Husband just got stardew…
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StardewKat111
Farmhand
I'm not a pro, but I've been playing for a while and I suggest making a list of your community center items and when you can get them in the notes app. That way, you can check them all of throughout the year and you won't forget.
I suggest (with enough patience) to try to focus on fishing throughout spring as a big money and skill bonus for later on. Don't forget that as a new player w/ low energy, those spring leeks are very helpful! Also, don't throw away seaweed or kelp. Keep it all for when you need a refill for your energy, and then you can fish nonstop.
If you have a day where you don't know what to do or get tired of fishing, clear out the farm or go mining. In the fall, make sure to grow plenty of wheat and grass for any animals you might have first year. Keep that hay (not the wheat but the hay you get from it) through winter and use it when you need it. If you feel like getting any animals, I suggest a coop w/ chickens (and maybe ducks) first, because you can more easily make mayonnaise early on.
I know there are many other tips, and on Youtube there are plenty of good pointer videos.
I suggest (with enough patience) to try to focus on fishing throughout spring as a big money and skill bonus for later on. Don't forget that as a new player w/ low energy, those spring leeks are very helpful! Also, don't throw away seaweed or kelp. Keep it all for when you need a refill for your energy, and then you can fish nonstop.
If you have a day where you don't know what to do or get tired of fishing, clear out the farm or go mining. In the fall, make sure to grow plenty of wheat and grass for any animals you might have first year. Keep that hay (not the wheat but the hay you get from it) through winter and use it when you need it. If you feel like getting any animals, I suggest a coop w/ chickens (and maybe ducks) first, because you can more easily make mayonnaise early on.
I know there are many other tips, and on Youtube there are plenty of good pointer videos.
imnvs
Local Legend
First, do not ever compare your first farm's progress against that of anyone else.
Second, take it easy. Don't stress time limits. Explore the game. Wander around. Pick stuff up. Chat with people.
Third, do the Community Center on your first playthrough every time. It will make you explore and learn which aspects of the game you enjoy.
Fourth, when others tell you what to do only listen if you first asked how the mechanics of something works. On your first playthrough you shouldn't be worried about maximizing production or any sort of speed/challenge-run. Just enjoy the game, but when you don't understand how to do something, don't feel ashamed to ask. Everyone will try not to spoil things for you while also making sure the mechanics don't ruin it for you too.
Have fun!
Second, take it easy. Don't stress time limits. Explore the game. Wander around. Pick stuff up. Chat with people.
Third, do the Community Center on your first playthrough every time. It will make you explore and learn which aspects of the game you enjoy.
Fourth, when others tell you what to do only listen if you first asked how the mechanics of something works. On your first playthrough you shouldn't be worried about maximizing production or any sort of speed/challenge-run. Just enjoy the game, but when you don't understand how to do something, don't feel ashamed to ask. Everyone will try not to spoil things for you while also making sure the mechanics don't ruin it for you too.
Have fun!
One More Day
Farmer
I strongly recommend that he forgets he ever saw or even heard of this game, because it's going to become a way of life
Failing that, his best bet is to ignore all wikis, forums, social media groups etc about the game, and enjoy the fun of discovering it all for himself. The best part of this incredible game is in those first few seasons of working it all out for yourself. You only ever get one chance to make your first farm, and the best way is to do it without the prejudices of other people's experiences.
There's no mistakes that have enduring consequences - it's not a roguelike, there's no permadeath. It's a completely open-ended game and slow but continuous improvement in it is absolutely fine.
Failing that, his best bet is to ignore all wikis, forums, social media groups etc about the game, and enjoy the fun of discovering it all for himself. The best part of this incredible game is in those first few seasons of working it all out for yourself. You only ever get one chance to make your first farm, and the best way is to do it without the prejudices of other people's experiences.
There's no mistakes that have enduring consequences - it's not a roguelike, there's no permadeath. It's a completely open-ended game and slow but continuous improvement in it is absolutely fine.
Lew Zealand
Helper
Take it easy and follow the game's quest prompts, especially the Community Center. Slower is better.
Take it easy.
Plant some stuffs, Forage some stuffs, go Mining when that happens, use the Training Rod if you're not a Geometry Dash god, talk to everyone whenever you can, give decent-looking gifts.
