This guide delves into the intricacies of friendship in Stardew Valley, explaining how to maximize your relationships with the villagers. Building strong bonds is crucial, whether your goal is friendship or romance. While conversation and gifting are key, not all interactions are created equal.

Understanding the Heart System:

The in-game heart meter (accessed via the menu) shows your friendship level with each NPC. Each heart represents 250 friendship points. Positive actions increase points, while negative ones decrease them.

Boosting Friendship Gain:

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

Interaction Point Values:

• Daily Conversations: +20 points (or +10 if the NPC is busy). Ignoring an NPC results in a friendship decrease (-2 points/day, or -10 if you've given them a bouquet, or -20 for your spouse).
• Bulletin Board Deliveries: +150 points with the recipient.
• Gifting:
  • Loved Gifts: +80 points
  • Liked Gifts: +45 points
  • Neutral Gifts: +20 points
  • Disliked Gifts: -20 points
  • Hated Gifts: -40 points
  • Birthday/Feast of the Winter Star Gifts: 8x/5x the usual points.
• Stardrop Tea: +250 points (one heart) per gift, tripled on birthdays and the Feast of the Winter Star. Can be obtained from various sources, including the Prize Machine, Golden Fishing Chests, the Helper's Bundle, or from the raccoon.
• Movie Theater: Inviting an NPC to the movies grants points based on their movie and snack preferences.
  • Loved Movie: +200 points
  • Liked Movie: +100 points
  • Disliked Movie: 0 points
  • Loved Concession: +50 points
  • Liked Concession: +25 points
  • Disliked Concession: 0 points
• Dialogue Choices: Careful responses to NPC questions can yield +10 to +50 points, while negative responses decrease friendship. Heart Events also offer dialogue choices with significant point impacts.

Festivals and Events:

• Flower Dance: Dancing with an NPC (requires 4 hearts or more) grants +250 points (one heart).
• Luau: Contributing to the community soup affects friendship with all villagers.
• Community Center (Bulletin Board Bundles): Completing all Bulletin Board bundles rewards +500 points (two hearts) with each non-dateable villager.

This comprehensive guide provides a framework for building strong relationships in Stardew Valley. Remember to pay attention to individual NPC preferences and utilize all available methods to maximize your friendship points.