Stardew Valley, a popular farm sim game produced and developed by ConcernedApe, is a game that requires progress and perseverance. The player takes the role of a farmer who takes over their deceased grandfather’s farm. In Stardew Valley, the user will be able to complete tasks for a day before moving onto the next. One of the most charismatic aspects of this game is that the user can play at their own pace. There is no timeline that the player must complete things within. In addition, there are many different goals and milestones that you can achieve in this game which means there is always something to do.
However, for some impatient gamers, they may feel antsy that they are not fulfilling all their milestones quickly. In this article, we will explore which goals are the hardest to achieve.
Warning: spoilers ahead if you have not completed the game.
1. Finding Artifacts in Stardew Valley
One of the milestones that users can try to accomplish is to complete the museum, which is part of the community. This includes looking for artifacts and minerals to finish the collection. The museum will only take one copy of each artifact, but the player may be able to find multiple of the same item. There are a couple of ways to collect these artifacts.
First, the user can look for artifact spots to dig up.
These spots look like wiggling spots on the ground, and can be dug up with a hoe. These spots are more common in the winter.
For instance, they can kill monsters in the mine which will drop items that the player can pick up. They can also solve secret notes, fish for treasure chests, break bone nodes, or open artifact troves. However, these methods yield less artifacts.
The most difficult part about finding artifacts is not the action itself, but the ability to finish the collection. There are a total of 95 items that can be donated to complete the collection. Some of these artifacts are much more difficult to find than others, which means that finding these rare items can be very time consuming.
2. Fishing
Many players state that the fishing minigame is quite easy, but the luck that goes behind it can be difficult. Similar to Animal Crossing, the fish are unknown when reeling in, which means that the player must test their luck every time they fish. Similar to the artifacts, some fish are harder to find and catch than others.
Many players especially mentioned that the legendary fish are very difficult to catch. Some of these fish include: Angler, Crimsonfish, Mutant Carp, Legendary Fish, and Glacierfish. These fish require the player to reach some sort of level of fishing. For instance, the Glacierfish requires the user to be of at least level 6.
In addition, the fish only appear under certain conditions, such as a specific area and or a season. Even so, they have a small chance of appearing, which means the player must continue throwing their rod to see if they can reel in the fish.
3. Cooking in Stardew Valley
Cooking is an excellent way to create items that the player can consume. They can grant health and energy, which can make running through tasks much more efficient. In addition, the player can craft gifts for villagers as many villagers love certain foods. This is a great way to earn friendship points with them.
However, cooking can be tough because in order to make the food, the user must already know the recipe. The player can purchase food recipes from stores or receive them as gifts from other villagers. Although, the main source of recipes is usually to watch the Queen of Sauce on their television which will introduce them to some sort of food. The recipes displayed on the television are not necessarily unique, which means that they can rerun some that the player already knows. Due to this repeat, players can become too lazy to check the TV to engage with the Queen of Sauce everyday.
Even after obtaining the recipe, the user must collect all the ingredients to create the product. If the player is not a diligent farmer, then they may find themselves missing one or two things to create their plate of choice.
4. Crafting in Stardew Valley
Similar to cooking, crafting is difficult for two reasons: getting the crafting recipes and gathering the ingredients. However, crafting is crucial for having an efficient farm. You can yield items that will help you automate many tasks, and also create other items that you can sell or use.
First, like cooking, crafting recipes can be gained by buying them from stores or receiving them from villagers. However, they can also be gained by gaining new skills and levelling up. Another crucial part of the game that many players are not aware about is that certain recipes can only be gained if they complete special requests on the bulletin board.
There are different types of items that can be crafted. For instance, the different types of fences can enclose space and prevent growth of grass. Sprinklers can automate the process of watering crops every morning. Even in each category, there are tiers of each item which will require more advanced items to craft them. However, they will yield that many more results, such as the iridium sprinkler watering up to 24 tiles versus the regular sprinkler watering 4.
In addition, there are so many items in the game that it can be a long process of making all of them. Currently, there are a total of 130 items that can be crafted. Once the player crafts every item, they will be awarded the Craft Master achievement.
5. Friendship
Building friendship is one of the most charming parts of Stardew Valley. Users are given the ability to talk to villagers and befriend them, building up trust and rapport with them to build relationships. Through these actions, users can unlock special events where they can uncover backstories of villagers, and even have the opportunity to marry them.
In order to gain hearts with each villager, you must talk to them and also give them gifts. If the villager is not talked to, there is decay which can lose hearts. In addition, the gifts have to be carefully thought out because they have items that they like, love, and dislike. Giving them something they dislike will also decrease the heart points. Another thing to remember is that gifting high quality items will yield more hearts. The process of finding all the right gifts and running around town to give them out can be time consuming.
Not to mention…many players mentioned how annoying it is when you accidentally give a gift to a villager. If you are holding an item and unintentionally click on a villager or the door as someone is coming out, you will gift it to them. This could mean that you could accidentally gift someone you did not intend!
Final Thoughts
Overall, Stardew Valley is a charming game that allows the user to create their own experience. It possesses much freedom and opportunity that other games are unable to offer. However, for ambitious gamers, reaching all the milestones and achievements can be overwhelming. Yet, this level of difficulty still adds some sort of excitement and fulfilment which many players love and enjoy.
You know what else is nearly impossible in Stardew Valley? Finding Iridium! But we can help you with that with this guide to farming Iridium in Stardew.