One of Stardew Valley’s many highlights is its festivals. Grounding, unique, and charming, festivals are both an incredible way to interact with Pelican Town’s villagers and also a nudge toward a welcome routine detour from all the tilling, planting, and foraging. Players are introduced to their first festival even before their first two weeks in Pelican Town, setting up the stage for a fan-favorite mechanic that graces the calendar year every so often. And with many festivals to love, it may be hard to pick a favorite.
Stardew Valley has a lot of festivals, but the Flower Dance festival is the one that really stands out to fans. It's a sweet, intimate event that often sparks romances, and many players look forward to it. During the festival, players get to dance with someone they’ve developed a special connection with. While it's a romantic and lovely experience, it can also be brutally exclusive. Most players won't be able to dance with their favorite NPC because of early game limitations. However, to pull off an early-game win at the festival, all players need to consider a strategy that ties farm planning and gift optimization to be the true belle or beau of the ball.
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Stardew Valley’s Flower Dance Festival And Its Early Game Sabotage
During the first precious day of the game, most players will be just getting familiar with beginner-friendly Stardew Valley tricks that can turn their humble farms into thriving agricultural havens. This leaves little room for splurging on non-essentials, chatting with neighbors who are out of the way, or even looking forward to what festivals might feature.
The Flower Dance is the second festival event players will encounter on the 24th of Spring. While it introduces players to romance mechanics, it is not a very beginner-friendly introduction. Most players do not realize that participating requires investing both quality time and money into their budding villager friendships. The saddest thing is that most players will have to wait on the sidelines as they watch NPCs dance with each other, but not before getting awkwardly rejected by someone.
It's Possible to Dance With Someone, Even On A First Run
Players will flood online forums with frustrations around their first go at the Flower Dance. It creeps up on most people with no warning or pretense that they had to prepare for it from the day they arrived at Pelican Town. For players who enjoy the role-playing aspects of this farming sim, being excluded over ignorance can be a cruel blow. However, with a little bit of planning, players don’t need to stand embarrassed and rejected during the Flower Dance.
Stardew Valley Festival Tier List
Stardew Valley's year is filled with exciting festivals to attend, but in the long run, some of these celebrations are more meaningful than the rest.
The Strategy for Not Getting Rejected at Stardew Valley’s Flower Dance
If anyone wants to dance at the Flower Festival during their first Spring, they’ll need more than charm. They will need a plan. Stardew Valley only gives the player 24 short days to go from “new farmer” to someone worth dancing with, which is no small feat considering most NPCs barely know the player’s name at this point. Stardew Valley friendship points matter, and the clock is ticking. But the following strategy can guarantee anyone a dance partner.
Focus on Farm Setup Early
For the best chance of landing a partner at the Flower Dance, role-playing opportunities come second. Money comes first. Since money buys gifts, an unbeatable farm layout in Stardew Valley can make or break this strategy. With such a short timeline, every seed counts. So players need to be ridiculously intentional.
Although it’s a bigger investment upfront, Cauliflower should be the main crop. It boasts one of the best profit margins among Stardew Valley’s Spring crops, enabling the player to generate sufficient income for quality gifts to the targeted villagers. They can also incorporate a few other crops for variety, but should avoid investing energy in low-profit seeds.
Invest in Gifts, or Count on Old Reliables in Stardew Valley
The quickest way to a villager’s heart is through gifts, but early-game Stardew isn’t exactly generous with cash flows. While the game encourages trial and error, players should avoid wasting resources on guesses. Instead, they should lean on universally liked gifts in Stardew Valley like artisan goods (coffee, wine, or cheese). Some can be purchased at the Stardrop Saloon if players have the money to spare. If the wallet is tight, players can stick to cheap and easy options like vegetables or forageable flowers. Even a daffodil is better than nothing. It won’t max out friendship points, but every little boost counts when one is racing against the calendar.
Lock in on One Character Early
If a player is serious about dancing, pick a partner early and go all-in. Whether giving them a gift or having a daily conversation, it's best to pick one potential partner. Spreading efforts too thin across multiple of Stardew Valley’s romanceable villagers will quickly prove exhausting. Instead, players have to choose one eligible bachelor or bachelorette and focus on their specific loves and likes. This makes gifting more predictable and cost-effective. If players really can’t decide and want to hedge their bets, target characters with similar gift preferences, but only focus on romanceable characters. Anyone else can wait until after the Flower Dance.
It's worth noting that dating around in the early Spring is a luxury most players can’t afford in Stardew Valley. Whether one wants to participate in the Flower Dance or simply enjoys exploring options, spending the initial days trying to woo everyone can quickly drain both money and time.
Stardew Valley Players Can Achieve Maximum Success, But Not Without Some Tricks
- Complete Villager Quests Immediately: If a romanceable villager posts a help-wanted quest in Stardew Valley, one should prioritize it. Quests provide both friendship points and a little extra cash. In the best-case scenario, a player may even be able to keep what they've been sent to fetch.
- Stock Backup Gifts: Even basic gifts like daffodils can save anyone in a pinch if they run out of time or money. Before selling it, players should note any weekly gifts, funds, or other factors that could result in lost friendship points.
- Play the Birthday Card: Birthdays multiply friendship points in Stardew Valley, making them one of the most efficient ways to boost one’s standing with just about any character. Shane’s birthday is on the 20th, and a single well-timed gift can all but guarantee the player a dance partner, if all they want to do is dance.
Nailing the Flower Dance festival isn’t just about bragging rights. Starting Spring with a strong relationship sets you up for long-term perks, including romance and valuable heart events later in the game. Plus, few things feel better than proving the skeptics wrong and snagging that first dance—especially when done in record time.
Stardew Valley
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- February 26, 2016
- ESRB
- E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Simulation
