Money Gremlin Challenge

[RavenTheBlank]

Hello all! I've been working on a Stardew Valley challenge and I think I've finally worked out the kinks. I want to know what everyone thinks. :>

MONEY GREMLIN CHALLENGE
A structured, greedy, efficiency‑driven challenge that still feels playful.

1. You must buy the Joja membership before Summer 1

2. Your free coop must become a profit engine, not a petting zoo
Rules for animals:

• You may only keep animals that produce daily
• Any animal that stops producing → sold immediately
• No naming animals cute things
• No barns until Summer
• No pigs until Year 2

3. Every crop must have a purpose
You may only plant crops that fit one of these categories:

• Fast cash (potatoes, kale)
• Scaling profit (strawberries, blueberries)
• Wine fuel (starfruit, ancient fruit)
• No “for fun” crops.
• No decoration crops.
• No mixed fields.

Random other crops are allowed if the seeds are acquired via a free method (crafting wild seeds or shoplifting (If the shoplifting mod is installed))

4. You must end every day with a net profit
If you end a day with negative or zero profit, you must:

• Sell something you were saving
• Or clear a patch of crops

This rule forces you to stay sharp. (Rule #6 does hold an exception)

5. You must unlock Joja upgrades in a strict order
1. Minecarts
2. Greenhouse
3. Bus
4. Quarry
5. Panning
This order maximizes profit acceleration.

6. You must reinvest 70% of your gold
Every weekend you must reinvenst your money:
70% goes into seeds, animals, kegs, or Joja upgrades
30% can be kept
During the weekend the net positive rule does not apply. (Unless you want to make it really difficult)

7. Skull Cavern becomes mandatory once the bus opens
Not optional.
Not “when you feel like it.”
Every good luck day → Skull Cavern
Every neutral day → Mines
Bad luck days → Farm work
This keeps the run aggressive.
(Skull Cavern days are required, but neutral and bad luck days can be more flexible)

8. You must track your weekly profit
At the end of each week:

• Write down your total gold
• Compare it to last week

If it didn’t increase by at least 20%, you must:

• Sell an animal
• Or expand your farm
• Or buy a Joja upgrade early

This rule forces momentum.

9. No relationships unless it increases profit
You may only give gifts if:

• It unlocks a recipe that increases profit
• It unlocks a tool that increases profit
• It unlocks a spouse who increases profit

Everyone else gets ignored. No talking.

10. You must industrialize
Once you unlock kegs:

• You must build at least 10 per week
• You must fill every shed slot (or cabins, if that's what you choose to do)
• You must convert all wine crops into wine
• You may not sell raw starfruit or ancient fruit

This rule creates the late-game money machine.

11. Minimal Museum Donations
No artifacts (besides the ancient seed due to it being the only way to obtain the plantable recipe) may be given to Guntar, you don't give to charity.
This was originally the rule, but then I realized that would eliminate forced labor from the Junimos, so the following is a list of the 60 allowed donations to the Museum (They were chosen to be the cheapest values.) The total gold used to acquire the key is lower without the gemologist profession (SVE is also a valid way to acquire the key, but is only recommended to be added at the start of a save)

