If you want to get started with a new save in Stardew Valley 1.6, you’ll find the beginning of the game hasn’t changed much. The latest update adds plenty, but the content in the first week remains much the same as it has been since the game’s release. Fortunately, that means this beginner’s guide applies no matter what version you play.
We’ll cover what you should do during your first week in Stardew Valley. If you follow this walkthrough, you’ll have a firm foundation on which to proceed through the rest of the game. Just be aware that this game is like an onion, and the further you pursue any aspect of it, the more layers you’ll peel back and discover.
Table of contents
Stardew Valley First Week Walkthrough
Our guide to your first week in Stardew Valley will familiarize you with various gameplay systems that are easy for new players to overlook. While this isn’t a “hard” game in the traditional sense, it doesn’t go out of its way things out. So, following this guide will let you know several activities you can spend your time with.
However, this guide doesn’t aim to optimize any particular aspect of your playthrough. If you want to ensure you’re making the most money or growing the most crops at the end of the first week, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
Stardew Valley Day 1 Guide
- Plant your first crop.
- Craft a chest.
- Head into town.
- Buy more seeds.
- Explore the area.
- Return home and plant your remaining seeds.
Plant your first crop.
As soon as you start your first day, you can grab the seeds from inside your house and work on getting them planted. Clear space for a small field, plant your parsnip seeds, then water them with the water can.
Craft a chest
Keeping your items organized is one of the trickiest parts of Stardew Valley. Do yourself a favor and collect 50 pieces of wood to craft a chest before you run out of space in your inventory.
Head into town.
Now, take the east path out of your farm and make your way to Pelican Town.
Buy more seeds.
You can visit Pierre’s General Store to pick up more Parsnip Seeds. You’ll have a much larger first harvest if you go ahead and invest the time to plant more on your first day.
Explore the area.
Take some time to walk around Pelican Town and the surrounding area. Talk with the NPCs you run into and start memorizing the map.
Return home and plant your remaining seeds.
Before it gets too late, head back to your farm and plant any remaining seeds you have on hand. Don’t forget to water them!
Stardew Valley Day 2 Guide
- Do morning chores.
- Meet Willy at the Beach.
- Do some fishing (optional).
- Buy more seeds (optional).
- Meet more villagers.
Do morning chores.
You’ll start most days out by watering your crops. You’ll also want to check the mail. Today, you’ll receive a letter from Willy.
Meet Willy at the Beach.
On Day 2 you can head to the beach and meet Willy on the pier. He’ll give you the Bamboo Pole.
Do some fishing (optional).
If you’re so inclined, you can start fishing. You can sell fish or eat them to regain some energy.
Buy more seeds (optional)
If you want to put a second round of Parsnips in, today is a great day to do so.
Meet more villagers
Do your best to meet most of the villagers you didn’t on the first day.
Stardew Valley Day 3 Guide
- Clear more farmland (optional)
- Finish meeting NPCs.
- Go fishing.
- Do some foraging and explore.
Clear more farmland (optional)
Day 3 is always rainy, so you get to skip your chores. It’s a good idea to use the extra time to clear more farmland and gather wood.
Finish meeting NPCs.
You should definitely finish the Introductions quest so you can move on to the next. Complete your goal of meeting all 28 NPCs today.
Go fishing.
Catch some fish to use for extra energy on Day 5.
Do some foraging and explore.
Forage in the forest for items and continue exploring the map.
Stardew Valley Day 4 Guide
- Do morning chores.
- Clear land.
- Continue to forage and fish.
Do morning chores.
Water those crops.
Clear land.
Continue your cleanup operation. There’s not much going on during Day 4, so it’s a great time to make a big push. You’ll be unlocking new activities soon and won’t feel like clearing your farm with so much to do.
Continue to forage and fish.
Stocking up on stamina-replenishing items is a good idea. Also, you can sell some off for a quick profit.
Stardew Valley Day 5 Guide
- Adopt a pet!
- Do morning chores.
- Harvest crops.
- Visit the Community Center.
- Sell crops in town.
- Buy more seeds.
- Visit the Mines.
- Collect one Copper Ore.
