Stardew Valleyis a large game, to put it lightly. It’s one of those games that keeps unfolding and expanding as the hours draw on. The variety in gameplay can be daunting, especially for new players. There are so many townsfolk to meet and events to look forward to.
The first year in particular can feel like a flood of options. You’re given a hoe, a handful of parsnip seeds, and told “go!” Setting these goals will help make that first year a bit less intimidating, and perhaps a bit more organized.
Updated Jun 06, 2025 by Jacqueline Zalace:There is a lot to get done during the first year of Stardew Valley! We’ve updated this list with additional tasks to accomplish, allowing you to be as efficient as possible.
13Plot Out Your Farm
The farm will be heavily disorganized when you first inherit it. After you’ve settled in, you may want to spend a day just exploring and clearing land. The honeymoon period will end, though, and you’ll realize you’re actually limited by your space quite a lot. Especially depending on what farm type you chose.
Start planning early on where you can set aside space for crops, animals, and warehouses. You will always be able to move things around later, but start with a solid foundation. Having a clean and organized farm will make your life easier than you can understand.
12Learn The Best Seasonal Crops
Along with an organized farm, you may also want to have an optimized farm, so it’sworth learning the money-makers. Even the laziest farmer may as well plant one of the best crop each season.
In Spring, you’re able to save your early game money to buy as manystrawberriesas possible at the Egg Festival and save them for year two, or plant them on the same day you purchase them. Otherwise, it’s all aboutpotatoes.
In Summer, focus onblueberriesorstarfruitif you have the desert unlocked. In the fall you can plantcranberries, and anyRare Seedsshould be planted on the very first day if you have them.
11Complete The Community Center
Clearing the Community Center in your first year is difficult, but possible. There are three major tips to help in the process: the first is that you can check the Community Bundles at any time in the inventory screen via an icon in the top right. Second, if you hover over something in your inventory that can fit in a bundle, that same icon will start glowing.
Finally, pay close attention to seasonal items. For your efforts, you’ll be given a host of invaluable rewards such as the greenhouse for year-round farming, the desert for resources, andGinger Island; a whole other can of worms.
10Watch The Queen Of Sauce Every Sunday
Every Sunday, you will be able to watch The Queen of Sauce on television, with reruns airing on Wednesdays. At the start of the game, you won’t have access to a kitchen yet, but you are still able to learn recipes.
This is important, as it’s possible to completely miss a recipe if you don’t tune in. It’s best to just stop by the television set every Sunday and watch it quickly. When you do upgrade your house to have a kitchen,you will then be able to cook the recipes you learned.
9Upgrade Your Farmhouse
Speaking of upgrades, you will also want toupgrade your farmhouse. The first upgrade will give you access to a kitchen, as well as allow marriage partners to move in with you. From there, you can add a back portion with a children’s room, as well as a cellar to age wines and cheeses.
There are also several renovations that you can do, ranging from knocking down a wall to adding a small cubby near your front door. With a bigger farmhouse, you can display more furniture, get married, have children, and age valuable products. Overall, it’s worth the investment.
8Explore The Mines: Both If Possible
You should steadily work towards the mines throughout the year. It’s 120 floors with every ten levels offering a new weapon or armor upgrade. Some of the final rewards include a permanent stamina upgrade and the skeleton key. The stamina upgrade on floor 100 will be particularly useful.
The skeleton key can be used in the desert to access the Skull Cavern. This area has a lot of crafting resources, but after you find Secret Note #10, reaching floor 100 will also provide you with a permanent health upgrade.
7Find All The Secret Notes
The Secret Notes won’t be obtainable until late into the first year, but they can be amassed quickly once unlocked. In the winter, travel to the bus stop between 6 am and 4 pm to witness a cutscene. Then, follow footprints to the Community Center and interact with the bush to get the magnifying glass.
This unlocks the ability to find Secret Notes, with each offering a hint towards a secret of some kind. The easiest ways to find them are by mining resource clumps, fishing for trash, or digging up artifact spots.
6Upgrade Tools
Upgrading tools goes without saying, but it might sound especially appealing once youlearn what some of the upgrades do. Upgrading the hoe and watering can allow you to hold the button to hoe or water a larger area at once for the same energy cost. The pickaxe and axe will be able to break through tougher resources, which will rapidly become necessary.
There is another great tip for upgrading the watering can — watch the news and wait for it to say there will be rain tomorrow. Water your crops that day, then take the watering can to the blacksmith. The next day when it’s being worked on, the rain will water your crops without them wilting.
Alternatively, you can wait until the winter, or just invest in some sprinklers for the time being.
5Unlock The Horse And Mine Cart
Player speed isn’t exactly brisk in Stardew. Because of that, it’s worth investing in a horse. A horse stable can be purchased from Robin for 100hardwood, fiveiron bars, and 10,000 gold. The horse is adorable, but more importantly, it’s much faster than you. Pathways on your farm also increase movement speed, and this applies to the horse as well.
The mine cart is another amazing quality-of-life improvement. It can be unlocked via the boiler room Bundle in the Community Center for various mining resources. The mine cart will allow you to fast travel around key locations in the valley, such as the bus stop, mines, and the blacksmith.
4Win At The Stardew Valley Fair
There are many festivals to participate in that yield items or relationship points, but an important one to look forward to is the Stardew Valley Fair in the fall. The fair has a special currency, of which 2,000 will buy you another permanent stamina upgrade. To get enough points, you’ll want towin the Grange Display Contest, and participate in games.
The wheel-game is supposedly weighted to favor green, so you can rack up points by continuously betting on it. This can also help get you the unique scarecrow needed for the Rarecrow event.
