Stardew Valley: How The Friendship Point System Works

This guide explains how to maximize friendship in Stardew Valley, focusing on the mechanics of gaining friendship points. It's been updated to reflect the 1.6 update.

The Heart Scale:

The in-game heart scale shows friendship levels with NPCs (250 points = 1 heart). Reaching certain heart levels unlocks events and dialogue.

Friendship Point Values:

• One Heart: Requires 250 friendship points.
• Daily Interaction: Talking to an NPC usually grants +20 points; +10 if they're busy. Not talking results in a -2 point penalty (-10 with a bouquet given, -20 for spouse).
• Bulletin Board Deliveries: Completing a delivery yields +150 points with the recipient.
• Gifts:
  • Loved: +80 points
  • Liked: +45 points
  • Neutral: +20 points
  • Disliked: -20 points
  • Hated: -40 points
  • Winter Star Festival: 5x points
  • Birthdays: 8x points

Boosting Friendship Gain:

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

Special Items and Events:

• Stardrop Tea: Grants +250 points (1 heart), tripled on birthdays and Winter Star. Can be obtained from the Prize Machine, Golden Fishing Chests, the Helper's Bundle, or from the raccoon.
• Movie Theater: Movie tickets (+200 points for a loved movie, +100 for liked, 0 for disliked) and concessions (+50 for loved, +25 for liked, 0 for disliked) can be gifted.
• Flower Dance: Dancing with an NPC (4 hearts or more) grants +250 points (1 heart).
• Luau: Contributing to the soup yields varying points based on quality.
• Community Center (Bulletin Board Bundles): Completing these grants +500 points (2 hearts) with each non-datable villager.

Conversations and Dialogue:

Dialogue choices during conversations and heart events significantly impact friendship, with potential gains or losses ranging from +10 to +200 points.

This comprehensive guide provides a detailed understanding of the friendship system in Stardew Valley, allowing players to strategically build relationships with the villagers. Remember that thoughtful actions and well-chosen gifts are key to forging strong bonds in Pelican Town.