Don't hit the Wiki until your second playthrough, that destroys that first wonderful naive experience. You only get that special chance once. Unless you have memory loss. In which case, sorry and Hello, nice to meet you!
Take it eeeeeeeasy.
Take it easy.
Plant some stuffs, Forage some stuffs, go Mining when that happens, use the Training Rod if you're not a Geometry Dash god, talk to everyone whenever you can, give decent-looking gifts.
Don't hit the Wiki until your second playthrough, that destroys that first wonderful naive experience. You only get that special chance once. Unless you have memory loss. In which case, sorry and Hello, nice to meet you!
Take it eeeeeeeasy.
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Dr. eeL
Farmer
Anyone who is enjoying playing the game is "successful". I would simply sit next to him for a bit while he plays, and not offer any advice unless you see him getting stuck. Most of the earliest issues are somewhat mechanical in nature. Maybe he doesn't know how to open doors, use one of his tools, or what to do when his backpack is full. By smoothing over these issues, you can make the getting started part more fun and soon he will be playing the game as much as you.
PoppyForPenny
Farmer
Explore the map- visit the shops, wander around the beach and forest. Read your mail, watch the Living Off The Land. The game gently guides and prompts you in the beginning. Let it nudge you along. Do what you like, there's no rush, no penalties. Just soak it up because you only get one first time!
Giant Octopodes
Farmer
Everyone is of course 100% correct in that the best thing to do is to go in "blind" and explore, learn the game naturally rather than via Wiki and Forums. However that being said, there are some things which could to be made more clear in the game. Since he is not you, here are some tips, feel free to pass these along or not!
Top 10 things I wish someone had told me before starting my first playthrough:
1. Get a silo before a coop. It's easier that way.
2. There is a training rod for sale in the fishing shop. If you're having trouble fishing, give it a whirl.
3. Don't plant way too many crops and set yourself up to have to water them for 10 hours a day, leave yourself time and energy to explore.
4. If something Terrible happens (like accidentally blowing up your most valued possessions, or losing everything of worth you own in the mines) you can exit to title or desktop and reload to restart the day.
5. Don't sell wood or stone, or other low-value basic materials like them. Even if you have more than you need currently, that'll probably change over time.
6. Watch the "Queen of Sauce" on Sundays on the TV.
7. You can purchase a calendar from the Carpenter's shop, which makes it easy to check daily. This is helpful because folks Really like when you give them gifts on their birthday.
8. Counter intuitively, if you find yourself snacking on raw fish as an energy source early as I tend to do, it's better to eat the gold star ones than the base quality ones.
9. Chests can be placed outside of the farm, which is nice if you have somewhere you visit (like say the Mines, or fishing spots) where you tend to accumulate more materials than your initial inventory can hold.
10. Read your mail! Even if you disregard it in real life there's some helpful stuff and tips that can show up in there, so it's worth actually reading.
Hope that helps! Most of all I really hope he enjoys!
Top 10 things I wish someone had told me before starting my first playthrough:
1. Get a silo before a coop. It's easier that way.
2. There is a training rod for sale in the fishing shop. If you're having trouble fishing, give it a whirl.
3. Don't plant way too many crops and set yourself up to have to water them for 10 hours a day, leave yourself time and energy to explore.
4. If something Terrible happens (like accidentally blowing up your most valued possessions, or losing everything of worth you own in the mines) you can exit to title or desktop and reload to restart the day.
5. Don't sell wood or stone, or other low-value basic materials like them. Even if you have more than you need currently, that'll probably change over time.
6. Watch the "Queen of Sauce" on Sundays on the TV.
7. You can purchase a calendar from the Carpenter's shop, which makes it easy to check daily. This is helpful because folks Really like when you give them gifts on their birthday.
8. Counter intuitively, if you find yourself snacking on raw fish as an energy source early as I tend to do, it's better to eat the gold star ones than the base quality ones.
9. Chests can be placed outside of the farm, which is nice if you have somewhere you visit (like say the Mines, or fishing spots) where you tend to accumulate more materials than your initial inventory can hold.
10. Read your mail! Even if you disregard it in real life there's some helpful stuff and tips that can show up in there, so it's worth actually reading.
