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 August 16, 2022 by Demaris Oxman: For both veterans and first-time players, making friends with townsfolk is one of the most important aspects of Stardew Valley. This game is all about becoming part of the fabric of a close community, and building relationships helps cement that feeling. Do something kind for someone, and they’ll return the favor. Since Pelican Town’s residents can offer a lot of aid to new players, this list has been updated to include more information on gifts and instructions on completing quests that raise heart levels.

12 Marnie

The kindly proprietor of Marnie’s Ranch proves a great friend to have 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. Additionally, the recipes she sends come in handy to keep up the player’s energy at three and seven hearts respectively: Pale Broth and Rhubarb Pie.

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 visits the Saloon most evenings. Stop by for a chat and to drop off a gift.

Gifts & Quests

As with all befriendable villagers, players can give Marnie two gifts per week, plus an extra one on her birthday, Fall 18. Marnie’s Loved gifts include:

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.

11 Lewis

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.

Lewis can usually be found in his Manor, at Pierre’s, or in the Saloon. Give him Loved or Liked gifts on his birthday, Spring 7, for a huge friendship Boost. Also, as tempting as it may be, players who want to gain the Mayor’s favor should avoid playing pranks on him with the Lucky Purple Shorts.

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

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

10 Caroline

Befriending Caroline is the only way for the player to get the Tea Bush 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 her recipes for some simple and restorative meals: Parsnip Soup and Vegetable Medley.

Find Caroline at home in her room or the kitchen, or spending time with Jodi in the gardens or near the fountain. Remember her birthday, Winter 7, for extra points when giving gifts.

It’s no surprise that Caroline loves Green Tea, but there are a few other items players can give her to win her friendship:

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

9 Robin

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 to decorate their home. She may also send the player 50 pieces of wood in the mail. At seven hearts, she’ll share a recipe for Pumpkin Soup, which buffs Luck and Defense by +2 each.

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. Her birthday falls on Fall 21, so bring her one of the gifts listed below on that day for a friendship boost.

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

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

8 George

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.

Though might seem like a grumpy old coot, George isn’t actually too hard to befriend. His Loved gifts are easy to obtain, and will remind George that people do care about him — especially if delivered on his birthday, Fall 24. Bring gifts or quest items to George’s home, where he’s usually in front of the TV.

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

On the 25th of Summer, 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.

7 Willy

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, useful for completing the community center fish tank or catching legendary fish. The recipes, in the order received, are:

Willy’s favorite gifts can be difficult to come by; however, he has a long list of them, as seen below. Be sure to have one on hand for his birthday, Summer 24. Look for Willy fishing at the docks, behind the counter in his shop, or grabbing a drink at the saloon.

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 having fresh ingredients — or maybe he’s pleased to have a friend who loves fishing as much as he does.

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

6 Clint

In his letters, Clint sends the player a copper, iron, or gold bar. During Year 1, these can prove to be invaluable crafting resources. 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, 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. His birthday falls on Winter 26, so be sure to have one of the gifts listed below handy on that day.

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

The blacksmith has two quests that raise friendship:

5 Pam

Pam’s letters sometimes just include a mug of beer. However, she may also send the player a battery pack, useful in crafting. Even better, she sometimes sends Energy Tonic, which restores 500 energy and 200 health. She also sends the player recipes for Cheese Cauliflower and Stuffing. The latter’s defense buff proves especially useful for fighting monsters.

Players can usually find Pam in the Saloon, or at the bus stop if it has been repaired. Her birthday, Spring 18, is an especially great day to give her one of the gifts below.

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

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

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.

4 Emily

Once befriended, Emily may send the player cloth and wool. These are hard to find early in the game, and the player can use them to make new clothes or build a mill. Emily will also give the player her recipes for Salad and Red Plate, meals that require few ingredients but restore lots of energy.

Be sure Emily a gift on her birthday, Spring 27. She’s usually at home sewing or shopping at Pierre’s during the day, before she heads to work at the Saloon at 4pm.

Emily’s Loved gifts include:

For her quest “Fresh Fruit,” received on Spring 6 of Year 2, bring Emily an Apricot to increase friendship by 1 heart.

3 The Wizard

Though he doesn’t send any recipes, the items the Wizard sends in the mail are pretty valuable, including gemstones and purple mushrooms. The latter can be used to restore large amounts of health and energy, making them invaluable for dangerous mining expeditions. At four hearts, the player can also access his basement to change their appearance.

To win over this mysterious figure, try bringing him one of the gifts listed below, especially on his birthday, Winter 17. He can be found in his tower all day throughout all seasons, so it’s not hard to track him down.

The Wizard’s favorite gifts are hard to come by, and according to him, have powerful arcane properties:

The Wizard has two quests that result in a 1-heart friendship increase:

2 Gus

Once befriended, the proprietor of the Stardrop Saloon sends the player free food in the mail. This is especially useful early in the game, when the player expends lots of energy chopping trees and breaking rocks. Additionally, some of these meals increase Foraging or Fishing skills, or provide extra energy. Players obtain the recipes for Salmon Dinner and Cranberry Sauce from Gus at three and seven hearts respectively.

Gus is easy to find; simply drop by the Stardrop Saloon for a quick chat and to offer a gift — especially on his birthday, Summer 8.

Unsurprisingly, way to Gus’s heart lies mainly with delicious food, as the following are his Loved gifts:

Gus has three different quests that increase friendship, each related to new recipes he wants to make.

1 Linus

Though he may be an outsider, Linus is one of the best friends the player can have. Once the player earns his trust, he teaches them his recipe for Wild Bait, massively increasing fishing potential. He’ll also send the player fresh fish, sashimi, or maki rolls in the mail, in addition to recipes players can make with their fishing spoils: Sashimi and Fish Tacos.

Linus isn’t too hard to befriend, as his Liked and Loved gifts are easy to find through foraging. Players will usually find Linus in his tent, or wandering the nearby wilderness. He still appreciates it when the player remembers his birthday, Winter 3.

Linus is a simple man; his Loved gifts simply include his favorite foods:

On Fall 8, Linus will send the player a letter telling him that he lost his blackberry basket. Returning it to him will earn the player one friendship heart