Stardew Valley: Villagers You Should Befriend Early

One of Stardew Valley's core mechanics is building relationships with NPCs. From romantic connections to neighborly bonds, the player can grow close to almost everyone in town and go from being an outsider to a real member of the community. The easiest way to win villagers' hearts is through generosity. Giving gifts, running errands posted on the bulletin board, and simply talking to people will raise their affection.

Some of Pelican Town's villagers, once befriended, are just as generous towards the player. Many will send recipes for home-cooked meals, or trinkets the player might appreciate. Here are some of the best friends the villagers can make early on in their playthrough.

Updated September 4, 2025, by Demaris Oxman: With Stardew Valley coming to PlayStation Plus this month, plenty of new players will be either starting the game for the first time, or returning to it on a new platform. Early in a playthrough of this cozy farming sim, it's important to form bonds with other villagers. Plenty of NPCs are happy to help the player on their journey to revitalize their farm, and these characters in particular provide useful recipes and send handy gifts. There are many ways to make friends with someone in Stardew Valley, from giving gifts to completing quests to spending time together at the movie theater. With that in mind, here's an updated guide with detailed information on the best villagers to befriend when you first move to Pelican Town.

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Shane

Free Food, Freshly Stolen From JojaMart

• Birthday: Spring 20

Shane might come across as rude and unpleasant at first, but if players get to know him, they'll realize he's just unhappy and could use a friend in his life. If the player takes the time to be kind to him, he'll start to open up. As his friendship with the player grows, he'll send letters in the mail complete with food items that he "snagged from the back room of JojaMart." These items may be either Pizza or Pepper Poppers. The latter is extremely helpful early in the game, since it provides +2 Farming and +1 Speed. At three hearts, he'll send the recipe for this handy dish. At seven hearts, he'll send the recipe for Strange Bun.

Shane loves to receive Beer as a gift, but if the player wants to help him get over his drinking problems, his favorite foods will do just as well. If the player dedicates themselves to befriending him early on and gives him a great gift on his birthday, they may even be able to convince Shane to join them in the Year 1 Flower Dance. Shane can usually be found at Marnie's Ranch, his job at JojaMart, or at the Saloon.

Gifts & Quests

Shane's favorite gifts to receive include:

• Beer
• Hot Pepper
• Pepper Poppers
• Pizza

Movie Theater Preferences

Shane is a bit more selective about the movies he likes than most other villagers, but there are a few he really enjoys. He's not picky about concessions, either.

Jodi

Free Fertilizer Is Helpful Early On

• Birthday: Fall 11

The mother of Sam and Vincent, Jodi spends her days cooking, cleaning, and spending time with her best friend Caroline. Though she may not have a huge farm of her own, it's clear that she, like her friend, is an avid gardener. This is evident from the letters she sends in the mail, stating that she ordered too much fertilizer and offering the extra to the player. This will be five units of either Basic Fertilizer, Quality Fertilizer, or Basic Retaining Soil. It may not seem like much, but this can be a godsend early on, when players are still just starting to collect resources. At three and seven hearts, she will also share her recipes for Fried Calamari and Ice Cream, respectively.

Many of Jodi's best gifts are cooked dishes, so give her a break from cooking by treating her to one of her favorite homemade meals. She can usually be found in her home, out for a stroll through Pelican Town with Caroline, or attending exercise class at Caroline's house on Tuesdays.

Gifts & Quests

As with all befriendable villagers, players can give Jodi two gifts per week, plus an extra one on her birthday. Jodi's Loved gifts include:

• Diamond
• Vegetable Medley
• Chocolate Cake
• Crispy Bass
• Eggplant Parmesan
• Fried Eel
• Pancakes
• Rhubarb Pie

On Spring 19 in Year 1, Jodi will send the player a letter requesting a cauliflower for a recipe she'd like to cook. Bringing her one will grant the player 350g and one friendship heart with Jodi.

Movie Theater Preferences

Having no dislikes for any movies at the theater, it seems Jodi is a bit of a movie buff, with a particular love for the classics.