1. Dwarf Scoll 1 (1g)​

2. Dwarf Scroll 2 (1g)​

3. Dwarf Scroll 3 (1g)​

4. Dwarf Scroll 4 (1g)​

5. Ancient seed (5g)​

6. Limestone (15g/19g)​

7. Glass shards (20g)​

8. Rusty spoon (25g)​

9. Rusty spur (25g)​

10. Rusty cog (25g)​

11. Quartz (25g/32g)​

12. Mudstone (25g/32g)​

13. Chipped amphora (40g)​

14. Arrowhead (40g)​

15. Dried starfish (40g)​

16. Chewing stick (50g)​

17. Chicken statue (50g)​

18. Prehistoric tool (50g)​

19. Prehistoric handaxe (50g)​

20. Trilobite (50g)​

21. Ancient doll (60g)​

22. Baryte (50g/65g)​

23. Earth crystal (50g/65g)​

24. Sandstone (60g/78g)​

25. Nautilus fossil (80g)​

26. Frozen tear (75g/97g)​

27. Calcite (75g/97g)​

28. Granite (75g/97g)​

29. Ancient sword (100g)​

30. Anchor (100g)​

31. Bone flute (100g)​

32. Dwarvish helm (100g)​

33. Ancient drum (100g)​

34. Prehistoric scapula (100g)​

35. Prehistoric tibia (100g)​

36. Prehistoric skull (100g)​

37. Skeletal hand (100g)​

38. Prehistoric rib (100g)​

39. Prehistoric vertebra (100g)​

40. Skeletal tail (100g)​

41. Palm fossil (100g)​

42. Nekoite (80g/104g)​

43. Orpiment (80g/104g)​

44. Topaz (80g/104g)​

45. Slate (85g/110g)​

46. Esperite (100g/130g)​

47. Malachite (100g/130g)​

48. Thunder egg (100g/130g)​

49. Fire quartz (100g/130g)​

50. Amethyst (100g/130g)​

51. Marble (110g/143g)​

52. Jagoite (115g/149g)​

53. Amphibian (150g)​

54. Petrified slime (120g/156g)​

55. Pyrite (120g/156g)​

56. Soapstone (120g/156g)​

57. Aerinite (125g/162g)​

58. Celestine (125g/162g)​

59. Opal (150g/195g)​

60. Alamite/Geminite/Jamborite/Jasper/Hematite (150g/195g)​

TOTAL GOLD COST – 4,788g
Alternatively, using the CJB Cheats Menu you may simply check "Rusty Key" under "Advanced." If this is the method you'd like to go with you must purchase 8000g worth of anything and throw it away, as if you're paying for the key. (I am currently trying to make a mod that allows the traveling merchant to sell it, but am having bad luck.)

12. Be a greedy bastard

• No pets, they don't provide decent enough incentives (If a pet is accidentally acquired, attention must be minimal, no watering or petting.)
• All artifacts must be sold same-day. If they are not the artifact must be thrown away, can't let Guntar know your holding out on him. (Artifacts may also be gifted same-day (Penny likes artifacts))
• Nothing may be added to the soup for the Luau. (Despite the potential friendship boost, you would be wasting resources on individuals that you would not give gifts to according to rule #6)
• No gifts may be given for the Feast of the Winter Star. The exception to this rule is if before you recieved the notification of who your person is you had decided that person was worth gifting to (according to rule #6), if such is the case you are allowed to gift the person something, however, it cannot be something expensive (such as most universal gifts like iridium or prismatic shards).
  • EXAMPLE: You have decided to whoo Penny because the gifts she gives have a high monetary value. When you are notified on the 18th of who you are assigned to, it is revealed to be Penny. In this example you are allowed to gift her something.
• Help Wanted requests may only be completed if the monetary value of the reward exceeds the monetary value of the assignment (if the monetary values are equal, requests may be completed if it is for an individual that falls under rule #6)
• Story Quests may also only be completed if they are either 1. neccesary to recieve an important recipe/item or 2. the monetary value exceeds the cost of the items given. (In the case of Robin's axe and Linus's baskets, both give money if the items are returned and acquiring the item is free, so these are allowed.)
• Special Orders, similarly to Help Wanted and Story Quests, must have a value that exceeds that of the items delivered. (For example, if a person decides that the solar panel from Caroline's quest is necessary, they may complete the quest, but they may NOT complete it the second time, due to the reward simply being 50% of the gold value of the items)

MINI RULES

• Only ten (10) fish may be kept in chests at a time (To prevent hoarding)
• You must stay up until midnight at least. Passing out is allowed, but not recommended

For this challenge I recommend doing a new save file and having Movement Overhaul, SVE, and Shoplifter.

END GOAL
I realized after posting this that I forgot about an end goal. @Terdin mentioned to me that you can pay to acquire missing perfection percent, so I would say acquiring perfection is the perfect end goal! After all, if your producing right making several million should be easy!

 

[Hedgehogthe3rd]

I don’t think Linus’s basket actually gives money.
Should we give Lewis’s shorts to him because of the money reward?

 

[RavenTheBlank]

I don’t think Linus’s basket actually gives money.
Should we give Lewis’s shorts to him because of the money reward?

Your right! Linus's quest doesn't give money, so since we don't do things unless for monetary gain, unless you want something from Linus he gotta find it himself!
For Lewis's shorts returning them for the money reward is what you would do, however, due to the fact that accessing his shorts requires befriending Marnie, you have to have an alternative reason to befriend Marnie, since just the shorts really isn't worth enough.

