Summary

• Stardew Valley offers players 12 unique candidates for romance.
• Each NPC has unique likes and dislikes; when married, they help with chores and add personalized areas in and out of the house.
• Relationships in Stardew Valley can be deep, realistic, and emotional, enhancing gameplay experience.

Building a life far away from the city in Stardew Valley comes with many adventures, not the least of which is building relationships with the marriage candidates in the game. From renovating a run-down farm to helping to restore the community center, there's never a shortage of work to do. However, amid all the sweat and dirt that comes with farming life, Stardew Valley offers a vibrant dating scene to explore. With 12 available bachelors and bachelorettes to romance in Stardew Valley, picking a spouse to the farm isn't an easy decision to make.

Stardew Valley features strong for LGBTQIA+ relationships, as players can romance any available NPC regardless of their own character's gender identity and dating preferences. This means that all 12 Stardew Valley candidates are available no matter the situation, giving players plenty of options to choose from. Each NPC has unique dating events and has their own special likes and dislikes to pay attention to during the courtship. Once married, they will each add their own area on the house, decorated to fit their personality, and will help with chores.

12 Abigail Is A Free-Spirited & Adventurous Type

Lives At Pierre's General Store

Stardew Valley's Abigail is a fan-favorite for building a relationship. She is the drummer for Sam and Sebastian's band and a lively, spirited person. Her lifestyle, and not wanting to simply stay at home with her parents and take over the store, is a frequent source of worry for her mother, but Abigail enjoys exploring more than sitting in the house and being domestic.

There is a rumored possibility hinted at in Stardew Valley that Abigail is the daughter of the Wizard rather than Pierre. Pierre mentions his worry that she is not biologically his, while on another occasion Caroline states that she used to take secret walks to the Wizard's tower.

Once married, like all spouses, Abigail adds a room to the right of the bedroom in the farmhouse where she practices her flute. She will often cook soup on rainy days, which she offers to the main character in the evening. Other days she might present a Bomb or other similarly romantic gifts, or even offer to assist with adventuring in the Mines.

11 Sebastian Is A Rebellious Loner

Lives In The Basement Of The Carpenter Shop

Stardew Valley's Sebastian is close friends with Sam. He is a night owl who often sleeps late, plays Dungeons & Dragons, and enjoys hanging out with Sam at the Stardrop Saloon. He has a bit of an emo aesthetic, but his romance turns out to be very bittersweet. He has struggles with his stepfather and his half-sister Maru, who he feels is favored by their parents, leading him to his more reclusive tendencies. Sebastian can be very cold and unfriendly to people he doesn't know, but deep down, he has a soft heart.

Once married, Sebastian's motorcycle will be placed on the property outside in a small area behind the farmhouse, and he will sometimes be seen tinkering with it. His unique room in the house is a bit of a den, with a comfy sofa, a board game on the table, and a gaming PC. He often offers the player some Coffee.

10 Shane Has An Alcohol Problem

Lives At Marnie's Ranch

Stardew Valley love interest Shane is a truly tragic character. He works at the Joja Mart, and he seems deeply depressed and uninterested in other people from the start. Living with his aunt Marnie on her ranch, he goes through the motions every day. By getting involved with Shane in Stardew Valley, the protagonist watches as he hits rock bottom, and then slowly decides to rebuild his life for the better.

Shane's storyline can be very difficult, particularly for anyone who has been touched by or knows someone affected by the effects of alcoholism and depression.

Once married, Shane, unfortunately, does not change his habits of hygiene and his unique room to the right of the bedroom is littered with garbage and dirty footprints. Outside, behind the farmhouse, he will set up a chicken coop where his chicken, Charlie, is kept.

9 Harvey Is The Town Doctor

Lives Above The Medical Clinic

Another Stardew Valley romance option is Harvey , who is an older choice of spouse, but also has the best job as the town doctor. Besides seeing him when players out in the mines, he enjoys spending evenings in the Stardrop Saloon. Harvey is sweet and shy, dedicated to providing the best care for the town. His romance is perfect for anyone wanting something simple and genuine, with minimal drama or heavy themes.

Harvey is excellent at awkward dialogue, making for some endearing encounters that can feel realistic and charming. After getting married, he continues to work at the clinic. Harvey's room is a bit of a workspace where he will sit and read. He is quite the cook, offering the player character such delicacies as a Complete Breakfast, Salmon Dinner, Crispy Bass, and more.

8 Emily Loves Fashion & Tailoring

Lives In A House In Pelican Town

Stardew Valley's Emily is an energetic cook with a lively personality. She lives with her sister Haley, and together they take care of their family home. Emily works for Gus at the Stardrop Saloon and is good friends with Sandy from the Calico Desert. Romancing Emily in Stardew Valley is similar to Harvey's path as a relaxed and cute experience with a softer story for the player to unravel. Emily loves all things clothing and fashion and has a ion for making clothes. At the Desert Festival, players can get several new outfits from her stall.

Once married, Emily sets up an area outside on the farm, just behind the farmhouse, to be a vibrant crystal garden where she can often be found meditating. Her room to the side of the bedroom has a nice large table for her sewing and tailoring, and is home to her parrot. While playing in multiplayer, the parrot will not be visible if any of the players have not completed the 4-heart event with Emily, however.

