Welcome to the Stardew Valley side of Casual Scroll! This is the first ever post that will kick off what will be many, many posts about what I consider one of the best games ever created, Stardew Valley.
From Non-Gamer to Stardew Valley Addict
I was never really a gamer; not into arcades, consoles, PC games, or even mobile apps like Temple Run or Doodle Jump or Pokemon Go when everyone on the planet seemed to be playing them. I was a professional content consumer, not a content practitioner. But then came 2020. And like many of us during lockdown, I hit a wall with passive content. There’s only so much scrolling, streaming, and second-screening a brain can handle.
Enter Nintendo with the most serendipitous launch of all time: Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Suddenly, I had a new daily ritual: checking turnip prices, visiting friends’ islands, redesigning my home for the 15th time. I racked up a cool 1,000 hours in one year. Somewhere along the way, I realized.. I am a gamer now. A very cozy one, but a gamer nonetheless.
Then the thought hit me: If I loved this, what else might I love? What other worlds were waiting for me to get completely, hopelessly obsessed?
Enter Stardew Valley
Like magic, or more accurately, YouTube’s algorithm, I started seeing Stardew Valley videos pop up in my recommendations. I went from watching how to breed golden roses in Animal Crossing to wondering what on earth an “ancient fruit wine” was and why I apparently needed to start producing it on a pixel farm.
Before I even knew what was happening, I had clicked on the video that started it all:
And just like that, I was in.
Why This Compendium Exists
Let’s be honest: there are hundreds of Stardew Valley guides out there already. YouTube is filled with “how to” videos, Reddit has countless strategy threads, and the Stardew Valley Wiki documents every single detail with meticulous precision.
I’m not going to claim this compendium has better strategies than what’s already available. There are far more expert players than me out there.
But after putting 1000+ hours into Stardew Valley, I kept thinking: “I wish there was a single page I could reference for this specific information.” It’s the same recurring theme behind many posts on Casual Scroll – not about presenting novel expert opinions, but about showing you different ways of organizing and presenting information that’s actually useful in the moment you need it.
For instance, when I’m trying to finish the Community Center bundles during a particular season, I want to know exactly which ones I can complete right now, all organized in one clean view. I don’t want to search separately for some artisan good, then check if a specific fish is available when it’s not raining in this season, then figure out if I should start preparing now for the next season.
This compendium is primarily for my personal benefit – creating specifically organized presentations of information completely tailored to how I play. But maybe it will prove beneficial for you too. Maybe you’ll bookmark these pages and come back to them when you’re in a similar situation. My hope is that these reference guides help us all become better farmers in Pelican Town, without having to constantly tab between multiple wiki pages and YouTube videos.
What to Expect Here
This page is the starting point for all things Stardew Valley on Casual Scroll. I’ll link to new reference guides and resources as I create them, organized by the specific problems they solve or questions they answer.
Some reference pages I’m planning to create (because I personally need them):
- Seasonal Bundle Checklist: What community center items can I complete this season?
- Crop Reference Tables: At-a-glance view of growth times, profits, and processing values
- Gift Preference Matrix: Who likes what, organized by item rather than by villager
- Seasonal Fish Availability: When and where to catch specific fish
- Festival Preparation Checklists: What to have ready for each seasonal event
- Processing Value Comparisons: Should this go in a keg, preserve jar, or dehydrator?
Each resource will focus on presenting information in the most immediately useful way possible. No fluff, just the reference materials I wish existed when I was frantically trying to remember if I could catch that specific fish today or if I needed to wait for fall.
Let’s Grow This Compendium
If you’ve found yourself hunting through various wikis and guides only to wish “why isn’t all this information in one place?” then you’re exactly who I’m writing for.
Have a suggestion for a reference sheet that would make your Stardew Valley life easier? Drop it in the comments below. The beauty of this game is how differently we all approach it, and I’d love to know what organizational tools would help your unique farm thrive.
I’ll be updating this page whenever new resources are added, so you might want to bookmark it if you find these references useful.
Happy farming!