Marnie

Get Recipes & Free Animal Feed

• Birthday: Fall 18

The kindly proprietor of Marnie’s Ranch proves a great friend early in the game. New players in Year 1 sometimes struggle to feed their animals, so Marnie’s gifts of free hay are a godsend — she has a chance to send 30 pieces in the mail. Additionally, she sends recipes at three and seven hearts respectively: Pale Broth and Rhubarb Pie. Pale Broth is an especially handy recipe as it makes use of White Algae, which players may have an abundance of if they've been spending a lot of time spelunking.

Players can find Marnie in her shop (though not always behind the counter, to the chagrin of many). She spends Tuesdays at aerobics with Caroline and a few of the other Pelican Town ladies, and visits the Saloon most evenings.

Gifts & Quests

If players are looking to befriend the rancher, Marnie's loved gifts include:

• Diamond
• Pink Cake
• Farmer's Lunch
• Pumpkin Pie

On the third of Fall in Year 1, players will receive a letter from Marnie asking for 1 bunch of Amaranth, which triggers the quest "Cow's Delight." Completing this quest will boost friendship by one heart.

Movie Theater Preferences

Like Jodi, Marnie seems to enjoy the moviegoing experience in general, as she has no dislikes for movies the theater shows. But it seems she's especially a fan of holiday movies.

Lewis

Get Free Money in the Mail

• Birthday: Spring 7

It pays to be good friends with the mayor of Pelican Town — literally. The higher the player’s friendship with Lewis, the more likely he is to send them 500g from the Stardew Valley Agricultural Fund. At three and seven hearts, he sends recipes for Spaghetti and Eggplant Parmesan. Although neither of these recipes offers any special bonuses, they replenish plenty of energy and are easy to make, especially Spaghetti.

Lewis can usually be found in his Manor, at Pierre’s, or in the Saloon. As funny as it may be, players who want to gain the Mayor's favor should avoid playing pranks on him with the Lucky Purple Shorts, since this will decrease their friendship with him.

Gifts & Quests

Lewis' Loved gifts are all relatively easy to craft, cook, or grow:

• Green Tea
• Glazed Yams
• Autumn's Bounty
• Hot Pepper
• Vegetable Medley

Players will also receive two quests that each increase friendship with Lewis by one heart:

• "Mayor's Shorts": In a letter received on Summer 3 in Year 1, Lewis asks the player to retrieve his Lucky Purple Shorts from Marnie's bedroom. The farmer must have at least two hearts of friendship with Marnie to access her room. Avoid the temptation to put them in the Luau soup, and instead deliver them to Lewis for 750g and one friendship heart.
• "Mayor's Need": Received on Summer 21 in Year 2, this quest asks the player to bring Lewis a bottle of Truffle Oil. Deliver it to him to receive 750g and increase friendship by 1 heart.

Movie Theater Preferences

Like many other villagers, Lewis doesn't seem to like movies that fall on the spookier side of things. But he enjoys most movies at the theater, and is pretty easygoing when it comes to concessions.

Caroline

Learn to Craft the Tea Bush

• Birthday: Winter 7

The wife of Pierre and mother of Abigail, befriending Caroline is essential for players who want to complete everything the game has to offer. This is because doing so is the only way to get the Tea Sapling crafting recipe. This allows them to grow and harvest tea leaves, which they can brew into Green Tea using a keg. This unique drink increases the player's maximum energy. At three and seven hearts respectively, she also shares recipes for some simple and restorative meals: Parsnip Soup and Vegetable Medley.

Caroline spends most of her time in Pelican Town, making it fairly easy to track her down and give her a gift. Find her at home in her room or the kitchen, or spending time with Jodi in the gardens or near the fountain.

Gifts & Quests

It's no surprise that Caroline loves Green Tea, but there are a few other items players can give her to win her friendship. Her Loved gifts include:

• Fish Taco
• Tropical Curry
• Summer Spangle
• Green Tea

Caroline has one quest, "Carving Pumpkins," in which she sends the player a letter on Fall 19 in Year 1 asking for a pumpkin to carve for the upcoming Spirit's Eve festival. Bringing her the gourd will increase friendship by one heart.

