it is likely there are other secrets planned that haven’t been revealed yet, here is a breakdown of what players can expect when the update is released.

• 1 New Festival
• 2 New Mini Festivals
• New Late-Game Content For All Areas
• New Items
• New Recipes
• Joja End-Game Content
• 100+ New Lines of Dialogue
• Winter looks for characters
• New Billboard Rewards
• Multiplayer Supporting 6 Players
• New Farm Type

To get prepared for the new content planned for the Stardew Valley 1.6 update, players can finish quests set in ginger island or start a new save and get through some of the early game content. It has been confirmed that the 1.6 content will be compatible with current saves, ensuring players will be able to get to the meat of the new options as quickly as possible.

Stardew Valley fans were excited when creator Concerned Ape announced Festival of Seasons, the first-ever live concert tour featuring music from the game. The Festival of Seasons tour will bring live orchestra performances from Stardew Valley’s soundtrack to several cities around the world, offering fans another exciting way to engage with the cozy gaming sensation.

The Stardew Valley Festival of Seasons features a curated selection of musical themes from the Stardew Valley games, performed by a live chamber orchestra. Fresh arrangements of the game’s soundtrack will take concertgoers on a journey through each of the four seasons as we experience them in Stardew Valley. The tour was so popular with fans that Concerned Ape recently announced several new concert dates since many of the shows were already sold out.

Related: Stardew Valley Devs Tease 1.6 Update Content Ahead Of Release

When Do Festival of Seasons Tickets Go On Sale?

Tickets for Stardew Valley’s Festival of Seasons concert series went up for sale on Friday, October 13 at 10 a.m. local time for most cities and are available for purchase now.

Several shows sold out in the initial run, and additional showtimes were announced on November 29th, 2023. Tickets to these newer dates will go on sale on December 1st, 2023.

Pricing for the tickets varies depending on venue and are generally in the range of $43 for the cheaper seats and up to $75 for prime spots. Check the ticket sales for your specific venue for exact pricing.

Where Can I Buy Festival of Seasons Tickets?

Tickets for the Festival of Seasons tour can be purchased by going to the Stardew Valley Concert webpage, then clicking the appropriately adorable ticket icon next to your city of choice. If the icon is replaced with the words “Sold Out” unfortunately there are no remaining tickets available for that city, though if your city sold out fast you should check again because new dates were added for some of the most popular stops.

Clicking on the ticket icon will take you to the purchase page for the venue, which varies depending on which show you’re attending. Some shows are using sites like TicketMaster and TicketLeap, while others are hosted on college campuses and use their ticketing systems. This main hub on the Stardew Valley concert page is the best way to get a direct link to your venue’s ticketing system.

Which Cities Are Part of the Festival of Seasons Concert Tour?

The Stardew Valley Festival of Seasons Tour spans a whopping total of 14 cities across multiple countries.

Here’s the complete list of announced stops, as updated after additional dates were added on November 29, 2023. Some of the newly added dates are second shows in cities where tickets sold out quickly, but several stops at cities previously not on the schedule were also added.

United States Tour Dates

• Los Angeles, CA on February 16
• Los Angeles, CA on February 17 (sold out)
• Boston, MA on February 23
• Philadelphia, PA on February 24 (sold out)
• Philadelphia, PA on June 1
• New York, NY on February 27
• New York, NY on February 29 (sold out)
• Seattle, WA on March 2 (sold out)
• Seattle, WA on March 3
• Chicago, IL on March 9
• St. Louis, MO on March 10 (sold out)
• Cincinnati, OH on May 5
• Portland, OR on May 18
• Tampa, FL on May 29
• Kansas City, MO on June 7
• San Francisco, CA on June 9
• Austin, TX on June 15
• Atlanta, Georgia on July 14

Canadian Tour Dates

• Toronto, ON on March 14
• Toronto, ON on March 15 (sold out)
• Montreal, QC on March 17 (sold out)
• Montreal, QC on May 5
• Ottawa, ON on March 23
• Vancouver, BC on March 27
• Edmonton, AB on March 28

Australian / New Zealand Tour Dates

• Melbourne, AUS on April 5th (sold out)
• Melbourne, AUS on April 9
• Perth, AUS on April 7
• Wellington, NZ on April 13
• Auckland, NZ on April 14
• Brisbane, AUS on April 19
• Sydney, AUS on April 20 (sold out)
• Sydney, AUS on April 27

European Tour Dates

• Birmingham, UK on April 28
• London, UK on April 29 (sold out)
• London, UK on May 13
• Berlin, DE on May 1
• Paris, FR on May 3
• Edinburgh, UK on May 5
• Milan, IT on May 9
• Manchester, UK on July 14

Asia Tour Dates

• Bangkok, TH on March 22
• Seoul, KR on March 24
• Singapore, SG on August 26
• Tokyo, JP, date TBA

Mark your calendars for the Festival of Seasons tour, Stardew Valley fans! We’re in for quite a fun and cozy musical experience that will help us feel even more immersed in our favorite cozy village.

In Stardew Valley, fishing is one of the key cozy features you can spend time on. However, if you want to catch fish quickly, you’ll need to use bait – and it isn’t always obvious how to attach bait to your fishing rod.

