Searchable reference
Stardew Valley Friendship and Marriage Database
Friendship points, birthday gifts, decay, bouquets, marriage proposal requirements, spouse Stardrop, Krobus roommate route, and children planning.
Friendship Points and Hearts
Core mechanic / Every heart is 250 friendship points
Use daily conversation, weekly gifts, birthdays, quests, movies, and heart-event choices as one combined relationship route instead of treating gifts as the only source.
Gift and Birthday Route
Gift planning / One gift per day, two gifts per week, with birthday gifts always allowed
Save loved gifts for birthdays because the birthday event multiplier turns one strong gift into several hearts of progress, especially with silver, gold, or iridium quality.
Friendship Decay Rules
Maintenance / Decay depends on relationship state and stops at the relevant cap for most villagers
Prevent wasted progress by finishing key friendship caps, then shift daily attention to romance candidates, spouses, recipe villagers, and anyone still below achievement thresholds.
Bouquet and Dating Route
Romance unlock / Reach 8 hearts with a marriage candidate, then give a Bouquet
Use the Bouquet to unfreeze hearts 9 and 10 with a marriage candidate, then keep gifting and talking until proposal requirements are ready.
Marriage Proposal Route
Marriage unlock / 10 hearts, Bouquet, first farmhouse upgrade, Tide Pool access, rainy Old Mariner day
Prepare the farmhouse upgrade and beach bridge before 10 hearts so a rainy Old Mariner day can immediately become the proposal day.
Married Life and Spouse Stardrop
Post-wedding / Spouse meter rises to 14 hearts; Stardrop comes at 12.5 hearts
After the wedding, keep spouse friendship high for farm help, spouse room/outside area flavor, and the one-save spouse or roommate Stardrop.
Krobus Roommate Route
Roommate alternative / 10 hearts with Krobus and a Void Ghost Pendant
Use the Void Ghost Pendant when you want a roommate route instead of marriage; Krobus moves in through a parallel social path.
Children and Family Route
Family expansion / Marriage, second farmhouse upgrade, nursery, crib, 10-heart spouse, and at least 7 married days
Children are a late farmhouse route: they require the nursery setup, a stable marriage, and time, then progress through baby, crib, crawl, and toddler stages.