 

[Terdin]

Story Quests may also only be completed if they are either 1. neccesary to recieve an important recipe/item or 2. the monetary value exceeds the cost of the items given. (In the case of Robin's axe and Linus's baskets, both give money if the items are returned and acquiring the item is free, so these are allowed.)

So, that means the story quests that aren't allowed to be completed are: Marnie's cave carrot, Kent's starfruit, Lewis' truffle oil, and Pam's battery. In all other cases the monetary reward exceeds the value of the item given, some by a small amount, others by a lot. Like others have said, Linus' basket is a toss-up as it doesn't give monetary reward, but it does help in getting Linus to where he gives the recipe for sashimi, and the recipe for wild bait.

Special Orders, similarly to Help Wanted and Story Quests, must have a value that exceeds that of the items delivered. (For example, if a person decides that the solar panel from Caroline's quest is necessary, they may complete the quest, but they may NOT complete it the second time, due to the reward simply being 50% of the gold value of the items)

The special order mentioned is badly chosen, as that one gives 50% extra for the crops sold for the order. So that if it's for ginger, you sell 100 of them, but get money as if you sold 150.
The special order to avoid is Gus' Famous Omelet. If the chickens lay large eggs, it's unprofitable unless it can be completed with base and silver quality eggs. But if the chickens are kept at a friendship/mood where they're barely producing, all small eggs are worth so little that the special order is profitable to complete.

 

[RavenTheBlank]

So, that means the story quests that aren't allowed to be completed are: Marnie's cave carrot, Kent's starfruit, Lewis' truffle oil, and Pam's battery. In all other cases the monetary reward exceeds the value of the item given, some by a small amount, others by a lot. Like others have said, Linus' basket is a toss-up as it doesn't give monetary reward, but it does help in getting Linus to where he gives the recipe for sashimi, and the recipe for wild bait.


The special order mentioned is badly chosen, as that one gives 50% extra for the crops sold for the order. So that if it's for ginger, you sell 100 of them, but get money as if you sold 150.
The special order to avoid is Gus' Famous Omelet. If the chickens lay large eggs, it's unprofitable unless it can be completed with base and silver quality eggs. But if the chickens are kept at a friendship/mood where they're barely producing, all small eggs are worth so little that the special order is profitable to complete.

First of all, for the story quests you mentioned, you are technically right, unless, of course, you believe that Marnie/Lewis/Pam/Kent provide equivocal bonuses when reaching certain levels of hearts. For example, Kent provides the recipe for the Super Meal at seven hearts. If a person decides that is important enough that Kent would fall under rule 6, then giving Kent a Starfruit would be allowed.

The special order I mentioned says it gives 50% of the crop value, not 150%. This may not be the case after the first completion, but I honestly don't know. As for Gus' famous omelet, it actually is pretty easily profitable. Large eggs are not required at all, and iridium quality normal eggs with the rancher profession only go for 120g (120*24=2880g<3000g) However, if for some reason a person decides to use exclusively large eggs (which cost more) they can still give silver quality if they don't have the rancher profession or regular quality if they do. But tbf, who is going to spend extra time focusing on gathering 24 large eggs when regular eggs work just fine. Additionally, due to rule 2, there is a distinct possibility that you would never actually reach high enough friendship with a chicken, since they must produce every day and if they don't they're sold. If memory serves me right, large eggs aren't super common, so I don't think gathering the 24 eggs would be difficult.

 

[Terdin]

The special order I mentioned says it gives 50% of the crop value, not 150%.

Yes. But to complete it, you need to put the crops in the shipping bin, getting 100% of the crop value for that. Then 50% extra when cashing in on the reward for completing the special order. 100 + 50 = 150. This holds true when the quest is for ginger, or if only shipping base quality crops for the other two. For the other two possible crops you'd probably ship higher quality crops too, meaning the reward would be a little less than 50% of what you already earned from shipping them since it's 50% of the base quality crop.

Not making sure chickens and cows are kept happy enough to ensure that they produce every day and not making them make large produce, falls under what I call "stupidly cheap/greedy" as it's not maximizing their profit.

