Favorite Moments

[SteveDJ9999]

I've recently been thinking of some of my favorite moments in the game. Not full cutscenes, nor full heart events. More like a moment that can be captured in a still screenshot.

A couple times that come to mind are that moment when you get the Galaxy Sword, or the moment you see a monster drop a prismatic shard. And while the wedding scene is lengthy, a single screenshot can still capture such a favorite moment (provided one remembers to change their clothes the night before ).

Alas, I didn't think of this until now, so I'll need to go back (or start a new save) to get my own screenshots.

But what about you? What would be your favorite moments? Got any screenshots?

Note: let's keep this basic game, so no mods.

Note2: some people's moments/screenshots may include spoilers, so read on at your own risk.

With that, let's hear or see your favorite moments!

 

[FilthyGorilla]

At least for basic progression, some of my favourite moments are the little unlocks and qol you achieve just going through the game. In a standard run something like a satisfying run in the mines/sc/volcano, getting to key progression points, starting to reach points where you can be more hands off in your playing, etc.

As many may know though, I usually play the game far from typically. I think most of my most enjoyable experiences in game have been basically pushing it to its limit and messing with some incredibly random bugs.
One of the most satisfying moments I've ever had was finishing the first final iteration of my main farm layout for good. Spending a decade in game creating buildings before finally finishing made me so incredibly happy.

Another was hitting a max sale (2,147,483,647g), felt like a sort of culminating achievement as it marked roughly where I passed 10 billion gold, a rather mountainous goal I had set out that I had every intention of following through with but that was still almost surprising when I did.
https://youtu.be/5GaVG3qwyzA?si=XdUc5QtQ9z1TmmaR (a youtube link as I was recording and didn't want to see obvious screenshots throughout)

The ability to just lose it all by making any money was pretty surreal too, it's incredibly fun and I don't recommend getting there one bit.

There are a bunch more but these are a couple that really stand out to me, at least of the ones in my main save that really got me back into playing the game on PC.

 

[Lew Zealand]

No screenshots of any cool events as I only started that when I needed to remember things for writing.

Frankly, obsessively playing those first few IRL days in the game for like 4-8 hours each day was unlike anything else I'd ever done in gaming. Sure, I'd enjoyed loads of games previously and even played some for longer times when a younger person, but the way that Stardew grabbed me was completely unlike any other. An easy way to explain it is: In most games I get bored/antsy after one or a few hours. That did not happen even once with my first Stardew playthrough. Reaching the end of the main story content on v1.3 and realizing there was nothing left was... not a good time. Major mental crash.

In-game things:

* First bouquet to Penny. Also first marriage to same. I'd never played a game with a relationship angle to it so it was all weirdly good and new.
* Being able to finally afford the things I wanted for my first save like the Obelisks and Return Sceptre. Being able to travel instantly almost anywhere and back was revelatory. ...especially as I never got the Horse. I didn't know it makes you go faster. I didn't know it did anything at all. I didn't know when you built the Stable, it came with the Horse and you didn't need to go out to find one or something. Soooooo many things I didn't know for that first whole playthrough.
* Realizing part of RPGing the game is making Clothing and planning outfits. The v1.4 update seemed like a waste to me for years but at some point my brain apparently decided to turn on after unknown aeons of disuse and I realized that was a fun part of the game I was missing. I think it was joining here that helped me realize that. Thanks to you all!
* Catching all 5 Legend IIs in one day and writing a story about was great fun. As with almost all my stories I did not intend to write it, only to post that I'd got all 5 but then this thing happens in the back of my head when I start typing and... it kinda takes over and starts running the show. Here's that story, lol with actual screencaps: A Fish Tale

Back outside of gameplay, writing my first Stardew story here was by far my most intense and personal experience with the game, amazingly even more than that first initial playthrough. It was also a strange kind of obsession too as it wasn't so much that I wanted to write it but I needed to. Through that and other stories I got to know Farmer Bobbi in all her parallel universe alter egos which has enhanced my connection with the game in ways I'd never have thought possible.

Pretty cool stuff from a game some guy made.

 

[PerfectionWhaleFarm]

