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.

Player Goals for Year 1 In Stardew Valley

Restore Pelican Town Or Sell Its Soul To the Joja Corporation

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 hip. Stardew Valley features two broad story paths: players restore Pelican Town to its former glory with the Junimos and side with the Joja Corporation.

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.

One common challenge in the Stardew Valley community involves completing the Community Center by the end of Year 1. A clear tool upgrade and economic plan can go a long way toward achieving this extravagant scavenger hunt.

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.

How To Recover Energy In Stardew Valley

Master One Of Stardew Valley's Most Important Gameplay Elements

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 and fishing. 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.

The question of whether players should plant Strawberry Seeds in Year One is important, as Strawberry Seeds are very expensive. However, Strawberries are also very profitable and ideal for a quick boost towards financial prosperity.

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.

When To Mine In Stardew Valley

Obtain Critical Resources For Upgrades And Machines In The Mines

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.

Once players have more sprinklers to automate crop watering, they can also start mining on sunny days.

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.

When To Attend Festivals

Meet Your New Neighbors

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, sweet old Granny Evelyn. Gifting loved or liked, items grant friendship points and unlocks special heart events: snapshots of life in a rural town.

Each villager also has a birthday, and any gift gains eight times the number of friendship points.

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:

Which Tools To Upgrade First

Prioritize Certain Tool Upgrades

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.

The most important upgrade is the Watering Can, as watering plants is the game's most time-consuming and energy-intensive task. If players grow crops, most of the early game will be spent caring for these plants. All tool upgrades take two days, so players should only send in their Watering Can for an upgrade when Rainy Weather is scheduled for the following day. Properly maintained and upgraded tools are the key to success.

The second most important upgrade is the Pickaxe, as upgrades to this tool increase the player's ability to acquire more or to upgrade other tools. While some players may consider this a more powerful upgrade than the Watering Can, the Pickaxe has fewer time restrictions on when the player can upgrade it. This is because crops won't die simply because the player started the Pickaxe upgrade incorrectly. Both upgrades are incredibly important and should be the main priorities for upgrades and making money in Stardew Valley as the players progress.

A Word About Stardew Valley 1.6

How The Big 1.6 Update Impacts Year One

Before examining what players should do each season, looking at all the content added in Stardew Valley's 1.6 update is important. choosing the right farm map.

Update 1.6 added the Meadowlands Farm, the game's eighth official farm map, and choosing the right farm map is an important choice for all players. Farm maps are usually specialized towards particular activities:

There are also a few other features to look out for, including the new Prize Machine in Mayor Lewis' house, which provides additional rewards. Players should also keep an eye out for the Bookseller, who sells skill books in Stardew Valley that grant experience points towards skills.

The Best Crops To Plant In Spring

The Best Crops To Plant For The First Season

During the first Spring, players will find farm growth is limited by money instead of energy, as the farm is energy-intensive to maintain. Seed prices broadly prohibit players from overbuying, and players will have time to fish and forage for food to overcome energy shortages.

Players should gradually ramp up farm activity as they head into Summer, one of Stardew Valley's most profitable seasons, to squeeze the most out of a farm in the first year. The first and most profitable method is for players to do significant fishing and sell fish for gold. This gold can then be used to purchase Strawberry Seeds at the Egg Festival on Spring 13.

Players can only get a maximum of two Strawberry harvests even if they plant seeds on the night of the Egg Festival.

Players can also get more from their farm by planting potatoes, cauliflower, and kale. Potatoes are the best early-game cash crop for the farm, but they can become a significant source of energy management issues if players over-plant. While most farms can be focused on cash crops, players should also dedicate land to making gifts and community center items.

*Strawberry Seeds are only available for purchase on Spr 13 at the Egg Festival

**ing for the 25% chance of yielding an extra Potato on harvest

Players can also find new crops after Update 1.6, including Carrots, Summer Squash, Broccoli, and Powdermelon. However, their seeds must be found rather than bought; as such, they aren't reliable sources of gold and are excluded from the tables.

The Best Crops to Plant in Summer

Profit From Warm Weather In The Second Season

As players enter their first summer, more money will be available to buy seeds on the first day. At this point, players should understand how large they can make their farm without running low on energy. However, buying, tilling, planting, and watering day-one plants still takes time and energy. Planning and proper time management are essential.

Of the crops available in Stardew Valley's Summer, Blueberries are the most profitable. Due to their nature as a multiple-harvest crop, players should ideally plant all of their Blueberry Seeds by Summer 3; planting on later dates reduces the number of potential harvests. After Summer 3, players should consider planting Melons or Radishes as extra cash crops, depending on the number of days left in the season. Players attempting to complete the community center should also plant at least one corn plant early in the season, as the plant loses value the later in the season it is grown.

*Multiple Harvest Plant

** ing for Harvests in Summer and Fall for Corn planted on Summer 1

Starfruit is one of the best crops to grow in Stardew Valley, and grows only during the Summer. However, a single seed costs 400g and can only be bought from the Oasis in the Calico Desert, which requires repairing the Bus.

The Best Crops to Plant in Fall

Plant Some Of Stardew Valley's Most Profitable Crops In The Third Season

By the time Fall arrives, players should have a decent number of tool upgrades and possibly even some automated Sprinklers to assist in daily watering. This further expands the surface area available for crops, as less energy and time are required per square. Like in Summer, preparation is key to a successful farm that doesn't tax the player's energy bar.

The exception to this rule is players who started on Stardew Valley's Beach Farm, which features sandy soil that doesn't absorb water from sprinklers.

Players looking for the highest profit per day on Fall crops should plant Cranberries on Fall 1; planting on later dates reduces the number of available harvests. Players also have until Fall 3 to grow any grapes before losing a potential harvest. After that, players can plant pumpkins on Fall 15 or earlier for an enormous profit, switching to fast-growing crops such as Beets or Amaranth later into the season. With a proper focus on cash crops and automation in the Fall, players will be swimming in money heading into both Winter and Year 2 of their Stardew Valley playthrough.

*Multiple Harvest Plant

** Assuming the corn was planted on Fall 1