Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley

58 ratings
Playing Stardew Valley (Without a Perfect Plan)
By MJKHPlays
This is a relaxed first-year guide for new farmers who just want to enjoy the Stardew Valley and worry about progress later in the second year. This is my first time playing Stardew Valley and I decided not to follow any strict guides, min-max strategies, or pressure myself to be perfect. If you're like me — new to Stardew Valley and just trying to have fun and a peaceful gameplay — this small guide is for you. Here’s what I learned during my first year, the mistakes I made, and tips that helped me enjoy the game without getting overwhelmed.
   
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Spring
🌱 Spring – Just Get Settled

What I Did:

  • I planted whatever seeds I had (the game gives you few Parsnip seeds).
  • Chopped trees, cleared rocks and weeds around my house.
  • Explored the town and met few people (Many NPCs in the game — no rush though!).
  • Unlocked the mine and started mining slowly at my own pace.
  • Fainted in mines a few times.
  • Explored the town and enjoyd interesting cut scenes.
  • Attended flower dance. It was beautiful.
  • Planned to build coop.
  • Built silo.

Egg Hunt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OzB3ROGFEI

Flower Dance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY_OknKS-Zw

Tips:

  • Craft chest as soon as you can and start storing items in it. Keep free space in inventory.
  • Watering is tiring, so upgrade your watering can when you can or get sprinklers.
  • Get a scarecrow to protect crops from crows.
  • Don’t stress about farming perfectly. Even a few crops can make money. Fishing is free money.
  • Forage a lot — free items like Leeks, Daffodils, and Wild Horseradish sell well early. Foraging is free money. These items are everywhere in the town.
  • Save 1 of each item if you can (they are needed for the Community Center and community bundles).
  • Check the TV every morning — weather, luck, new recipes, and tips.
Summer
☀️ Summer – Things Open Up

What I Did:

  • Planted a few crops like blueberries, melons, and hot peppers.
  • Started fishing (easiest money maker for me early on).
  • Started to understand the Community Center bundles.
  • Got a chicken coop and a few chickens. Started to sell eggs.
  • Placed tappers on trees.

Soup tasting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FSPNoq2PF4

Moonlight Jelly Festival

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4V-McLWY_U

Fair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll0-MP2hHvA

Tips:

  • Blueberries are amazing — harvest every few days and great profit.
  • Upgrade your backpack as soon as you can — inventory space is very much needed.
  • Don’t forget to explore the beach daily for free items.
Fall
🍁 Fall – My Favorite Season

What I Did:

  • Focused more on crops (Cranberries and Pumpkins are great).
  • Continued mining and upgrading tools.
  • Started paying more attention to villagers and giving them gifts.
  • Got barn and cows.
  • Attended Halloween event.

Tips:

  • Fall has the most profitable crops in my opinion. Try to plant Cranberries early.
  • Start preparing for Winter by building up supplies and upgrading tools.
  • Don't ignore animals — petting and feeding them daily keeps them happy and productive.
  • Start planning your farm layout — no rush, just take ideas from google.
Winter
❄️ Winter – Chill Season (Literally)

What I Did:

  • Focused on mining, fishing, and upgrading tools.
  • Did some decorating and clearing the farm.
  • Completed more bundles.
  • Unlocked new areas. Quarry mine is a bit tough.

Tips:

  • No crops to grow, so it’s a great time to mine and fish.
  • Upgrade tools — you don’t need them right now so you can give them to get them upgraded.
  • Give gifts and focus on friendships.
  • Try the Winter events — they’re fun and cozy.
  • Go into the Skull Cavern a little (not easy but fun).

General Tips from a Newbie

  • Don’t compare your farm to others — progress at your own pace.
  • Mistakes are part of the fun. I forgot to water crops, missed events, lost competitions, even passed out a few times! And that is okay.
  • Save often, explore everywhere, and try everything at least once.
  • Read the wiki to know more about things that are new to you. Stardew valley Wiki [stardewvalleywiki.com] is a complete guide. I also try to read it as often as I can.
Final Thoughts
Stardew Valley is more about the experience than perfection. If you're new to Stardew Valley like me , just play the way you enjoy. You'll learn naturally, and even if you don’t do everything in Year One, there’s always next year - and the next year...

Happy farming, and remember — it’s okay to play without a perfect plan. 😊🌾

Note: These tips are from my daughter, who is currently playing this game. She wanted to share her experience and opinion with the community. I haven’t played it myself yet, so I don’t have much to add here. But I’ll share my own tips once I’ve had the chance to play it.
3 Comments
HorrorsOrHeroes 27 Jun @ 8:03pm 
I love a natural first play through <3
:) 27 Jun @ 6:05pm 
thank you :)
aty 23 Jun @ 11:33pm 
so sweet! i love this <3