Sam Stardew Valley Guide

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Hi! I'm Melika Jeddi, an experienced content writer, an avid fan of all things media, and founder of Screen Hype! Gaming has been one of my core interests ever since I was a little girl excitedly playing my way through classics like Croc, Crash, and Spyro. Over the years my taste in genres has spread out, but that love of the escapism that gaming brings has always remained. I also get way too invested in the shows and movies that I watch, and when I'm not glued to some manner of screen, I have my head buried in a graphic novel. It's such a joy to be able to write about the topics that I'm passionate about!

Appearance, Personality, and Hobbies

Although the characters’ ages aren’t explicitly stated in the game, most estimations put Sam somewhere between 19-24. He’s definitely one of the younger-looking bachelors, but not so young that he looks like a child.

He has bright blonde hair, which is darker at the roots, so you could speculate that he dyes it, but it’s most likely natural as his dad is also blonde. He styles his hair by sticking it up, in a look that I can only describe as ‘Super Saiyan‘.

He wears a yellow shirt that is mostly obscured by his vibrant blue jacket. He also wears brown trousers and blue shoes, but these are only visible in his pixellated form rather than his portrait, so they aren’t as detailed.

In terms of personality, Sam is very chilled. He’s got a friendly and patient attitude, and is much more polite than most of the characters. He does, however, have a rebellious streak, such as when he rides his skateboard on Emily and Haley’s garden flower box for his 6 heart event.

He also sneaks you into his house for his 10 heart event. Sam could be considered immature, but I don’t see it like that. I see him as a man who knows who he wants to be, and who intends to live his life to the fullest. He’s a good son to his parents, and an excellent older brother.

Sam’s main two hobbies are skateboarding and playing the guitar. He’s in a band with Sebastian and Abigail, and is very passionate about music. He practices every day, and dreams of making it big. You can regularly see him riding his skateboard, and he can sometimes be found skateboarding around town. He continues to engage with these activities both before and after marriage.

Family and Friends

Sam

Sam is the eldest son of Jodi and Kent, two other townspeople that you meet in Stardew Valley. Jodi is essentially a single parent when you first start playing the game, as Kent is abroad on military duties.

It’s clear that this is difficult for the family, especially Sam’s younger brother Vincent, who worries about his dad. Due to this, Sam has taken on the role of ‘man of the house’, and can be seen to be protective over his mum and brother. He takes on a lot of excess responsibility during this time, until Kent returns in the Spring of Year 2.

Sam seems to get on well with most members of Pelican Town. However, he does have an altercation with Lewis over his skateboarding. But let’s face it, Lewis is a grump who loves to get mad at everyone, so it’s not exactly Sam’s fault.

In terms of friends, Sam is particularly close to both of his bandmates, Sebastian and Abigail. He also will dance with Penny at the Flower Dance if you don’t partner up with him (or her), but other than that and a few interactions in town, they don’t seem all that close.

Kent and Jodi

Sam’s parents are very different from one another. Jodi is sweet and maternal, with a kind and supportive nature. She can be a little strict sometimes, but no more than you’d expect from a mother. She wears an elegant purple top, and has a beautiful brown braid that drapes over her shoulder. When Kent returns, it’s clear he’s suffering from PTSD, and as a result, he can come across as quite cold at first.

He’s rather distant when you talk to him at first, and it takes a few friendship levels before he starts to open up. Kent’s not always the best husband, but he makes it clear that he wants to improve. He’s very much still struggling with everything he saw in the war. Kent has blonde hair, but his is considerably darker than Sam’s.

Vincent

Vincent is Sam’s younger brother, and, along with Jas, is one of only two child characters in Stardew Valley. He’s an absolute sweetheart, and he’s always wearing a huge smile on his face. At the Feast of the Winter Star in my first year, Vincent was the character assigned to give me a gift, and he told me he wanted to welcome me to the town, and proudly gave me some clay.

Normally I wouldn’t be thrilled at receiving clay, but seeing how happy Vincent was about it, I treasured that clay. Vincent has a stripy top, big blue eyes, and messy brown hair.

Sebastian and Abigail

Sebastian and Abigail are Sam’s bandmates and best friends, although Sam seems closer to Sebastian than Abigail. They’re a tight-knit trio who seem to enjoy each other’s company, although I do sometimes get the sense that Sam is a bit of a third wheel. Sebastian and Abigail will dance together at the Flower Dance unless you partner up with one of them.

Sebastian has the typical emo look, with black hair that’s slicked across his forehead, and a thick black hoodie. Abigail has a more vibrant appearance, which gives off the aesthetic of a mermaid. She wears a blue dress, and has gorgeous purple hair. A fun fan theory surrounds her and The Wizard, which I would heartily recommend checking out.