Admittedly, my favorite moments have been mostly fishing because honestly it's the more exciting, unpredictable portion of the game for me:
1. Catching Iridium Scorpion Carp, Blobfish pre-Quality Bobber and Magic Bait - It's a combination of luck and skill! Very difficult feat honestly, and I remember the excitement when I finally got them!
2. Catching a perfect Lingcod - This is the hardest fish I was able to catch perfectly, and this was done without any boosts like food or tackle! I was a much better fisherman pre1.4 when Legend was infinite catches, and probably wouldn't be able to do that again now...
3. Figuring out how to catch all qualities of The Legend - There was a lot of community help in this, and things I previously thought impossible slowly came together one by one! (Iridium post-Quality Bobber, Normal with training rod, Silver with bubbling spots)
4. Figuring out how to get the rarer items in game (Dynamic seeds, clone glitch exploits) - Again, the community aspect and discovery part of this task was really exciting, and the people involved are all very cool for getting all the tasks sorted out one by one!
5. Getting my first Living Hat - Yeah the process is a little boring if you are actively hunting for it, but the highs are just that much higher after it all. Unlike fishing for Work Boots, this was more manageable and didn't completely break me, but instead allowed me to chase that high I was seeking
6. Beating Junimo Cart legitimately - I just didn't think I had it in me... back in the original Junimo Cart days, there were exploits to allow you to "win" the game in very dishonorable ways... but when that was removed I just thought I didn't have a chance. Lo and behold, one serious afternoon of grinding later, I did it! I did it with the infamous Mushroom Stage too. It was really really fun, and a sense of gamer pride to not yield to this arcade game. My subsequent winnings are equally favorites because this game just brings sheer excitement out of ya.
7. Green Rain, Darker Volcano Dungeon - The aesthetics are just so vastly different and improved, the act of being consumed by them for the very first time is an instant favorite.

Wish I have videoed some of these, but alas... and sorry for bending the word "favorite" to mean "multiple favorites"!

 

[Maher]

That moment when you have battled your way through the ten volcano levels and emerged onto the caldera for the first time and you hear the dreamy music and the fire monkeys are lounging around and a Prismatic Shard is just suddenly there along with a golden walnut or two. It may be a lake of fire, but it's more chill than Caroline's tea room.

 

[HaleyRocks]

Other than gameplay related things, i like:

1) Morris treating Pierre to some appropriate "medicine", for his horrible greed.
2) Old Mr. Frog funny interaction and hilarious lines, at Ginger Island.
3) Mermaids singing for you (Night Market, outside of Pirate Cove).
4) Meeting late at night, that big, white, funny animal, which reminds of an ant-eater.
5) Leah punching her ex.
6) Shane smashed from alcohol and confessing to the player he is useless, wants to suicide, cannot bear life and is even too coward to even do that.
7) Catching Marnie and Lewis doing that, inside the big bush, at midnight.
8) Demetrius and Robin, vegetables VS fruit scene!
9) Vincent enthusiastically giving us a seminar on Spring onions peeling and Jas, on bugs rescuing from it.
10) Witch and Fairy visits, at night!
11) Giant crop (only once i managed to come by).
12) What happens if you drop Lewis' pants, inside the Luau soup.

 

[Zieria]

My most recent favourite was on Ginger Island. It was dark, I chopped down a palm tree near the tiger slime grove, and suddenly I had about 20 coloured butterflies dancing round my head. I think the impact was greater because of the dark. Just like fireworks but better.

 

[nicodeux]

One of my favourite moments was when I reached the Summit with my first farm that I started (real) years before, when Stardew Valley was at update 1.3. I even made a backup of the save file to be able to play it again here and then.

​

Most of my favourite moments were with the same save file. A few months before I started to play Stardew Valley, if someone had tell me that I would soon play a farming simulation game and that it would become my favourite game for the years to come, I would have adviced that someone to take it easy on beverage.

However, soon after, I was in a situation similar to the farmer when (s)he is working at Joja HQ. However, I had no Grandpa's letter and I gave a try to Stardew Valley as an escape and that escape lasts for years now. I had many incredible moments discovering the game during my first walkthrough.

Like @Lew Zealand, the first romance in game led to three favourite moments: Emily reaction when accepting the bouquet, the night camping with her in the Secret Woods and of course the marriage ceremony.

But my favourite moment of all is the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. During my first playthrough, at the end of the first Summer, I was less enthusiast than I was for Spring (I discovered later than Summer is my "less" favourite season in the game). And then, my farmer went to the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies for that last night of Summer. O boy! I was taken aback by the poetry of the event which became an instant favourite! I had hundred of Dance of the Moonlight Jellies since, yet everytime one of my farmers hits Summer 28, I wait for a quiet and calm moment of time to play that day, so I can really appreciate the festival. And the only thing I disliked in update 1.5 was Pierre holding a booth during Dance of the Moonlight Jellies as I think it spoils the atmosphere.

 

[RoseNoire]

When I got all the autopetters I needed for my barns and coops. It's such a pain to get, but it's worse to care for several animals every day. When I finally looted the last autopetter in SC, I felt free to finaly enjoy the rest of the game.

 

[stardew_luv]

At least for basic progression, some of my favourite moments are the little unlocks and qol you achieve just going through the game. In a standard run something like a satisfying run in the mines/sc/volcano, getting to key progression points, starting to reach points where you can be more hands off in your playing, etc.