 

[Ih8Lewis4ever]

Hello all! I've been working on a Stardew Valley challenge and I think I've finally worked out the kinks. I want to know what everyone thinks. :>

MONEY GREMLIN CHALLENGE
A structured, greedy, efficiency‑driven challenge that still feels playful.

1. You must buy the Joja membership before Summer 1

2. Your free coop must become a profit engine, not a petting zoo
Rules for animals:

• You may only keep animals that produce daily
• Any animal that stops producing → sold immediately
• No naming animals cute things
• No barns until Summer
• No pigs until Year 2

3. Every crop must have a purpose
You may only plant crops that fit one of these categories:

• Fast cash (potatoes, kale)
• Scaling profit (strawberries, blueberries)
• Wine fuel (starfruit, ancient fruit)
• No “for fun” crops.
• No decoration crops.
• No mixed fields.

Random other crops are allowed if the seeds are acquired via a free method (crafting wild seeds or shoplifting (If the shoplifting mod is installed))

4. You must end every day with a net profit
If you end a day with negative or zero profit, you must:

• Sell something you were saving
• Or clear a patch of crops

This rule forces you to stay sharp. (Rule #6 does hold an exception)

5. You must unlock Joja upgrades in a strict order
1. Minecarts
2. Greenhouse
3. Bus
4. Quarry
5. Panning
This order maximizes profit acceleration.

6. You must reinvest 70% of your gold
Every weekend you must reinvenst your money:
70% goes into seeds, animals, kegs, or Joja upgrades
30% can be kept
During the weekend the net positive rule does not apply. (Unless you want to make it really difficult)

7. Skull Cavern becomes mandatory once the bus opens
Not optional.
Not “when you feel like it.”
Every good luck day → Skull Cavern
Every neutral day → Mines
Bad luck days → Farm work
This keeps the run aggressive.
(Skull Cavern days are required, but neutral and bad luck days can be more flexible)

8. You must track your weekly profit
At the end of each week:

• Write down your total gold
• Compare it to last week

If it didn’t increase by at least 20%, you must:

• Sell an animal
• Or expand your farm
• Or buy a Joja upgrade early

This rule forces momentum.

9. No relationships unless it increases profit
You may only give gifts if:

• It unlocks a recipe that increases profit
• It unlocks a tool that increases profit
• It unlocks a spouse who increases profit

Everyone else gets ignored. No talking.

10. You must industrialize
Once you unlock kegs:

• You must build at least 10 per week
• You must fill every shed slot (or cabins, if that's what you choose to do)
• You must convert all wine crops into wine
• You may not sell raw starfruit or ancient fruit

This rule creates the late-game money machine.

11. Minimal Museum Donations
No artifacts (besides the ancient seed due to it being the only way to obtain the plantable recipe) may be given to Guntar, you don't give to charity.
This was originally the rule, but then I realized that would eliminate forced labor from the Junimos, so the following is a list of the 60 allowed donations to the Museum (They were chosen to be the cheapest values.) The total gold used to acquire the key is lower without the gemologist profession (SVE is also a valid way to acquire the key, but is only recommended to be added at the start of a save)

