Created byConcernedApe,Stardew Valleyblends some of the best elements from games likeAnimal CrossingandHarvest Mooninto a unique and unforgettable experience. The game has amassed a huge fanbase over the years and spawned tons of merch, including a recently releasedboard game. With such a diehard audience, it’s no surprise that there’s a lot of debate over the game, especially when discussing the marriage candidates. So here’s our take on the best romance options inStardew Valley.
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Leah is one of the more popular romance options inStardew Valley, and it’s easy to see why. She’s creative, loves nature, and has great hair. But for everything good about Leah, there’sa lotof bad too. She has some of the most baggage out of the marriage candidates, mainly problems with her ex, Kel. In general, Leah has some issues. She talks about the difficulties of making money but lacks the initiative to publicly sell her art (without the player’s intervention). At the same time, she refuses to pursue a more stable career like her ex wanted. On top of the career conundrum, pursuing Leah would come with the risk of her running away if life gets too real, which is exactly what she did to Kel. Leah’s marriage gifts aren’t anything special either. She mostly provides easily obtainable items like mushrooms and daffodils.
11. Elliott
In many ways, Elliott is the male counterpart to Leah. He’s another creative who has great hair. Unlike Leah though, he doesn’t come with much baggage. Elliott is trying to focus all his efforts on fulfilling his lifelong dream of publishing a novel. In general, he’s optimistic and passionate but can come across as pretentious. He’s very dedicated to his writing which is admirable, but his singular focus doesn’t leave as much room for a genuine connection to be made. Overall, your player feels more like an artistic inspiration to Elliott than a friend or partner. There’s just not enough there to make a good relationship seem realistic. His marriage gifts are limited as well. He mostly gifts seafood dishes like fish stew and the occasional coffee.
10. Harvey
Harvey certainly has some charm. He’s a dorky doctor that cares about everyone’s health. Throughout his story, Harvey becomes close to you and is able to confide in you. He shares his passions and fears, and cares enough about you to try and get out of his comfort zone. However, Harvey seems a bit too awkward, less confident, and over-concerned to be a good partner. He gets shaken up very easily and clings to you a little too much for support. A doctor dating his patient raises some ethical concerns as well. Once married, Harvey does give you a few solid items like fried eel, crispy bass, and the complete breakfast.
Maru is a sweet and intelligent girl. She’s got a great job as a nurse for the town’s clinic, and some interesting hobbies like astronomy and robotics. Maru shows romantic interest in you early on, but things seem to always get in the way of her confessing her feelings. There’s a bit of drama with her dad Demetrius as well. At first, he doesn’t seem to trust you or think you’re good enough for Maru. But you’re eventually able to win him over when he sees how much you’ve inspired her.
The real issue with Maru isn’t her dad, it’s the lack of depth to your interactions with her. You’re more like an observer of her brilliance than a partner and are left wanting more from her story. On the plus side though, Maru gives a variety of great marriage gifts including warp totems, bombs, and crab cakes.
Penny sits in a tough spot. She’s a great girl who’s kind, selfless, and smart. But she has a lot of personal issues too. Her mother, Pam, is an unemployed alcoholic and the two live in a small messy trailer. Understandably, Penny is not happy with her life. When you go through Penny’s story, you want to help her. You want to give her the life she deserves. However, it’s hard to break through her guard. Once she lets you in though, she’s a dedicated and caring partner. With a little more emotional openness, Penny would be one of the best marriage candidates in the game. Her marriage gifts are just average though, with geodes and fried eel as the standouts.
Out of all the marriage candidates, Shane is probably the most messed up. He’s depressed, suicidal, and copes with alcohol. But his growth as a person and the connection you make throughout his story makes him one of the better romance options. Shane is standoffish at first, but by his first heart event he already seems to have a fondness for you. He feels close enough to talk about life, his mental illness struggles, and addiction. As Shane’s story progresses, you’re there to help him and encourage positive changes in his life. Ultimately though, it’s Shane alone that makes the decision to seek professional help, control his alcohol addiction, and improve his life.
Shane’s journey makes him one of the more compelling marriage candidates inStardew Valley, but he’s certainly not perfect. Shane’s marriage gifts aren’t half bad either. His pepper poppers, pale ale, and void eggs all have some use.
6. Abigail
Abigail may be the most popular marriage candidate, and for some pretty obvious reasons. She’s every high-school dork’s dream girl. Abigail is a quirky, goth, gamer-girl who’s strong and adventurous. She wants to explore the mines, fight monsters, and have a real adventure. However, she struggles with getting her parents to understand and respect her wishes. She’s a little immature, argumentative, and afraid to let her feelings be known. Ultimately though, she’d do anything for you, even kill monsters. Abigail also has some of the best marriage gifts in the game. She’ll give you bombs, crab cakes, solar essence, and a variety of other useful items.
When you meet Alex, you’d be forgiven for thinking he’s just an empty-headed jock, but once you get to know him, you uncover quite a lot of depth to his character. Alex’s father is an abusive alcoholic who abandoned him and his mother. His mother later became ill and passed away, leaving Alex to live with his grandparents. Alex has a lot of trauma and self-doubt from his childhood and believes becoming a professional Gridball player will prove his worth. Over time though, Alex learns that there’s more to self-worth than sports fame.
Throughout his story, you connect a lot with Alex. You discuss life, dreams, family, and fears. He’s a determined person who independently chooses to improve himself, and strong enough to apologize for his past rude behavior. Alex’s marriage gifts are just average though. He’ll give players food items like fried eel and survival burgers.
4. Sebastian
Sebastian is an introverted, shut-in smoker who likes computers and motorcycles. He has a less than perfect relationship with his family and feels overshadowed by his genius half-sister Maru. Sebastian can be hard to connect with, but eventually he gets more comfortable with you. His heart events are unique in the game too. You play through a tabletop rpg game with him and take a trip outsideStardew Valleyon his motorcycle. His story gives you a genuine feeling that the two of you have become close and are actually spending time together. A lot of the other marriage candidates don’t give you the same impression.
Although Sebastian can be closed off and has some family issues, he has little baggage compared to many of the other marriage candidates. Deep down, he’s a caring person who trusts and loves you, and has a solid career as a freelance computer programmer. His best marriage gifts are coffee, obsidian, and void essence.
Sam is a good person who deeply cares about his family. He’s a positive, optimistic guy and treats you with kindness from the very beginning. Some people say Sam is immature, and there’s a bit of truth to this. He lets others take the fall for him when he makes mistakes, does skateboard tricks off people’s property, and tries to hide his relationship with you from his mother. However, in many ways Sam is more mature than initially thought. He works at JojaMart and takes care of his little brother to help his mother. He’s also one of the few romance options that work after marrying you. He doesn’t want to depend on you for everything and not contribute to the family, so he gets a job composing music for a children’s TV show. Overall, Sam is a hard-working, kind, and family-oriented person. It’s hard to ask more from a partner than that. Unfortunately though, his marriage gifts are weak. The best you’ll get is cactus fruit, pancakes, and geodes.
