Stardew Valley: How The Friendship Point System Works

Stardew Valley: A Comprehensive Guide to Friendship

Forging strong bonds with the residents of Pelican Town is crucial in Stardew Valley. Whether your goal is friendship or romance, cultivating relationships is key to thriving in this charming farming simulator. This guide details how to maximize your friendships, covering everything from gifts to conversations and special events. Updated for Stardew Valley 1.6, this guide incorporates the latest additions to the friendship system.

The Heart System

Access your relationship status with each NPC via the in-game menu's heart tab. This displays friendship levels (hearts) earned. Reaching heart milestones unlocks special events, mail, and dialogue options. However, the heart gauge only reflects the accumulated friendship points.

Earning Friendship Points

Each heart requires 250 friendship points. Various interactions influence your friendship levels, both positively and negatively.

Boosting Friendship Gain

Acquire the "Friendship 101" book (Prize Machine, Year 3 Bookseller - 9% chance). This grants a permanent 10% bonus to friendship point gains from positive interactions. Note: it doesn't affect friendship loss.

Interaction Point Values

• Daily Conversations: +20 points (or +10 if the NPC is busy). Ignoring an NPC results in a -2 point penalty per day (-10 if you've given them a bouquet, -20 for your spouse).

• Bulletin Board Deliveries: +150 points with the recipient.

• Gifting: Gift preferences vary, impacting points as follows:

  • Loved: +80 points
  • Liked: +45 points
  • Neutral: +20 points
  • Disliked: -20 points
  • Hated: -40 points

  Birthday and Feast of the Winter Star gifts multiply point values (x8 and x5 respectively).

• Stardrop Tea: A universally loved gift granting +250 points (+750 on birthdays/Winter Star). Can be gifted beyond the usual limits.

• Movie Theater: Inviting an NPC to the movies (requires a Movie Ticket) yields points based on movie and snack choices.

• Conversations & Dialogue: Responding appropriately to NPC questions yields +10 to +50 points; poor choices reduce points. Heart events offer similar opportunities for significant point gains or losses.

Festivals and Events

• Flower Dance: Dancing with an NPC (4+ hearts) grants +250 points.

• Luau: Contributing to the community soup impacts friendship levels.

• Community Center (Bulletin Board Bundles): Completing all Bulletin Board bundles rewards +500 points with each non-dateable villager.

By diligently following these tips, you'll cultivate thriving relationships in Pelican Town. Remember to be thoughtful, generous, and attentive to your neighbors' preferences, and you'll soon have the whole valley charmed!