Penny

I feel bad for Penny, I really do. She’s got an alcoholic mother who’s constantly neglecting her, and she lives in a run-down trailer. Despite this, she maintains a sweet demeanor and is easy to get along with. But that doesn’t mean it’s okay for her to steal my man… Find someone else to dance with at the Flower Dance, Penny! She wears a yellow blouse and has reddish-brown hair that’s coiffed at the back.

Why You Should Marry Sam

When I started playing the game, Sam immediately stood out to me as the obvious choice for marriage, so I was shocked to realise not many fans feel that way. There doesn’t seem to be much negative sentiment around him, but at the same time, not many people seem to fully appreciate him, either. He’s considered average, when he’s undeniably top tier.

Firstly, and something that cannot be overstated, Sam is pretty much the only bachelor/ bachelorette who’s nice to you from the beginning. Before he even knows who you are, Sam takes an interest in you. He asks you questions about your life, and is friendly and sweet. Contrast this with characters such as Haley or Shane, who are rude to you for ages until you build up enough hearts with them.

Sam treats you well even when you’re a stranger, which is very telling about who he is as a person. If people only treat you nicely after they’ve become friends with you, then they’re not really worthy of your friendship, let alone marriage. I married Sam because he’s a good person who is kind to others.

He also has a lovely family, and cool friends. I love watching him get involved with the band, and he encourages Sebastian and Abigail to include me in conversations. He’s willing to stick his neck out to make me feel welcome around him, even before we’re married.

Although Sebastian and Abigail are a little aloof at first, they’re fantastic when you get to know them, and I think it’s good to approve of your husband’s friends. His mum, Jodi, is so welcoming, and once we’re married, she dotes on me as if I were her own daughter. She also sends me regular gifts in the mail, as does Kent. Vincent is an adorable little boy, and I was delighted to have him as my brother-in-law.

Once you’re married and he moves into your home, Sam puts a few personal touches around your house. One such example is the extension to your bedroom, which he fills with items that are meaningful to him. Amazingly, he keeps his section very clean and tidy, unlike other bachelors in Stardew Valley. Some of the things you’ll find in his room include a bookcase, a guitar, and a computer.

He also gets a small area in the backyard, which he decides to fill with a skateboard ramp. You’ll often find him skating up and down on this ramp for several hours, but I don’t begrudge him a hobby. I like that my husband has something he’s so passionate about.

Best Gifts for Sam

Sam is amazing, and as such, he deserves all the gifts in the world. Unfortunately, you can only give him gifts twice a week, so you’ll need to make them count. Ideally, you’ll want to give him items that he loves, but if you can’t access any of those, then I’ve also included a liked item. When you give him a loved item, he’ll say, “Aw, yea! This is my absolute favorite!”

Sam will heartily accept all the universal loves, but often there are better uses for those, such as with the prismatic shard or the rabbit’s foot. Instead, it might be more practical for you to focus on the loved items that are exclusive to Sam. These Stardew Valley Sam gifts are:

Pizza

If you’re flush with cash, you can purchase this from the Stardrop Saloon for 600g; however, it’s cheaper to cook it yourself in your kitchen. If you don’t have a kitchen, you can craft a cookout kit using 15 wood, 10 fibre, and 3 coal. The ingredients you’ll need are wheat flour, a tomato, and some cheese. You can purchase the recipe from Stardrop Saloon for 150g. Pizza may also appear in Krobus’ shop, but only if you go on a Saturday.

Tigerseye

This is one of the many minerals available in Stardew Valley, and you’ll need to go mining to find it. Unlike some other minerals, you won’t be able to find it directly from a rock. Instead, you’ll need to mine either omni geodes or magma geodes. You can then take these to Clint at the Blacksmith to have them cracked open, and there’s a chance that they’ll contain a tigerseye.

Maple Bar

Another item that you can cook in your kitchen/ using a cookout kit. To get the recipe for this, you’ll need to watch The Queen of Sauce on your television. This runs every Sunday with a new recipe, and the maple bar recipe can be learned on the 14th of Summer in Year 2.

If you miss that date, re-runs are shown every Wednesday, but those are for a random recipe that you have not yet learned, so it may be something else instead. The ingredients are maple syrup (unsurprisingly), sugar, and wheat flour. Sam clearly doesn’t have the healthiest taste in food!

Cactus Fruit

There are a few ways of getting this. Firstly, it’s available by foraging in the Calico Desert. If you can’t find one by foraging, then whilst you’re there, you can buy one from the Oasis for 150g, although this is only an option on Tuesdays.

