Stardew Valley: How The Friendship Point System Works

This guide details how to maximize friendship in Stardew Valley, focusing on the mechanics of gaining friendship points and utilizing various methods to boost relationships with villagers.

The Heart Scale:

The in-game heart scale (accessed via the menu) shows friendship levels with each NPC. Each heart represents 250 friendship points. Higher heart levels unlock special events and dialogue.

Earning Friendship Points:

• One Heart: Requires 250 friendship points.
• Daily Interactions: Talking to a villager yields +20 points (or +10 if they're busy). Ignoring them results in a -2 point penalty (-10 with a bouquet given, -20 for a spouse).
• Bulletin Board Deliveries: Completing a delivery grants +150 points with the recipient.
• Gifts:
  • Loved: +80 points
  • Liked: +45 points
  • Neutral: +20 points
  • Disliked: -20 points
  • Hated: -40 points
  • Birthday Gifts: 8x normal points.
  • Winter Star Gifts: 5x normal points.
• Stardrop Tea: A universally loved gift granting +250 points (one heart), tripled on birthdays and Winter Star. Multiple gifts are possible. Obtainable from the Prize Machine, Golden Fishing Chests, Helper's Bundle, or Raccoons.
• Movie Theater: Inviting a villager to the movies grants points based on movie and concession choices.
  • Loved Movie: +200 points
  • Liked Movie: +100 points
  • Disliked Movie: 0 points
  • Loved Concession: +50 points
  • Liked Concession: +25 points
  • Disliked Concession: 0 points
• Conversations: Dialogue choices can yield +10 to +50 points or decrease friendship. Heart Events offer similar opportunities for significant point gains or losses.
• Festivals:
  • Flower Dance: Dancing with someone at four hearts or higher grants +250 points.
  • Luau: Contributing to the soup yields varying points based on its quality.
  • Community Center (Bulletin Board Bundles): Completing all Bulletin Board bundles grants +500 points (two hearts) with each non-datable villager.

Boosting Friendship Gain:

The "Friendship 101" book (available from the Prize Machine or the Bookseller in Year 3) provides a permanent 10% boost to friendship gains. It costs 20,000g.

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of friendship mechanics in Stardew Valley, enabling players to effectively cultivate relationships with the townsfolk. Remember to consider individual villager preferences when giving gifts and selecting dialogue options.