Stardew Valley: Best Things to Do in Winter

Known for allowing players to build their own farms and explore exotic locales, Stardew Valley is considered by many to be a gaming classic. The quaint farming sim received a major content update in late 2020, allowing the game to attract new players and satisfy old ones with what it now has to offer. But even at the beginning portions of the game, players often find the idea of maintaining a few acres of land appealing.

One of Stardew Valley‘s more defining aspects is its seasons. Enabling growth for only certain kinds of crops, players often find themselves planning what to plant ahead of time before a certain season comes around. This is to say nothing of the seasonal fish, festivals, and other events that can only be found in a certain season. But out of all of them, there is one season that players identity as the “slow” season in Stardew Valley: winter. Frigid, snowy, and known for its nonexistent crop growth; players often find themselves wanting to sleep through the season so they can enter spring. But there are still several activities that players can do in the dismal season.

There’s plenty to do for Stardew Valley players, from remodeling the farm to exploring dungeons. Due to the fact players can’t farm or harvest crops during the winter season, players can also focus on completing the Winter Foraging bundle or grow relationships with the various NPCs in Stardew Valley. In addition, it would be prudent for players to focus on some of the tasks or objectives of the game that they might have been ignoring in previous seasons. Here’s everything Stardew Valley players can do during each winter season.

Remodel the Farm and Upgrade Tools in Stardew Valley

Since the player does not have a lot of crops growing, that makes winter the perfect time to do some remodeling. That can mean reshaping crop plots, upgrading pre-existing structures, constructing new buildings, or just adding new decorations around the farm. It’s not like the farmer will have to uproot any of their existing plants, so winter is the best time to do a lot of restructuring around the farm.

Speaking of remodeling, now is also a good time to upgrade tools. Especially farming tools like the hoe and watering can since there are no crops to tend to. Players should take the time to visit Clint in their spare time to drop off their tools so they can enter spring with better farming equipment.

Plant Winter Seeds and Fish in Stardew Valley

Alright, so the idea that winter doesn’t allow any crops to grow isn’t entirely true. There is one type of crop that players can grow in the frigid season. They are called “winter seeds”. These seeds, which can be crafted when players collect 1 of every naturally growing winter plant, can be planted into sown soil so they grow wild plants. Meaning that players can grow crocus, winter roots, crystal fruits, and snow yams. They are not the most exciting plants, but they can still be exchanged for currency. Crystal fruits in particular are noted to be fairly expensive, and this value can be maximized when placed inside of a keg for an extended period of time to make wine.

Even when players aren’t farming, fishing is another way players can earn money. If players spend an entire day doing nothing but fishing they will often be surprised with how much gold they can make at the end of the day. But if nothing else, this fishing provides them with a prime opportunity to increase their fishing skill and possibly even catch some legendary fish.

Explore Dungeons and Collect Geodes in Stardew Valley

Has the payer been neglecting their fighting skill? Or putting off that visit to the mines or Skull Cavern? Well now is the time to go out and explore them. The same goes for areas like Ginger Island and the Volcano Dungeon. Even if players do not progress particularly far in the hostile areas, they can at least gain valuable material like ore, gemstones, and golden walnuts. These materials can often be traded in for gold or used to craft metal bars or unlock certain portions of the game. To maximize potential gains, players should make sure to visit these locations when daily luck is high so they have a higher chance of finding things like ladders, geodes, and gemstones.

Alternatively, players can use these high-luck days to visit Clint at his Blacksmith’s shop so he can break open geodes for 25g a piece so they can get at the items hidden inside. The chance of uncovering rare artifacts and other valuable items in geodes is higher on these lucky days, and the content inside tends to be more than enough to cover the costs of opening them. If players don’t want to pay the fee, then players should complete the “Cave Patrol” special order, as this will result in the player receiving a recipe to craft their own geode crusher.

Build Relationships and Participate in Festival Events in Stardew Valley

With how much time players spend farming or doing menial tasks each season, it is easy to forget about the NPCs in town. Especially if they aren’t a merchant that will give the player something useful. But now that the player has some time on their hands, now is the perfect time to start handing out gifts and begin befriending people in town. Each NPC has its own gift preferences and personality, but giving them items like vegetables and gemstones tends to be safe gift that mos villagers tend to like.

The villagers will also be attending various festivals this season. This includes the Festival of Ice, the Night Market, and the Feast of the Winter Star. The Festival of Ice allows players to earn a 2,000g reward if they win the fishing competition, the Feast of the Winter Star includes a secret gift exchange, and the Night Market allows characters to obtain several unique items. All of these can result in the player getting some really cool stuff, but it is the Night Market that really stands out. The vendors and their wares alone are a reason to visit, but players are advised to take advantage of the submarine which will take them deep below the surface of the ocean. This will allow players to fish for spook fish, blobfish, and midnight squid—all of which can be put into ponds the player can build on their farm. There is also a secret puzzle that can only be solved in the mermaid ship.

Complete Stardew Valley’s Winter Foraging Bundle

Winter is also the best time for players to complete the Winter Foraging bundle at the Community Center. Completing the Bundle requires players to submit two roots and two easily found items. Players can find the Crystal Fruit and Crocus by regular foraging, while the Snow Yam and Winter Root can be found by digging dirt. Players can dig on the beach or the dirt paths in Pelican Town to get the items. While digging around the beach, players can also come across a Nautilus Shell that comes in handy for the Field Research Bundle. Once players have gathered all four items, they can complete the Winter Foraging Bundle at the Community Center and get 30 winter seeds as a reward.

Stardew Valley is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, PC, Linux, iOS, and Android

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