It may also appear as an item in the Traveling Cart, and will be priced randomly between 225g and 1000g. The final way is by growing them from cactus seeds, which can be purchased from Sandy at the Oasis.

Joja Cola

Bear in mind, that whilst Sam loves all the gifts above, Joja Cola is only a liked gift. However, I’m including it because it’s so easy to obtain. You may sometimes fish it up as a piece of trash, so if you fish regularly, you’re bound to have a large stock of these. And if you’re one of those people that search garbage cans despite the risk of judgment, then Joja Cola is one of the items you can find. Plus, if you are flush with cash, you can simply stockpile them by buying them at the Joja Mart.

I know it feels weird giving Sam trash when he deserves only the best treasures, but he likes it, so there’s no accounting for taste. Otherwise, you can purchase it from a vending machine for 75g. If you decided to go the Joja route instead of completing the Community Center (boo!), then you’ll be rewarded with a soda machine that gives you one Joja Cola daily.

Sam’s Heart Events

As you develop your friendship or romance with Sam, the game rewards you by displaying unique cutscenes known as ‘heart events’ depending on how many hearts you have. You start the game with 0 hearts for every character, and then the more you talk to them/ give them gifts, the more hearts of friendship you gain. You can get up to 10 hearts for most characters or up to 14 if you’re married to them.

The number before each heart event refers to how many hearts of friendship you need to have for them to trigger. You don’t have to do them in order, you just need the right amount of hearts for each one. Sam has some really great heart events that are well-worth experiencing for yourself. However, if you’re unsure how to trigger them, or if you want spoilers, then here are all his heart events.

2 Heart Event

This one is simple to trigger and just requires you to go into Sams house (1 Willow Lane) at a time where he’s inside. Even though it’s early on in your friendship, this is one of my favourite heart events because it affects Sam’s development in the game.

The cutscene will focus on Sam’s bedroom, where he’s having a conversation with Sebastian. Sam will tell you that they’re struggling to decide which genre of music their band will focus on, and he’ll ask what your favourite music is.

You can answer honestly for this one, as his response will be the same for all the options. Whatever you choose, he’ll tell you that he loves it, and that the band will specialise in that genre. He’ll thank you, and the band will play that type of music from that moment on. I love how much Sam values your opinion even before he really knows you that well.

3 Heart Event

Sam’s 3 heart event can only be triggered in Spring, Summer, or Fall of Year 1, so be sure not to wait to become friends with him. Once you’ve increased your friendship to 3 hearts, go to the beach between 7am and 3pm on a sunny day, and you’ll find him there. He’ll be playing with his little brother Vincent, and Vincent will mention to Sam that he’s worried about their father.

Vincent’s heard others talking about how people can die during war, so Sam reassures him that their father will be fine. Sam then asks you whether you think he made the right choices by getting his brother’s hopes up when there actually is a risk that their father could die. You can choose which response you think is best, as there will be no effect on the friendship, and he’ll agree with you either way.

4 Heart Event

As with the 2 heart event, you trigger this one by entering 1 Willow Lane whilst Sam’s home. The cutscene is set in the kitchen, and Sam will offer to get you a snack. However, disaster strikes, and as he’s reaching into the fridge to get one for you, he accidentally drops an egg on the floor, which cracks and makes a mess.

Sam’s mum Jodi hears the noise and comes into the kitchen to ask what happened. Sam wants you to answer, and you can choose between three options. The first involves telling Jodi the truth, that Sam dropped it accidentally. If you choose this option, you’ll lose 10 friendship points with Sam. The second is a white lie, and you tell Jodi that you dropped the egg accidentally.

Sam will appreciate you covering for him, and you’ll earn 50 friendship points. The third is just plain mean, and you’d tell Jodi that Sam threw it on the ground on purpose. This will get him into trouble, and you’ll lose 50 friendship points with him. Whichever option you choose, Jodi will believe you, and she’ll thank you for being honest. This heart event will not affect your friendship points with Jodi.

6 Heart Event

This one is probably the easiest to trigger even without knowing about it, as all you need to do is enter Pelican Town at any time between noon and 4pm. You’ll find Sam skateboarding across the flower box in front of 2 Willow Lane, and Mayor Lewis will catch him in the act. They get into an altercation, with Lewis telling Sam off for skating there.

Lewis sees that you were a witness, and asks for my opinion. Personally, I have no patience for busybodies, so I chose the option where you tell Lewis that it’s not Sam’s fault that there’s nowhere else for him to ride his skateboard.

However, you can also choose to side with Lewis and say that Sam shouldn’t be skating on private property. Alternatively, you can just tell them you’re staying out of it. None of the options will have any effect on your friendship with either Sam or Lewis, but there are different responses from them based on your choice.