Movie Theater Preferences

Caroline likes most movies, but it seems she especially enjoys exciting or uplifting films.

Robin

Learn to Craft Special Home Decor

• Birthday: Fall 21

Pelican Town's resident carpenter is a helpful friend for the farmer to have in their corner. At any friendship level, Robin may also send the player 50 pieces of wood in the mail. It might not seem like much, but for the first few in-game weeks, any free resources are more than welcome.

Once she and the player become good friends, Robin will teach the player some carpentry secrets. At six hearts, if the player enters her home while she is there, a cutscene will play in which she teaches the player to craft Flute Blocks and Drum Blocks. At seven hearts, she'll share a recipe for Pumpkin Soup, which buffs Luck and Defense by +2 each. (It also happens to be a Loved gift for her son, Sebastian.)

Robin's can be found in her shop most days, or the Stardrop Saloon in the evenings. On Tuesdays, she'll be at Caroline's aerobics meet-up.

Gifts & Quests

Robin only has a few Loved gifts, but luckily, none of them are too difficult to come by:

• Goat Cheese
• Peach
• Spaghetti
• Woody's Secret

Robin also has two side-quests that raise friendship with the player by one heart each:

• "Robin's Lost Axe": Received in the mail on Spring 11 in Year 1, this quest asks the player to find Robin's axe in Cindersap Forest.
• "Robin's Request": Received in the mail on Winter 21 in Year 1. Bring Robin 10 pieces of Hardwood to complete this quest.

Movie Theater Preferences

Robin's favorite movie is a little surprising — perhaps she has a secret gaming hobby? In any case, she seems to be a fan of movies in general, as she has no disliked films.

George

Learn to Cook Lucky Dishes

• Birthday: Fall 24

The recipes that George sends the player both provide Luck boosts. This buff proves useful in almost every aspect of the game, from fishing to foraging to mining. Like most villagers, he sends these recipes once the player reaches three and seven hearts: Fried Eel and Spicy Eel. Each dish provides +1 Luck, and Spicy Eel gives the player +1 Speed as well. Eels can be tricky to catch early on, but knowing how to cook these recipes makes them worth it.

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Though he might seem like a grumpy old coot, George isn't actually too hard to befriend. His Loved gifts are easy to obtain, especially Leeks — which, as a spring forage item, are plentiful in the earliest days of a playthrough. Bring gifts or quest items to George's home, where he's usually in front of the TV, to remind him that people do care about him.

Gifts & Quests

George only has two Loved gifts (aside from the Universal Loves) but fortunately, they are easy to forage and to cook:

• Leek
• Fried Mushroom

On the 25th of Summer in Year 1, George will send the player a letter, initiating the quest "Knee Therapy." Bring him a Hot Pepper for his aching joints, and friendship with George will increase by one heart.

Movie Theater Preferences

When it comes to movies, it looks like George is a fan of the classics, but doesn't really like scary films.

Willy

Learn Lots of Recipes to Boost the Fishing Skill

• Birthday: Summer 24

While most NPCs share two cooking recipes at most, Willy has four that he sends the player at three, five, seven, and nine friendship hearts. Unsurprisingly, all of his "ol' pappy's" recipes boost the Fishing skill. This makes them useful for completing the community center fish tank, catching legendary fish, or completing quests that require fishing prowess. They also, as one might expect, all contain fish — Willy knows how to put his catch to good use. The recipes, in the order received, are:

• Chowder (+1 Fishing)
• Escargot (+2 Fishing)
• Fish Stew (+3 Fishing)
• Lobster Bisque (+3 Fishing, +50 Max Energy)

To chat with Willy or drop off a gift, look for him fishing at the docks, behind the counter in his shop, or grabbing a drink at the saloon.