Hope that helps! Most of all I really hope he enjoys!
nicodeux
Farmer
First of all, you are very lucky to have your beloved one playing with you (or at least the same game as you). Stardew Valley is a cooperative and positive game, I bet you will have some very enjoyable time together.
Like all contributors above, I strongly recommend letting the game guide him and let him enjoy it like some kind of journey: Stardew Valley has a Zelda-like way to introduce progressively the player to the game plot and mechanics.
As Stardew Valley is not performance nor objective focused, your husband can safely take his time to wander, discover and more simply: enjoy the game. Moreover, the game has a high replayability, so doing the first playthrough genuily (without wiki or youtube or whatelse), he doesn't have to fear to miss a thing as he can still enjoy it on a second playthrough (or even later in his first one).
Like all contributors above, I strongly recommend letting the game guide him and let him enjoy it like some kind of journey: Stardew Valley has a Zelda-like way to introduce progressively the player to the game plot and mechanics.
As Stardew Valley is not performance nor objective focused, your husband can safely take his time to wander, discover and more simply: enjoy the game. Moreover, the game has a high replayability, so doing the first playthrough genuily (without wiki or youtube or whatelse), he doesn't have to fear to miss a thing as he can still enjoy it on a second playthrough (or even later in his first one).
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Elenna101
Farmer
100% agreement with what everyone else said about enjoying his first playthrough and exploring and not worrying too much about being "successful".
That being said, a couple tips:
1. Check the TV. In particular, the "Living off the Land" show has some good tips that are helpful without being too spoilery.
2. Similarly, try to read library books as you find them.
3. You can place crafted stuff outside the farm. NPCs will destroy them if they run into them, so it can be a bit risky, but placing stuff in areas where people don't go can be helpful. In particular, I really like having a chest on the top floor of the mines.
That being said, a couple tips:
1. Check the TV. In particular, the "Living off the Land" show has some good tips that are helpful without being too spoilery.
2. Similarly, try to read library books as you find them.
3. You can place crafted stuff outside the farm. NPCs will destroy them if they run into them, so it can be a bit risky, but placing stuff in areas where people don't go can be helpful. In particular, I really like having a chest on the top floor of the mines.
Tom
Farmer
Yes, angels. Great advice. So practical and wise. I loved, loved, loved what @Dr. eeL. said. And ditto to watching TV, reading library books, and following the persistent Story Quests in the Journal.
I'd just add:
I'd just add:
- Keep this first savefile around even if you start others. You may want to come back to it someday for nostalgia.
- Generally keep 2 or 3 of everything (produce, forage, fish, gems). When in doubt, keep a couple.
Cuusardo
Farmer
If you're going to play a co-op farm, remember that time doesn't stop for heart scenes, opening geodes, etc. the way it does in a solo game. Time keeps passing while you're doing those things, so you've got to plan and adapt accordingly. For instance, you can pause the game to stop time and still open geodes, however that means that the other farmers in your game won't be able to do anything while you do that.
FlyingCatPhillips
Farmer
oh, I forgot completely about that! Even during the cutscenes time is still passing! Honestly, it's a big problem at least for me and my husband and why we don't play multiplayer much. My husband found Stardew Valley boring and easy, then he added mods to make it more interesting. Now it's like hardcore Stardew Valley and he loves it! There are also 58 people and RidgeSide, other stuff he knows more about... Like I said Hardore SDV! Also, check the show hit box, don't want to accidentally axe your crops! 
oopps there went the turnips...
oopps there went the turnips...
Tom
Farmer
Uggh. Don't get me started. It didn't have to be that way. Bad design decision. Only true big mistake I see in Stardew Valley.
Hill Myna
Farmer
I just wanted to point out that in Splitscreen, if both of the players are doing things that would pause the game in singleplayer, then time stops. So if someone triggers a cutscene and the other person pauses, then time will freeze. The only exception I've found so far is the Crane Game. It's not an option for online multiplayer games, but a great feature of Splitscreen.
FlyingCatPhillips
Farmer
I tried that and for some reason it did not work 
but that was before 1.5.6. It could be fixed now for all I know...
but that was before 1.5.6. It could be fixed now for all I know...
firecream
Greenhorn
go on steam and look for guides by fuijiro, he can follow that walkthrough. absolutely LOVE his guides.