Stardew Valley: How The Friendship Point System Works

This guide delves into the intricacies of friendship in Stardew Valley, a crucial element for integrating into Pelican Town's community. While casual conversation and gifting are key, understanding the point system is vital for maximizing relationships, whether platonic or romantic.

The Heart System:

The heart scale (accessed via the in-game menu) displays friendship levels with each NPC. Each heart represents 250 friendship points. Positive interactions increase points, while negative ones decrease them.

Boosting Friendship Gains:

The "Friendship 101" book (available as a Prize Machine reward or from the Bookseller in Year 3) provides a permanent 10% boost to friendship point gains.

Interaction Point Values:

• Daily Conversations: +20 points (or +10 if the NPC is busy). Ignoring an NPC results in a friendship decrease (-2 points daily, or -10 if a bouquet was given, or -20 for a spouse).
• Bulletin Board Deliveries: +150 points with the recipient.
• Gifting:
  • Loved Gifts: +80 points
  • Liked Gifts: +45 points
  • Neutral Gifts: +20 points
  • Disliked Gifts: -20 points
  • Hated Gifts: -40 points
  • Birthday/Winter Star Gifts: 8x or 5x the usual points, respectively.

Stardrop Tea: This universally loved gift grants +250 points (+750 on birthdays/Winter Star). It can be obtained from the Prize Machine, Golden Fishing Chests, the Helper's Bundle, or from the raccoon for completing requests.

Movie Theater: Inviting an NPC to the movies (using a Movie Ticket) offers varying friendship points based on movie and concession choices.

Conversations and Dialogue: Choosing appropriate dialogue options during conversations and Heart Events can significantly impact friendship levels (+10 to +50 points or more, or negative points for poor choices).

Festivals and Events:

• Flower Dance: Dancing with an NPC (4 hearts or higher) grants +250 points.
• Luau: Contributing to the community soup yields varying points based on the soup's quality.
• Community Center (Bulletin Board Bundles): Completing all Bulletin Board bundles rewards +500 points with each non-dateable villager.

By understanding and utilizing these mechanics, players can effectively cultivate strong friendships and romantic relationships within the vibrant world of Stardew Valley. The 1.6 update maintains this core system while adding new opportunities for interaction and friendship building.