As many may know though, I usually play the game far from typically. I think most of my most enjoyable experiences in game have been basically pushing it to its limit and messing with some incredibly random bugs.
One of the most satisfying moments I've ever had was finishing the first final iteration of my main farm layout for good. Spending a decade in game creating buildings before finally finishing made me so incredibly happy.
View attachment 27905

Another was hitting a max sale (2,147,483,647g), felt like a sort of culminating achievement as it marked roughly where I passed 10 billion gold, a rather mountainous goal I had set out that I had every intention of following through with but that was still almost surprising when I did.
https://youtu.be/5GaVG3qwyzA?si=XdUc5QtQ9z1TmmaR (a youtube link as I was recording and didn't want to see obvious screenshots throughout)

The ability to just lose it all by making any money was pretty surreal too, it's incredibly fun and I don't recommend getting there one bit.

There are a bunch more but these are a couple that really stand out to me, at least of the ones in my main save that really got me back into playing the game on PC.

you scare me with your mountainous achievements. They make my head spin just thinking of the talent they showcase or the grueling amount of work it took to get there. Not that your achievements arent unbelievably amazing and only the smallest percent of players actually achieve, and make me jealous beyond belief that they can actually be accomplished, but that would absolutely suck all fun out of the game for me. I guess that’s why Stardew’s playstyle is so perfect. You can make it yours and your happy place in whatever way that may look like for each individual.

FG you and your enormous achievements, accomplishments and contributions to this game absolutely make this rocking world go round!

 

[MogBeoulve]

When I got all the autopetters I needed for my barns and coops. It's such a pain to get, but it's worse to care for several animals every day. When I finally looted the last autopetter in SC, I felt free to finally enjoy the rest of the game.

You ... you don't want to pet your little friends?

 

[RoseNoire]

@MogBeoulve : I do, but when you get too many, they become a bit too high maintenance for me in order for them to make quality produce. I don't like the fact that I have to run around to pet them all, even inside a pen. I do pet them, though. It feels more fun when you don't have to.

 

[MogBeoulve]

@MogBeoulve : I do, but when you get too many, they become a bit too high maintenance for me in order for them to make quality produce. I don't like the fact that I have to run around to pet them all, even inside a pen. I do pet them, though. It feels more fun when you don't have to.

Hm, in my experience, even without autopetters, once you max out their hearts, they stay pretty high even if you only pet them something like twice a week. We as a community might think we "have" to pet our livestock more often than keeping them at maximum production actually requires. You can also get away without petting ducks, void chickens, and sometimes dinosaurs.

 

[FilthyGorilla]

One of my favourite moments was when I reached the Summit with my first farm that I started (real) years before, when Stardew Valley was at update 1.3. I even made a backup of the save file to be able to play it again here and then.

View attachment 27927
​

Most of my favourite moments were with the same save file. A few months before I started to play Stardew Valley, if someone had tell me that I would soon play a farming simulation game and that it would become my favourite game for the years to come, I would have adviced that someone to take it easy on beverage.

However, soon after, I was in a situation similar to the farmer when (s)he is working at Joja HQ. However, I had no Grandpa's letter and I gave a try to Stardew Valley as an escape and that escape lasts for years now. I had many incredible moments discovering the game during my first walkthrough.

Like @Lew Zealand, the first romance in game led to three favourite moments: Emily reaction when accepting the bouquet, the night camping with her in the Secret Woods and of course the marriage ceremony.

But my favourite moment of all is the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. During my first playthrough, at the end of the first Summer, I was less enthusiast than I was for Spring (I discovered later than Summer is my "less" favourite season in the game). And then, my farmer went to the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies for that last night of Summer. O boy! I was taken aback by the poetry of the event which became an instant favourite! I had hundred of Dance of the Moonlight Jellies since, yet everytime one of my farmers hits Summer 28, I wait for a quiet and calm moment of time to play that day, so I can really appreciate the festival. And the only thing I disliked in update 1.5 was Pierre holding a booth during Dance of the Moonlight Jellies as I think it spoils the atmosphere.

This is inspiring me to pick up my oldest save file (that I still have, from around the same time too), and do it justice in finishing it off. I don't think I've touched it in 5 or so years but it deserves a proper ending after all this time.

 

[FilthyGorilla]

Hm, in my experience, even without autopetters, once you max out their hearts, they stay pretty high even if you only pet them something like twice a week. We as a community might think we "have" to pet our livestock more often than keeping them at maximum production actually requires. You can also get away without petting ducks, void chickens, and sometimes dinosaurs.

Yep! decay basically halves as you approach the max friendship, and just letting the animals eat grass outside will nullify the decay all on its own at that point (much earlier for blue grass). Though you do need to give them some love in the winter to keep up those hearts for the new year (heater doesn't affect friendship, only mood and in a way that isn't all that useful either).

 

[RoseNoire]

Oh, I didn't know decay slowed down as you get to their maximum hearts. Thanks for the info !

 

[PoppyForPenny]

One time I saw Emily dancing on the beach at the resort while Sam played guitar!
I was looking for Shane at jojamart once and saw him climb out from the bin of potatoes!
I also really enjoy the tortilla episode of Queen of Sauce. These cute and humorous moments are some of my favorite little things, delightful.