There are a number of different types of bait you can use with your fishing rod in Stardew Valley, which can help attract fish more quickly to increase your chances of landing that elusive catch. In this guide, we’ll take a look at how to attach bait to your fishing rod and the different kinds of bait you can craft in the game.

Related: Stardew Valley Fishing – All Fish & Where To Catch Them

How to Make Bait in Stardew Valley

Bait increases the bite rate for fish, meaning you’ll wait about half as long before you get a bite compared to using a fishing rod on its own. That makes it a handy item to have on hand when you’re trying to catch fish in the game, especially if you get impatient waiting for a bite.

To make standard fishing bait in Stardew Valley, you’ll need bug meat. You can get this by battling bugs in the mines, which usually results in plenty of meat for bait.

To create the bait, open up the crafting menu, scroll until you see the bait image, and click on it to craft. You’ll get 5 bait for each piece of bug meat you use. The bait will be added to your inventory, where you can equip it to your fishing rod.

How to Make Wild Bait in Stardew Valley

Wild bait is a slightly higher quality product that will increase the bite rate for fish even more, and even let you catch more than one fish at a time. To learn the recipe, you’ll first need to level up your friendship with Linus, who will eventually teach you how to make it.

Once you have the recipe, making wild bait requires three ingredients: 10 fiber, 5 bug meat, and 5 slime. You can get fiber by slashing up weeds with your scythe or sword, bug meat from defeating bugs in the mines, and slime from defeating slimes.

To make wild bait, simply open the crafting menu and scroll down to the wild bait icon. You will get 5 wild bait for each set of 10 fiber, 5 bug meat, and 5 slime that you use.

How to Attach Bait to Your Fishing Rod in Stardew Valley

Attaching bait to your fishing rod isn’t the most intuitive process, but it’s easy once you know how. First off, you won’t be able to use bait with the bamboo fishing rod you start out with. You’ll need at least a fiberglass rod, which you will unlock when you reach level two of the fishing skill.

Once you have a fiberglass rod, you’ll be able to equip bait. To do this, open up your item menu. You’ll need to select the bait you want to equip. You do this on Nintendo Switch by hitting the Y button and on a PC by right-clicking. Continue to press the button until you’ve selected the amount of bait you want to equip.

Then, move your cursor to the fishing rod. You will see an empty slot where bait can be equipped when you hover over the rod. Hit the Y button again or right-click, and the bait will attach to your fishing rod. You will see the image of the bait in the item slot for the fishing rod, along with a number for how much bait is attached.

How to Use Bait in a Crab Pot in Stardew Valley

Another use for bait in Stardew Valley is catching crabs, lobsters, and other items in the Crab Pot. To use bait for this purpose, you’ll first want to place a crab pot in the water where you’re trying to catch sea creatures.

Then, stand next to the crab pot and select the bait you want to use from your inventory. Then, press Y or right-click while standing beside the crab pot. You will see one bait disappear from your stack and the crab pot lid will shift a little, which is how you know it worked. Check back the next day to see what you caught.

Stardew Valley offers a chance to live a simple life, cultivate the land, and make friends with the charming residents of Pelican Town. Still, nothing beats a good competition.

Among the many events and activities in the game, the Stardew Valley Fair stands out. At this annual autumn fair, you can participate in the Grange Display. This competition can earn you star tokens and bragging rights. But winning the Grange Display won’t happen overnight. It requires careful planning and knowledge of the rules and scoring system.

The Grange Display in Stardew Valley, Explained

The Grange Display takes place every 16th of Fall, and you must showcase up to nine items in various categories to win. To excel in this event, it’s crucial to understand the rules:

• Points are awarded based on the number of items you enter and the diversity of categories.
• There are eight categories: animal products, minerals, vegetables, fruits, foraging, flowers, tree saps, fish, cooking, and artisan goods.
• You should aim to enter items from at least six different categories to maximize your points in this category, resulting in 30 points.
• To secure first place, you need 100 points, meaning you must earn 70 points from the items you submit.

Grange Display: Best Items for Each Category in Stardew Valley

To win the Grange Display, select the best possible items of the highest quality. Here’s a breakdown of the best items to bring from each category:

1. Animal Products: Iridium chicken eggs or milk are excellent choices.
2. Artisan Goods: Items like goat cheese, honey, and jelly work well. Consider bringing high-quality artisan goods, like Iridium cheese, for extra points.
3. Cooking: Any cooked food is acceptable. Bread is a simple option, often found around town or received through the mail.
4. Fish: Go for high-quality fish, like the Legendary Fish. If you can’t catch one, go for an Iridium Catfish. 
5. Flowers and Foraging Items: Bring any flower or foraging item, such as a Blue Jazz or a Blackberry. Quality matters, so higher-quality items are preferred.
6. Fruit: If you have access to a fruit cave, bring fruit. Otherwise, melons or hot peppers will do.
7. Minerals: Any mineral works here, but valuable gems like rubies or diamonds offer more points.
8. Vegetables: Choose the highest quality vegetable you have, like a pumpkin.

Related: Stardew Valley: Best Characters to Marry & Why

To win the Grange Display, head to the Stardew Valley fair and place your items in the display. Inform Mayor Lewis that you’re ready for judging. If you’ve followed these tips and selected high-quality items from various categories, you’ll be on your way to earning the coveted first-place prize of 1,000-star tokens and a Star Drop.