Summary
Learning to befriend the residents ofStardew Valleyis an essential skill for Farmers looking to make it on their new homestead, as developments in Friendship Points unlock recipes, quests, and special cutscenes. In order to give gamers a nudge in the right direction, all items in the game are divided up into Loved, Liked, Neutral, Disliked, or Hated Gifts.
So, whilea Loved Giftwill earn the Farmer +80 Friendship Points on a normal day (and up to +640 on the NPC’s birthday), a Hated Gift will knock down the Friendship meter anywhere between -40 and -320. Here are some of theworst of the worst giftsinStardew Valley- gifts that not only make the receiver feel bad but also make the player wish they’d never bothered in the first place.
Sell Price
140g
One ofStardew Valley’s notoriouslyhard to profit fromflower varieties,Poppyis widely used for flavoring honey, creating pretty farm designs, and fulfilling Community Center Bundles. One thing it very much isn’t used for is gifting to other villagers, as it falls under the Universally Hated gift category.
One important exception to this is that Marriage Candidate Penny absolutely adores Poppy, with the colorful flower making it to the top of her list of Loved Gifts. While it’s inadvisable to risk giving it to anyone else, future Penny spouses will be hoarding seeds to satisfy their partner via the Greenhouse year-round.
225g
There are only a few cooked food items that make the list of Universally Hated gifts, andStrange Bunis perhaps the most galling. This is due to its usefulness in other situations, such as providing a valuable source of Health when dropped by Shadow Brutes during a Mine dive.
There are a couple of important exceptions to the dish’s Hated status, with Krobus receiving it with a semi-positive Like and Shane remaining Neutral on the subject, but neither is positive enough to waste the otherwise valuable Bun on a few measly Friendship points. It can also be offered atthe Witch’s Hutfor players who want to introduce some additional danger to their peaceful Farm.
20g
A vital source of early Foraging XP that also provides a minimal source of Health and Energy when those are in short supply during the early-game,Seaweedis Disliked by several villagers when presented as a gift (Leah, Marnie, Sam, and Shane). Unfortunately, everyone else hates it.
The worst part about accidentally gifting Seaweed is that it’s far more useful to hoard as a resource. Building a Fish Pond costs 5x Seaweed a time, it can be cooked into Maki Roll, and it is a fairly frequent request on the Help Wanted board at Pierre’s. Players are better off piling up the green weed in their resource chest from the word go, rather than giving it away.
50g
An essential component to numerous cooked dishes and a profitable processed good,Sugarmakes it onto the list because it feels like it shouldn’t be a Universally Hated gift. Farmers who have put the time and resources into building a Mill can make a tidy profit fromprocessing their Beet cropinto the white stuff, which they can either sell on or use in their own Kitchen.
Only Abigail seems to have something of a sweet tooth in the sleepy little town, and even then, her tolerance only stretches to Dislike. This is one of the game’s foibles that keepsStardewfans coming back time and again to look for more Easter eggs, as it feels like a personal joke from creator ConcernedApe.
Bug Steaktakes one of the worst spots on the list ofStardew Valleygifts, partly due to the fact it can be extremely usefulearly on in the game. One of the first edible recipes earned at Combat Level 1, it’s a vital source of energy for novice players when making their first tentative forays into the dark depths of the Mines.
Its utility to the Farmer is one of the aspects that can trick first-time players into thinking it might be a decent villager gift - everyone likes a free lunch, right? The highly grumpy reception feels more galling as a result, with theValleyresidents refusing to put on a polite face upon receiving this wad of guts.
1000g
Oil of Garlicis particularly useful for players looking to make major Mine runs, as its special buff either prevents Monsters from spawning altogether or (in the more challenging Skull Cavern) stops swarms of Monsters on any floor. It’s also prettyexpensive to craft, costing 10x Garlic and 10x Oil.
This is why its status as a Universally Hated gift is very upsetting to even the most jadedStardewplayer. It’s simply too useful and valuable to be given away for nothing. Oil of Garlic also has a special status as a universally profitable item. Even when crafted with the lowest quality ingredients, it will still turn a profit, making it extra annoying to be penalized after handing it over.
The worst gift in the entirety ofStardew Valleycomes down to three things: Universal Hatred, practicality throughout the game, and the price of construction. Unless players can afford to put tons of time and resources into the Wizard’svarious Warp Towers and Obelisks, then Totems are likely their fastest route to the Beach, Farm, Mountains, Desert, and Island.
Therefore, giving one to a villager by mistake is galling enough, but realizing the Friendship level gets a forty point penalty for the fumble really adds insult to injury. It’s enough to have nervous Farmers running around Naruto-style with their hands out of their pockets, just to avoid the possibility of an accidental gift changing hands.
