A Complete Stardew Valley Walkthrough: From Spring Year 1 to Grandpa’s Evaluation
Stardew Valley has no required campaign deadline, so you can play at your own pace. If you want a clear route, focus your first two years on building a reliable farm, learning the seasonal rhythm, exploring the Mines, and completing Community Center bundles. Grandpa evaluates your progress at the start of Year 3, but that visit is a milestone, not the end of the game.
This Stardew Valley walkthrough follows the standard Community Center route and normal bundles. If you choose Remixed Bundles, check the in-game list because requested items can differ. The Joja route is also available and replaces bundle donations with paid town upgrades.
Before you start: time, energy, and seasons
Your farmer can work from 6 a.m. until 2 a.m. in game. Most tool use consumes energy, and crops usually need watering every day unless it rains or a sprinkler handles the job. Going to bed ends the day and saves your progress. You can recover energy with edible forage or meals, so keep a few inexpensive foods for longer mine or fishing trips.
Each season lasts 28 days. Most crops die when the season changes, so plant early enough to harvest before the last day. Rain is a good time to mine, fish, upgrade tools, or build relationships because you do not have to water outdoor crops. A chest near the farmhouse helps you hold onto seasonal items until you know whether a bundle needs them.
Year 1 walkthrough
1. Spring, Year 1: build a simple first-week routine
On Day 1, clear only enough ground to plant your 15 Parsnip Seeds. Till the soil, sow the seeds, and water them. Make a chest as soon as you have the materials, then save at least one of each new crop or forage item instead of shipping everything. You can expand the plot as your energy, watering can, and income allow.
Meet villagers as you pass them rather than spending the whole day searching the map. When Willy invites you to the beach, collect the fishing rod and try a few casts; fishing can provide early income and raise a skill that helps Grandpa’s evaluation later. Gather Spring forage whenever you see it, since seasonal items can be useful for bundles and gifts.
The Mines and the Community Center become available through separate events on Spring 5 or later. The Mines open after the landslide clears. To trigger the Community Center scene, enter Pelican Town from the Bus Stop between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on a non-rainy day. Afterward, read the golden scroll inside and follow the Wizard’s letter to learn how to read the Junimos’ requests.
2. Make Community Center bundles your seasonal checklist
Open the bundle menu in the Community Center and use it as your year-round checklist. The standard Spring Crops Bundle asks for a Parsnip, Green Bean, Cauliflower, and Potato. Strawberries are a useful Spring crop, but they are not required for that bundle. Set aside requested goods in a labeled chest so a good sale price does not tempt you to ship the last copy.
Bundles cover crops, forage, fish, minerals, artisan products, and gold. Some items are available only in a particular season, place, time, or weather. When a bundle requests a fish or crop you have not found yet, note the requirement and return during the right season instead of guessing. Completing all Pantry bundles restores the farm’s Greenhouse, where crops and fruit trees can grow year-round. Other room rewards restore useful travel routes and town features.
Finishing the Community Center takes planning across all four seasons, but missing an item does not ruin a save. Keep playing, and the next season will bring another chance. If you prefer a simpler money-based progression, JojaMart offers a separate route that replaces the Center with a warehouse and paid upgrades.
3. Explore the Mines in short, prepared runs
The Mines in the Mountains contain 120 floors. An elevator records progress at every fifth floor, which makes short trips productive: reach the next elevator stop, collect ore and coal, then leave before you run low on health or energy. Copper begins appearing near the top, Iron Ore starts around floor 41, and Gold Ore around floor 81. Upgrade your Pickaxe at the Blacksmith when you have the bars and gold; stronger tools make later trips less costly in energy.
Bring a weapon and healing food, and watch your health bar during combat. Passing out from exhaustion or at 2 a.m. in the Mines costs gold; being defeated after your health reaches zero can also cost items. The Dwarf’s blocked passage is on the east side of the mine entrance, not on floor 80. A Steel Pickaxe or a bomb can clear the obstruction.
Reaching floor 120 gives you the Skull Key. You also need access to the Calico Desert before entering Skull Cavern, which the Community Center route unlocks through its Vault bundles. Skull Cavern has no elevator, so treat it as a later challenge: bring food, a strong weapon, and a plan to descend quickly rather than trying it with starter gear.
4. Grow a farm that earns while you explore
Choose crops around the time remaining in the season and your watering capacity. As you earn more, prioritize sprinklers so mornings do not disappear into watering. Build a Coop or Barn when you can afford the construction and daily feed, then pet animals regularly to improve their products. Eggs can be turned into Mayonnaise, milk into Cheese, and Truffles into Truffle Oil; these are different processing paths, so check which machine each product needs.
Kegs and Preserve Jars are useful for processing suitable crops into artisan goods. They take time, so keep harvesting and replanting while machines work. At Farming Level 10, the Artisan profession raises the value of most artisan goods by 40%; Oil and Coffee are exceptions. There is no need to fill the farm with machines immediately—start with the products you can supply consistently.
5. Fish, forage, and build friendships between harvests
Fishing helps with early cash and the Fish Tank bundles. Fish availability depends on location, season, time, and weather, so consult the bundle list or a fish reference when you are missing one. Your Fishing skill grows with catches and makes the minigame easier. Willy sells the Iridium Rod once you reach Fishing Level 6; that rod can use bait and tackle, giving you more control over bite timing and the catch bar.
Talk with villagers when you see them, complete requests on the town board, and give gifts that characters like. You can give most villagers up to two gifts each week, with an additional birthday gift opportunity. Friendship is useful for scenes, recipes, and Grandpa’s score, so make it part of your normal route rather than a last-minute Year 2 project.
Year 2: finish seasonal goals and prepare for the evaluation
Use Year 2 to catch fish and gather crops you missed, complete the remaining bundles, and improve the farm’s daily routine. The Greenhouse makes crop planning more flexible once the Pantry is restored. Winter is a good time to upgrade tools, gather resources, explore the Mines, and raise friendship, since most outdoor crops are dormant.
Grandpa returns at the start of Spring, Year 3. The evaluation has 21 possible points, and 12 points are enough for all four candles at Grandpa’s Shrine. Points come from milestones such as total earnings, skill levels, Community Center progress, keys, achievements, and relationships. You do not need a perfect farm or all 21 points. If you want to improve the result later, place a Diamond at the Shrine to request another evaluation.
- Keep earning steadily; total lifetime earnings contribute multiple points.
- Build all five skills through regular farming, fishing, mining, foraging, and combat.
- Complete the Community Center and attend its reopening ceremony if you are following that route.
- Make time for villagers and your pet instead of leaving every friendship until the final week.
- Check Grandpa’s Shrine after the evaluation; the reward is not automatically collected from the ground.
Frequently asked questions
Can you fail Stardew Valley?
There is no traditional game-over screen or deadline that ends your farm. You can lose gold or items in the Mines, and missed seasonal opportunities may have to wait until the season returns, but you can keep playing and recover.
Do I have to complete the Community Center?
No. The Community Center is the story-focused route, while JojaMart offers paid upgrades instead. The farm continues after either route and after Grandpa’s evaluation.
When do the Mines open?
The landslide clears on Spring 5 of Year 1. The Community Center has a separate opening scene: enter Pelican Town from the Bus Stop between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on a day that is not raining, beginning Spring 5.