1. Dwarf Scoll 1 (1g)​

2. Dwarf Scroll 2 (1g)​

3. Dwarf Scroll 3 (1g)​

4. Dwarf Scroll 4 (1g)​

5. Ancient seed (5g)​

6. Limestone (15g/19g)​

7. Glass shards (20g)​

8. Rusty spoon (25g)​

9. Rusty spur (25g)​

10. Rusty cog (25g)​

11. Quartz (25g/32g)​

12. Mudstone (25g/32g)​

13. Chipped amphora (40g)​

14. Arrowhead (40g)​

15. Dried starfish (40g)​

16. Chewing stick (50g)​

17. Chicken statue (50g)​

18. Prehistoric tool (50g)​

19. Prehistoric handaxe (50g)​

20. Trilobite (50g)​

21. Ancient doll (60g)​

22. Baryte (50g/65g)​

23. Earth crystal (50g/65g)​

24. Sandstone (60g/78g)​

25. Nautilus fossil (80g)​

26. Frozen tear (75g/97g)​

27. Calcite (75g/97g)​

28. Granite (75g/97g)​

29. Ancient sword (100g)​

30. Anchor (100g)​

31. Bone flute (100g)​

32. Dwarvish helm (100g)​

33. Ancient drum (100g)​

34. Prehistoric scapula (100g)​

35. Prehistoric tibia (100g)​

36. Prehistoric skull (100g)​

37. Skeletal hand (100g)​

38. Prehistoric rib (100g)​

39. Prehistoric vertebra (100g)​

40. Skeletal tail (100g)​

41. Palm fossil (100g)​

42. Nekoite (80g/104g)​

43. Orpiment (80g/104g)​

44. Topaz (80g/104g)​

45. Slate (85g/110g)​

46. Esperite (100g/130g)​

47. Malachite (100g/130g)​

48. Thunder egg (100g/130g)​

49. Fire quartz (100g/130g)​

50. Amethyst (100g/130g)​

51. Marble (110g/143g)​

52. Jagoite (115g/149g)​

53. Amphibian (150g)​

54. Petrified slime (120g/156g)​

55. Pyrite (120g/156g)​

56. Soapstone (120g/156g)​

57. Aerinite (125g/162g)​

58. Celestine (125g/162g)​

59. Opal (150g/195g)​

60. Alamite/Geminite/Jamborite/Jasper/Hematite (150g/195g)​

TOTAL GOLD COST – 4,788g
Alternatively, using the CJB Cheats Menu you may simply check "Rusty Key" under "Advanced." If this is the method you'd like to go with you must purchase 8000g worth of anything and throw it away, as if you're paying for the key. (I am currently trying to make a mod that allows the traveling merchant to sell it, but am having bad luck.)

12. Be a greedy bastard

• No pets, they don't provide decent enough incentives (If a pet is accidentally acquired, attention must be minimal, no watering or petting.)
• All artifacts must be sold same-day. If they are not the artifact must be thrown away, can't let Guntar know your holding out on him. (Artifacts may also be gifted same-day (Penny likes artifacts))
• Nothing may be added to the soup for the Luau. (Despite the potential friendship boost, you would be wasting resources on individuals that you would not give gifts to according to rule #6)
• No gifts may be given for the Feast of the Winter Star. The exception to this rule is if before you recieved the notification of who your person is you had decided that person was worth gifting to (according to rule #6), if such is the case you are allowed to gift the person something, however, it cannot be something expensive (such as most universal gifts like iridium or prismatic shards).
  • EXAMPLE: You have decided to whoo Penny because the gifts she gives have a high monetary value. When you are notified on the 18th of who you are assigned to, it is revealed to be Penny. In this example you are allowed to gift her something.
• Help Wanted requests may only be completed if the monetary value of the reward exceeds the monetary value of the assignment (if the monetary values are equal, requests may be completed if it is for an individual that falls under rule #6)
• Story Quests may also only be completed if they are either 1. neccesary to recieve an important recipe/item or 2. the monetary value exceeds the cost of the items given. (In the case of Robin's axe and Linus's baskets, both give money if the items are returned and acquiring the item is free, so these are allowed.)
• Special Orders, similarly to Help Wanted and Story Quests, must have a value that exceeds that of the items delivered. (For example, if a person decides that the solar panel from Caroline's quest is necessary, they may complete the quest, but they may NOT complete it the second time, due to the reward simply being 50% of the gold value of the items)

MINI RULES

• Only ten (10) fish may be kept in chests at a time (To prevent hoarding)
• You must stay up until midnight at least. Passing out is allowed, but not recommended

For this challenge I recommend doing a new save file and having Movement Overhaul, SVE, Shoplifter,

This is harsh!!

 

[RavenTheBlank]

Yes. But to complete it, you need to put the crops in the shipping bin, getting 100% of the crop value for that. Then 50% extra when cashing in on the reward for completing the special order. 100 + 50 = 150. This holds true when the quest is for ginger, or if only shipping base quality crops for the other two. For the other two possible crops you'd probably ship higher quality crops too, meaning the reward would be a little less than 50% of what you already earned from shipping them since it's 50% of the base quality crop.

Not making sure chickens and cows are kept happy enough to ensure that they produce every day and not making them make large produce, falls under what I call "stupidly cheap/greedy" as it's not maximizing their profit.