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7 Maru Is An Intelligent Nurse And Scientist

Lives Next To The Carpenter Shop

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Stardew Valley's Maru is Sebastian's half-sister. Like her father, she is very invested in science and can be a bit more stoic. She works at Harvey's Clinic, as his nurse and assistant, and is motivated to try to help make the town and surrounding areas healthier. Her relationship with her brother is strained, and she wishes that wasn't the case, making for some sadness in the way her family relationships play out.

Loves	Hates
Battery Pack	Holly
Cauliflower	Honey
Cheese Cauliflower	Pickles
Diamond	Snow Yam
Gold Bar	Truffle
Iridium Bar
Miner's Treat
Pepper Poppers
Radioactive Bar
Rhubarb Pie
Strawberry

Maru is certainly the most intelligent of the marriage options, and is often seen tinkering in her lab when not at work. She will continue to work at the clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays even after marrying, and also has an area behind the farm where she will work on gadgets outside. She will gift the player things she has made, including a Warp Totem: Farm, as well as many desserts.

6 Leah Is A Talented Artist & Loves Nature

Lives In A Cabin Outside Of Town

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Stardew Valley's Leah is an affectionate and sweet-tempered artist. She lives in a small cabin just below Marnie's ranch, and is friends with Elliot. She has come to the town to live in a place away from the city to help with her creativity as she sculpts and paints. Much like Elliot, Leah's story is more removed from the inner workings of the town. Leah is the easiest romance option in Stardew Valley, which means choosing her as a marriage candidate leads to a nice, relaxed playthrough.

Loves	Hates
Goat Cheese	Bread
Poppyseed Muffin	Hashbrowns
Salad	Pancakes
Stir Fry	Pizza
Truffle	Void Egg
Vegetable Medley
Wine

Leah uses her unique room at the farmhouse to build an art studio for painting and sculpting after marrying the player character, as well as an outside area as a place to work on sculptures. She likes to gift her spouse mushrooms or other natural foods that she says she found while out exploring or mushroom-hunting.

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5 Sam Loves Music & Plays The Guitar

Lives With His Family In Pelican Town

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Stardew Valley's Sam lives with his mother, Jodi, and his little brother, Vincent. His father, Kent, is away in the military the first year of the game, and when he returns, seems distant. Sam is Sebastian's best friend, has a lazy and laid-back personality, and is working on starting a band with Sebasian as soon as he gets enough songs put together. However, he takes his responsibility as Vincent's older brother seriously, feeling that he must watch out for him while their father is away.

Loves	Hates
Cactus Fruit	Coal
Maple Bar	Copper Bar
Pizza	Duck Mayonnaise
Tigerseye	Gold Bar
	Gold Ore
	Iridium Bar
	Iridium Ore
	Iron Bar
	Mayonnaise
	Pickles
	Refined Quartz

As a marriage partner, Sam will set up a half pipe behind the farmhouse and may offer gifts that he found "rolling around in the back of a drawer" as well as sometimes Pizza or Pancakes. His room in the house is a perfect fit for him, being a bit of a music studio with a variety of instruments set up alongside some books, with posters on the wall.

4 Alex Loves Sports & The Beach

Lives With His Grandparents In Pelican Town

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Alex is the town jock and one of the dateable characters in Stardew Valley, but an investigation into his character reveals a tragic backstory. He lives with his grandparents and hates his father, an abusive alcoholic. His mother ed away some time before, leaving him to grow up feeling the strain of coming from a broken home. His romance in Stardew Valley is heart-wrenching, but it's also rewarding to watch him discover the joys of having a kind and loving relationship.

Loves	Hates
Complete Breakfast	Holly
Salmon Dinner	Quartz

After marrying Alex, he decorates his room to the right of the bedroom to be his personal gym with sports wallpaper, and weightlifting equipment and posters. Between the wallpaper and the vibrant green flooring he uses, it can often be a stark contrast to many player's decorating styles for the farmhouse, but it is very fitting for Alex. He is a surprisingly good cook and will often gift the player home-cooked meals.

3 Elliot Is A Sentimental Poet

Lives In His Own Cabin On The Beach

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Stardew Valley's Elliott is a writer who lives on the beach. He has come to town, much like Leah, in hopes of isolating himself from distraction as he diligently works on a novel the protagonist can help him with. Elliot is spacey and kind, with a tendency for dramatic conversation, and although many of the characters have had their looks change dramatically over the development of the game, Elliott's long flowing hair always remained the same.

Loves	Hates
Crab Cakes	Amaranth
Duck Feather	Quartz
Lobster	Salmonberry
Pomegranate	Sea Cucumber
Squid Ink
Tom Kha Soup

Elliott is a bit more private and removed from the rest of the town, which provides a unique Stardew Valley marriage candidate for anyone wanting something more like a romance novel. After marriage to Elliott, he sets up a garden identical to what Harvey's would have been, where he will sometimes sit and read. His room next to the bedroom becomes a dark and cozy library, and he will often offer the player Coffee or home-cooked seafood-themed meals.