Summary
Stardew Valleyis the game that keeps on giving. There are endless quests to complete between the Help-Wanted Board and theQi Challenges. However, some of these quests can be difficult, and require particular items that aren’t easily attainable. When you’re first playing the game, you don’t know which items to keep, and which to sell.
Since items can be sold, used to rebuild theCommunity Centerand used in crafting recipes, it’s easy to forget that you might need them later. There are a few items that you should stack up on to help complete quests later in the game. Below are 8 Early Game Items To Keep.
8Hardwood
The Giant Stump And Crafting
Hardwoodis a very useful substance; not only is it used in multiple crafting recipes, such as the Cheese Press, Oil Maker, andTotems, but it’s also used in the Giant Stump Quest. In this quest, you need to gather 100 pieces of hardwood, which is a pretty large amount to save up, so the earlier you start, the easier it will be.
Every time you get a Mahogany Seed, you should plant it immediately; these create Mahogany Trees that will produce additional hardwood, which will be helpful when Robin asks you for eighty pieces of hardwood. There aren’t enough days to simply gather the hardwood in the Cidersap Forest, and you’ll need the additional help.
7One Of Every Fish
Raccoons And Other Quests
Many Stardew Valley quests require a fish, such as when Gus asks you for an Albacore. It can be a pain to have to search and fish for them, especially if they are only found in a certain season, so if you can, keep one of each fish.
After you complete the Giant Stump Quest, a little raccoon and his wife will move in, and begin to request items. One request includes a smoked fish, (though it varies which kind) and 5 forageable ocean items (such as clams or cockles).
6Fruit
From The Fruit Bat Cave And The Oasis
There are acouple of queststhat require fruit such as the quest Fresh Fruit where Emily will ask you for an apricot; if you’ve already planted an Apricot Tree in your Greenhouse, this quest is easy, but if you haven’t fruit trees can be expensive and take a long time to grow. If you have the Fruit Bat Cave, you’ll most likely get at least one apricot to save for this quest.
Starfruit is the second most valuable fruit in the game, and you can buy Starfruit Seeds at the Oasis, or the fruit itself at theTraveling Cart.Kentwill ask for one in Year 2, which is one of the reasons to save one, and you’ll need them to make Junimo Huts later in the game.
5Gems
Gifts And Quests
Gems are an incredibly useful resource that is used in multiple quests, such as Rock Rejuvenation, whereEmilyneeds five different gems, and Clint’s Attempt, where he asks you to deliver an amethyst to Emily.
Having leftover gems is never an issue because they can be used in theQi Challenge, Qi’s Prismatic Grange, a quest whereMr. Qiis looking for a hundred items in different colors. Gems also make great gifts for nearly all NPCs.
4Slime
Late Game Slime Hutch
Slime, at the beginning of the game, seems like a completely worthless resource, and players make the mistake of selling it. However, slime is used to craft a couple of very helpful items, such as Oil Makers, Monster Musk, andSlime Incubators.
Later in the game, you can use slime to create Slime Eggs, which sell for a minimum of 1000gs, and a maximum of 5000gs, which makes them incredibly profitable, and saving up your slime for it is well worth the wait.
3Seasonal Crops
For Smaller Quests
Throughout the game, there are multiple times when a specific crop is asked for. Occasionally, you do need to harvest the crop, and then deliver it, which means saving it does nothing for you, but there are times when harvesting is not necessary to complete the request.
There arethree specific cropsthat you’ll need: aCauliflower, whichJodiwill ask for, aPumpkin, which Caroline will ask for, and an Amaranth, which Marnie will ask for.
2Maple Syrup
May-pal Serrup
Maple Syrupcan be collected by placing a Tapper on a fully-grown Maple tree and can take up to 8 days to produce the Maple Syrup. Maple Syrup is used in multiple bundles for the Community Center, including the Chef’s Bundle and Exotic Foraging Bundle.
Secret Note # 23 asks for the Farmer to bring “may-pal serrup” to the “seecrit wuds.” Completing this will result in you gaining Bear’s Knowledge, which triples the price of Blackberries and Salmonberries.
1The Mysterious Qi Challenge
Seasonal Shells
The Mysterious Qi Challengeis triggered in one of two ways; you’re able to either find Secret Note #22, or an unknown lost book in the library. Since this challenge can be triggered in any season, it can be incredibly frustrating to complete, and you’ll need aBattery Pack, aRainbow Shell, and tenBeets.
Since Rainbow Shells are only available in summer, they are the most difficult to obtain, so make sure you save at least one during your first summer. Beets can be bought at the Oasis, and you can plant them during the Fall, in the Greenhouse, or on Ginger Island.
