We are officially halfway through Spring of year 3! Things are taking off again. Now that I’ve consulted with a fellow Stardew Valley player, I feel better equipped to handle this next year in my game. There IS an end to the Skull Cavern, I’m starting to use iridium tools, my grandpa haunted me, and I am literally one task away from completing the Community Center! Here’s the latest installment of “What’s Happening in Stardew Valley”.

It hasn’t even been that long since I last wrote about this game, but so much has happened, I’m not sure I can even remember it all. One thing I recently finished is the Bulletin Board in the Community Center. Rather than trying to make things myself, I ended up buying some of the more difficult-to-acquire items from the cart vendor. Big shock, making friends with neighbors pays off! They give you gifts, teach you how to make things, and give you access to other sections of buildings. Sometimes, you’ll wander into a cut scene with a neighbor when you reach a higher friendship level. Although these encounters are to learn recipes, I can’t help but go to the worst possible place when they decided to introduce the “wild bait” recipe, with this lovely audio.

Animal life is out of control at the farm. I finally have a horse (named Bojack), and riding him around is so much quicker than walking. My animals are spontaneously conceiving babies and a witch flew by, casting a spell to give me a void egg. Throw that thing in the incubator and you’ve got a void chicken! I’ve been naming my miracle animals appropriately:

One thing I repeatedly ignored was the Fortune Teller channel on TV. Apparently, just because I don’t believe it in real life doesn’t mean I shouldn’t believe it in this game. The successfulness of your day can be attributed to what the fortune teller shares, so be sure to check that before you embark on an adventure. Because of this, I have spent my days rolling out of bed, checking my fortune, and if it’s good, taking off to the desert with a totem to try and reach the bottom of the Skull Cavern.

As of writing this, I HAVE CONQUERED SKULL CAVERN thanks to my Stardew confidant. My approach was to buy a ton of Mega Bombs from the Dwarf in the mines, bring lots of food, and try to power through the levels of the cave. You must exercise restraint; this trip is not about mining. It is about descending as quickly as possible. You have to reach level 100 for your reward and it really is a game of chance. If you’re lucky, you’ll find holes you can drop several levels through. The largest amount I’ve dropped is 13 levels. Using totems to get there in the morning and to send yourself back late at night allows you to maximize the time you have, so make sure you bring those as well. At the very end, I just made staircases to finish the final 5 levels because it was 1:00 in the morning and I was cutting it close.

Now, I suppose I should work on befriending my neighbors or actually invest time into making my farm look nice, but I am getting distracted by secret notes and trying to see what my horse does in different situations. Note to self, the train passing through Stardew does only that. It will not stop for you no matter what you are doing. Sorry, Bojack.

For now, I’m going to keep saving my money and try to decide what big purchase is next. For my fellow Stardew players, what would be something you’d like to read about? Do you have questions about secrets in the game? Have you found yourself stuck somewhere and need some tips? Let me know your thoughts! What should I share next about my time in the valley?