- Visit the Traveling Cart.
- Plant new crops.
Adopt a pet!
You’ll get the opportunity to adopt a cat or dog as soon as you step out of your house. Lucky!
Do morning chores.
Remember to water any growing crops and fill your pet’s bowl.
Harvest crops.
The Parsnips you planted on the first day should be ready for harvest now. Grab them up immediately.
Visit the Community Center
Enter the town from the Bus Stop between 8 am and 1 pm to trigger the cutscene, introducing you to the Community Center. If you choose to take the Community Center path, you’ll spend a lot of time here, so get used to it.
Sell crops in town.
Head to Pierre’s General Store and sell your Parsnips. This should net you a tidy profit.
Buy more seeds.
You’ll want to take the money you just earned and invest it in seeds for your next crop. You can stick with Parsnips or move to something else, like Potatoes.
Visit the Mines.
On Day 5, the path to the Mines is unblocked. You can head to the northeast part of the map to find the entrance to this area. From this point on, you can visit it to search for ore, stone, geodes, minerals, artifacts, and more. Beware, there are monsters here that you’ll need to fight.
Collect one Copper Ore.
Make sure to collect one Copper Ore to trigger an event on Day 6.
Visit the Traveling Cart
Every Friday and Sunday, the Traveling Cart will set up shop in the forest south of the farm. It has ten random items, a piece of furniture, and occasionally a special stock item for sale each time it appears. You’ll want to visit it each time it’s available because you can find some extremely rare items for sale here.
Plant new crops.
End your day by planting any seeds you have available. Again, don’t forget to water them!
Stardew Valley Day 6 Guide
- Meet Clint the Blacksmith.
- Check the mail.
- Do morning chores.
- Craft a Scarecrow.
- Meet the Wizard.
- Work on proficiencies.
Meet Clint the Blacksmith.
If you grabbed one Copper Ore on Day 5, Clint the Blacksmith will show up when you exit your house. He’ll tell you about upgrading your tools, which is one of the major goals in the game.
Check the mail.
If you visit the Community Center, you’ll get a letter from the Wizard on Day 6. You’ll want to visit him so you can get started with the bundle quests in the Community Center.
Do morning chores
Don’t forget to water everything!
Craft a scarecrow.
If you have more than 15 crops growing, there’s a chance that the crows will eat them, so you’ll want to craft scarecrows to prevent this from occurring. To craft a scarecrow, you need:
- Wood x50
- Coal x1
- Fiber x20
Since you need access to the Mine to get coal, Day 5 is the earliest you can craft a Scarecrow.
Meet the Wizard.
Proceed to the western part of Cindersap Forest to find the Wizard’s Tower. When you visit him, he’ll give you the ability to decipher the bundle requests in the Community Center, allowing you to start those quests.
Work on proficiencies.
Keep up foraging, fishing, and mining to increase your proficiency in these activities.
Stardew Valley Day 7 Guide
- Watch Queen of Sauce.
- Do morning chores.
- Visit Traveling Cart
- Work on remaining quests.
- Work on proficiencies.
Watch Queen of Sauce
Every Sunday for the first two years of the game, you can watch Queen of Sauce on TV to learn a new recipe. Don’t worry if you miss one, though. There’s a re-run each Wednesday.
Do morning chores.
Get them crops watered!
Visit Traveling Cart.
Check out the Traveling Cart for rare items.
Work on remaining quests.
You should have a few quests you still need to finish at this point. Spend some time completing them.
Work on proficiencies.
Keep gaining XP in fishing, foraging, and mining.
What to do in Stardew Valley after the first week
If you follow this walkthrough, you should have a clear idea of what to do next in Stardew Valley. Here’s what your objectives should be on Day 8 and beyond:
- Complete Community Center Bundles.
- Continue to plant and harvest crops.
- Talk with the NPCs you like and improve your relationship.
- Continue to fish, mine, and forage to increase your skills.
- Work toward tool upgrades.
- Start thinking about expanding your farm and adding new buildings.
You’ll learn more about the game’s various systems as you work toward these goals. Additionally, more activities and opportunities will unlock as time passes.