Gifts & Quests

Willy loves rare treasures, a few homegrown items, and some hard-to-catch fish. Judging by the recipes he sends the player, he might like to have fresh ingredients — or maybe he's pleased to have a friend who loves fishing as much as he does. His Loved gifts include:

• Diamond
• Iridium Bar
• Mead
• Pumpkin
• Catfish
• Sea Cucumber
• Octopus
• Sturgeon
• Jewels Of The Sea
• The Art O' Crabbing

Willy sends the player two quests by mail, which boost friendship by one heart each:

• "Catch a Squid": Received on Winter 2 in Year 1, this quest is self-explanatory. Hook one of these sea creatures and bring it to Willy for him to admire. The player will get to keep the fish after Willy examines it.
• "Catch a Lingcod": Received on Winter 13 in Year 2, the objective here is much the same: catch a Lingcod in the mountain lake.

Movie Theater Preferences

Willy likes every movie that the theater shows — he has no dislikes, but no loved movies either. As long as players pick out a good snack for him, he'll have a fun moviegoing experience.

Clint

Get Restorative Recipes & Free Crafting Materials

• Birthday: Winter 26

In his letters, Clint may send the player a copper, iron, or gold bar. During Year 1, these can prove to be invaluable crafting resources, especially before the player gets to the deeper levels in the mine where Iron and Gold Ore are more plentiful. Clint also sends his recipes for Algae Soup and Bean Hotpot at three and seven hearts. The former is a great way to convert a plentiful ingredient into useful energy and health, while the latter boosts maximum energy and only requires a few green beans to make.

Drop by the blacksmith shop to chat with Clint, or catch him grabbing a drink at the Saloon.

Gifts & Quests

Many of Clint's favorite gifts can be found in the mines, but he has a few favorite foods as well.

• Gemstones: Aquamarine, Amethyst, Emerald, Ruby, Topaz, Jade
• Iridium Bar
• Gold Bar
• Omni Geode
• Artichoke Dip
• Fiddlehead Risotto

The blacksmith has two quests that each raise friendship by one heart:

• "Clint's Attempt": On Winter 6 in Year 1, Clint asks the player to bring an amethyst to Emily, and tell her it's from him.
• "A Favor For Clint": On Winter 17 in Year 1, Clint sends the player a letter asking them to bring him an Iron Bar.

Movie Theater Preferences

Clint likes most movies, but it seems he doesn't care for stiff older films.

Pam

Sends Surprisingly Useful Items

• Birthday: Spring 18

In a bit of a predictable move, Pam's letters sometimes just include a mug of beer, which isn't very helpful for most players (aside from gifting purposes). However, she may send the player a Battery Pack, useful in crafting. Even better, she sometimes sends Energy Tonic, which restores 500 energy. This is the best way to get Energy Tonic early in the game, since it costs 1,000g at Harvey's clinic and its only other sources are rare drops in Skull Cavern. Battery Packs, meanwhile, are hard to get before players can craft a Lightning Rod, and are handy for higher-level crafting recipes.

Pam also sends the player recipes for Cheese Cauliflower and Stuffing. The latter gives the player +2 Defense, which proves especially useful for fighting monsters. Players can find Pam in the Saloon, or at the bus stop if it has been repaired.

Gifts & Quests

As players might suspect, Pam loves most alcoholic drinks in Stardew Valley, but she has other Loved gifts as well:

• Beer
• Mead
• Pale Ale
• Piña Colada
• Parsnip
• Glazed Yams
• Parsnip Soup
• Cactus Fruit

Pam also has two quests, which she will send to the player via letters in the mail:

• "Pam Is Thirsty," received Summer 14 in Year 1.
• "Pam Needs Juice," received Fall 19 in Year 2.

Both of these are simple item-fetch quests that raise friendship by 1 heart each. Bring Pam a Battery Pack for the first, and a Pale Ale for the second.

Movie Theater Preferences

Pam is pretty easygoing at the movie theater; she likes all movies that the theater shows. Choose the right concession, and she'll have a great time.