Ahhh. I see. I didn't actually know how that quest worked, I never have done it before because I don't want the solar panels. Lol.
Anyway, I think some of it may be RNG, it's been a hot minute since I had a full happiness coop (I get bored of saves fast) but I will mention that greedy is kinda the name of the game. Lol. Anyway, I am in no means an expert, and if large eggs is all your getting while following the rules, then yeah, the special order isn't allowed.

 

[RavenTheBlank]

This is harsh!!

Define harsh

 

[Yvi]

This looks super interesting! I like the idea of not being able to save longer term because of needing to spend money right away, and also purposefully nerfing by only getting animals that produce every day instead of more valuable animals.

What is the end goal? See how fast to make a certain amount? Purchase every upgrade? Get perfection??? (Perfection this way would be a bit of a headache imo)

 

[Terdin]

Anyway, I think some of it may be RNG, it's been a hot minute since I had a full happiness coop (I get bored of saves fast) but I will mention that greedy is kinda the name of the game.

Some of it is RNG, yes, but happiness and mood weigh in a lot. At full hearts, they rarely give me below silver quality large produce. This ensures that I get gold quality processed produce. If you have an auto-petter in the coop or barn, then you can avoid taking care of them, but otherwise you need to do it most days.
I prefer being efficiently greedy to being stupidly greedy. Stupidly greedy is doing something that seems profitable but ignoring ways of making more profit with it. Some, or even much of the stuff in this challenge of yours is efficiently greedy, but when it comes to animals it's stupidly greedy.
The "no selling starfruit/ancient fruits without having turned them into wine first" to rephrase the rules above is a prime example of efficiently greedy.

 

[Luna_Tuna]

Why can’t be name our animals anything cute
:(

 

[RavenTheBlank]

This looks super interesting! I like the idea of not being able to save longer term because of needing to spend money right away, and also purposefully nerfing by only getting animals that produce every day instead of more valuable animals.

What is the end goal? See how fast to make a certain amount? Purchase every upgrade? Get perfection??? (Perfection this way would be a bit of a headache imo)

I suppose I didn't consider an end-goal, I don't think perfection is even possible with the rules in place. Hmm, probably end goal would be to cover every viable inch of the farm and quarry with profit producing things.

 

[RavenTheBlank]

Why can’t be name our animals anything cute
:(

Because they aren't pets, they're only for money. Money is all that matters in this challenge. Lol.

 

[RavenTheBlank]

Some of it is RNG, yes, but happiness and mood weigh in a lot. At full hearts, they rarely give me below silver quality large produce. This ensures that I get gold quality processed produce. If you have an auto-petter in the coop or barn, then you can avoid taking care of them, but otherwise you need to do it most days.
I prefer being efficiently greedy to being stupidly greedy. Stupidly greedy is doing something that seems profitable but ignoring ways of making more profit with it. Some, or even much of the stuff in this challenge of yours is efficiently greedy, but when it comes to animals it's stupidly greedy.
The "no selling starfruit/ancient fruits without having turned them into wine first" to rephrase the rules above is a prime example of efficiently greedy.

Well, I'm efficiently greedy with animals in my normal saves, so I wanted to do something different. Plus, if everything makes the most sense or is simple, then the challenge aspect is gone! Lol

 

[Luna_Tuna]

Because they aren't pets, they're only for money. Money is all that matters in this challenge. Lol.

It would be hard for me not too ngl

​

 

[RavenTheBlank]

It would be hard for me not too ngl

​

Well, what's a challenge without hard parts?! I think I'll name all my animals after currencies or just chicken1 pig1 etc.

 

[Luna_Tuna]

Well, what's a challenge without hard parts?! I think I'll name all my animals after currencies or just chicken1 pig1 etc.

True

 

[zack123]

I think this kind of challange would be right up @FilthyGorilla alley. Not for me though, but interesting rules.

 

[Terdin]

Why can’t be name our animals anything cute
:(

I think that's because we'd then get attached to them and avoid selling them if they don't produce. I know that in a different game I had to sacrifice 50 chickens, so I named them 1, 2, 3... and so on, in part to keep track of where I was, and in part to not feel guilty of it. I did have two pampered and properly named show chickens.

I don't think perfection is even possible with the rules in place.

It is, if you're is willing to pay Joja 500,000 G per percent that you need waivers for. You might need around 40 million for that, depending on how many stray percent you get from the goals you can complete partially.