Many are intrigued by how appealing Stardew Valley’s gameplay and graphics are. The pixel farming simulation game has grown to become one of the most popular games over the past few years. 

The charm of having to build your farm and the complexities of maintaining it is one of the main reasons why Stardew Valley is so popular amongst new players.

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If you want to play Stardew Valley for the first time, you will need some of the best tips for beginners. This way, you won’t have to waste a lot of time experimenting on things that may not be useful later on. Here are some of the best ways to start playing and tips to progress in Stardew Valley.

  • Start Planting After Clearing
  • Gather Resources As Much As Possible
  • Forage For More Items
  • Upgrade Tools During The Winter
  • Don’t Worry About Livestock Early On
  • Meet Other People
Stardew Valley Basics: How To Start Playing And Tips To Progress
Image Source: Steam

Start Planting After Clearing

Once you pick your first character, you will be immediately placed within your farm. It is highly recommended to choose Forest Farm since it will give you the most access to different goods for your farm.

This makes it easier for you to build your farm. The first thing you need to do is clear your land from grass and other debris. After clearing your farm, you should immediately start planting. Try not to overplant and save some for the seeds for the next seasons. 

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You’ll need to rotate your crops to save on resources later on. Make sure to plant your produce using a 3×3 grid to increase your chances of harvesting a larger crop.

Invest In Crops

Once you start making profits from the crops that you sell, it is time to invest in more seeds. This allows you to expand your list of crops that you can plant and harvest

You can get the seeds from Pierre’s shop in town and many other shops. However, it would help if you still chose which seeds you want to invest in. Some crops do not do well in the summer but are highly recommended to plant during the spring. 

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It is highly recommended to invest in cauliflower seeds since they are cheap and bring a significant profit to your farm. Potatoes and turnip seeds are also great suggestions if you want to boost your profit.

Gather Resources As Much As Possible

Resources are a big factor in the success of your farm. Make sure to use your tools and gather resources as you begin your journey in the game. Chop down trees for wood and trim down the weed.

Stardew Valley Basics: How To Start Playing And Tips To Progress
Image Source: Polygon

Chopping wood unlocks different buildings and items that you can use on your farm. You may even forage for food during certain seasons. Cutting down trees release seeds from the trees, which you can use to replant on your farm. 

These resources are a great way to start your farm and begin to make a profit. 

Learn The Value Of Seasonal Crops

As in real life, certain crops grow in certain seasons. Other crops don’t do well in certain seasons; hence, you will struggle to make ends meet if you grow the wrong crops in the wrong season. Always do your research when it comes to choosing which crops you need to plant each season. 

For example, cauliflowers are superb during spring, but they are not entirely reliable when planted in the winter. If you want to have crops growing all year round, you might want to invest in a greenhouse that will let you grow crops no matter the season.

Forage For More Items

Once you are done with all the chores on your farm, make sure that you get some rest. However, if you still have energy left, make good use of it by going out into the woods and forage.

Stardew Valley Basics: How To Start Playing And Tips To Progress
Image Source: The Verge

Foraging is highly beneficial for your farm. You can discover wild berries on bushes, or you can pull plants on the ground. You can plant the seeds, harvest them, and eat them for sustenance.  

You can even sell them for gold if you want to increase your profit.

Go Fishing

During the game’s early stages, you’ll receive a notification to visit the local fisherman and unlock the fishing ability. Make good use of this ability to learn how to fish either for food or some extra income for your farm. 

You can even use this as a way to relax after spending a lot of time working on the farm.

Upgrade Tools During The Winter

Tools are essential for your day-to-day workload. They are commonly used when you are busy toiling away on your farm. This usually happens during the busy months of spring, summer, and fall.

Stardew Valley Basics: How To Start Playing And Tips To Progress
Image Source: Macworld

These are the times when you are trying to plant and harvest crops and gather resources for the winter. You might be tempted to upgrade your tools to have better results but avoid upgrading your tools until the winter. Winter is a downtime season for farming and harvesting. 

Most of the time, you’ll be spending indoors, in your greenhouse, or out mining. Make good use of this time during winter to upgrade your tools instead of the busy seasons. Save all of the materials you need to upgrade your tools.

Upgrade Mining Tools In Spring

In contrast to the previous tip, it is best to upgrade your mining tools in the spring when you won’t be using these tools a lot. Make good use of the mining downtime in spring to upgrade your tools, as you can use other equipment during this time of year to prepare your farm. 

You might want to upgrade your pickaxe before winter comes so that you are prepared to use it. Always make sure to time the upgrade of your tools correctly to use them to your advantage.

Don’t Worry About Livestock Early On

We all want to have that bustling farm filled with crops and livestock. That is the ultimate goal in Stardew Valley; however, beginners should expect to start from scratch, and that means gathering resources and farming are your top priorities for now.

Stardew Valley Basics: How To Start Playing And Tips To Progress
Image Source: The New York Times

Having livestock early on will only be detrimental to your finances. Not only will you be investing a lot of your time taking care of your livestock, but you will also be swamped with other work on the farm since you’re taking care of your crops. 

Build a good foundation of skills first before you tackle other projects. Make sure to have financial stability since attending to livestock can be a costly venture for a beginner.

Prepare Your Animals Before Winter Comes

When you’re ready to take on livestock, it is always best to keep up with the seasons and learn to prepare your animals before winter. Winter can be very harsh for your livestock, and there will be a shortage of resources, like food for them. 

Make sure to have a stockpile of hay and other food for your farm animals, so they continue to be well-fed and happy throughout the cold winter months. In spring and summer, make sure to grow enough food for them and harvest the food during fall and store them in a silo for the winter. This way, your animals will have food all year round. 

Meet Other People

There are a lot of things to do in Stardew Valley. Apart from tending to your farm animals and your crops, you also get to meet other characters.

Stardew Valley Basics: How To Start Playing And Tips To Progress
Image Source: Rock Paper Shotgun

Head over to the nearest town and engage them in conversations. Not only will this unlock a few quests for you to accomplish, but it also brings a social component to the game. 

Soon, you’ll be receiving different gifts from other people, like recipes. Set out to meet other colorful characters in the game, and you might get a few surprises along the way.

Build Relationships With Them

The more you interact with the people within the game, the more you develop a relationship. Some might become your closest friends that will keep on sending special gifts for your farm, while other relationships can turn into something more romantic. 

There are many people who can become your love interest in the game, and they’ll be able to connect with you in many different ways. Soon, you’ll be able to meet your spouse and get married. Getting married also has many benefits as your spouse will also help you with the chores around your farm. 

Be sure to connect with as many people as possible and then choose one that can become your spouse. Build different relationships with other characters, and you’ll be surprised by the outcome.

Conclusion

Stardew Valley offers a steep learning curve and has very intense gameplay. Many things can happen when you first start the game, and it can be overwhelming at first. 

Stardew Valley is currently available on different platforms such as Windows PC, macOS, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, and even on mobile devices such as Android and iOS.