Stardew Valley: How To Befriend Willy

This guide explores how to befriend Willy, the kindly old fisherman in Stardew Valley. Befriending him offers valuable benefits, including fishing buffs from his unique recipes.

Willy is easily befriended through gifting. Find him at his shop (weekdays), fishing (Saturdays), or at the Stardrop Saloon/beach/river (evenings). Remember his birthday is Summer 24 – gifts on this day have an 8x friendship boost.

Gift Guide:

Loved Gifts (+80 friendship): These are the best options.

• Fish: Catfish , Octopus , Sea Cucumber , Sturgeon
• Books: Jewels of the Sea , The Art O' Crabbing
• Mead: (Honey in a Keg)
• Gold Bar: (Gold Ore in Furnace)
• Iridium Bar: (Iridium Ore in Furnace)
• Diamond: (from Mines)
• Pumpkin: (Fall crop)
• All universally loved gifts.

Liked Gifts (+45 friendship): Good alternatives to Loved gifts.

• Fish-based cooked dishes (excluding Dish O' the Sea, Sashimi, Maki Roll – these are neutral).
• Fish: Lingcod , Tiger Trout
• Quartz
• Bait and Bobber

Disliked & Hated Gifts: Avoid these to prevent friendship loss.

• Foraged goods
• Non-fish cooked dishes
• Life Elixir
• Universally disliked/hated gifts (except fish – Willy is neutral towards most fish, except those listed above).

Quests:

Willy posts quests on the bulletin board. Completing them rewards gold and 150 friendship points. He also sends two letters challenging you to catch specific fish (Squid – Winter 2, Year 1; Lingcod – Winter 13, Year 2).

Friendship Perks: Willy sends four fishing-buff recipes as your friendship grows:

• 3 Hearts: Chowder (+1 fishing)
• 5 Hearts: Escargot (+2 fishing)
• 7 Hearts: Fish Stew (+3 fishing)
• 9 Hearts: Lobster Bisque (+3 fishing, +30 max energy)

By following this guide, you can quickly build a strong friendship with Willy and reap the rewards!