8 Heart Event

For this one, Sam actually comes to you. Once you reach 8 hearts, the next day, you’ll find him on your doorstep as long as you leave the house between 6am and 8am. He’s thrilled and tells you that his band has booked a gig in the city, and that he’d really love for you to come and watch them. He’ll tell you to go to the bus stop at 4pm, and that he’ll meet you there.

You can trigger the heart event by going to the bus stop between 4pm and 7pm. Here’s an important thing to note, and something that I didn’t know about until it was too late: you don’t actually have to do this on the same day.

I got this heart event on the same day as the Flower Dance, and I was devastated because I didn’t want to miss either of them. In the end, I went to the Flower Dance, took a picture for posterity, and then reloaded the game to do Sam’s heart event.

Once you meet him at the bus stop, you’ll go together to the city, where the band will play their songs. Sam will give you a shout-out in front of the audience, and tell them how you saved the band by choosing their music genre. Note that this heart event doesn’t use up any in-game time, and so whatever time you entered the bus stop will be the time it is once the cutscene is over.

10 Heart Event

Bear in mind that to get this heart event, you’ll first need to give Sam a bouquet. This is an item that you can purchase from Pierre’s, and you can give it to Sam after you have 8 hearts with him. For this one, you’ll receive a letter from Sam in the mail. It will tell you to go into Pelican Town on a sunny day between 8pm and midnight. I really love this cutscene as it feels so sweet and exciting.

You’ll meet him outside Sams house, and he’ll sneak you inside to his room so that you can talk privately. He’ll admit that he’s got feelings for you, but before you have a chance to respond, Jodi will knock on the door.

Sam will quickly hide you in his bed, whilst he goes to get rid of his mum. Once you’re alone again, you’ll have the option to either stay in bed or get out. If you stay in bed, Sam will crawl in with you, and you’ll kiss. If you get out, you can then choose to get closer to Sam (if you do this, you’ll both kiss) or to go to the window and leave (this counts as you rejecting him). This heart event does not affect your friendship points.

14 Heart Event

This one can only be triggered after you’re married and you’ve got all 14 hearts of friendship with him. You’ll also need to have upgraded your farmhouse twice. It’s a 4-part heart event, and to start the first part, you’ll need to enter your home between 6:10am and 5pm (this timeframe is the same for all 4 parts). Sam will tell you that he wants to find a job in the music industry.

Three days later, go into your house once again. Sam will share the wonderful news that he’s received an offer to write music for a kids TV show, but he doesn’t seem excited about it. None of your responses to this will affect your friendship points.

Wait another three days, and go back into your home between the aforementioned hours. Sam will play his guitar for you to demonstrate the music he’s got planned so far. He seems to be much more excited about the job, and happy about how he’s doing. For the final part, you’ll enter the house four days later. Sam has invited Vincent and Jas to join you both, seeing as children are the target audience.

He plays a music video of the song he wrote for the kids TV show, and Vincent and Jas both love it. Sam is delighted to see their response and thanks you for all the support you’ve given him throughout. As gratitude, he gifts you Sam’s Boombox.

Best Merch Items

If you want to go the extra mile in displaying your love of Sam from Stardew Valley, then why not buy some merch of him? There are many excellent pieces out there on the internet, both official and unofficial, so I’ve included a selection of both. I’ve tried to include a range of different merch items, so hopefully, there’ll be something that takes your fancy.

The Bachelor Bouquet Official T-Shirt is technically of all the bachelors, but Sam’s on there too, and it looks great, hence why I’ve included it. I think my favourite item is the Sam Personality Print, as it references his hobbies and the things he loves. I also really love the unique style of the Skateboarding Sam Sticker.

FAQs

Question: Who Are The Most Popular Bachelors In Stardew Valley?

Answer: Whilst I fully believe Sam is the best bachelor, the most popular ones with fans tend to be Sebastian and Shane. I assume Sebastian’s appeal is relatively obvious; he looks cool, he’s in a band, and he’s got a lot of depth and nuance to his personality.
With Shane, I think it’s because players want to fix him. He’s broken and sad, he’s struggling with addiction, and he’s not sure of who he is as a person. I think players like the idea of helping him work through his troubles, so he can come out the other end as a reformed man.

Question: Where Does Sam Work?

Answer: Now, don’t judge him too harshly, but… Sam works at JojaMart. I know, I know, they’re the evil corporation that threatens the small-town lifestyle of Pelican Town. But you know what, Sam needs money, and there aren’t exactly many options for him. You can change this, though. If you fully restore the Community Center, Sam will quit his job at JojaMart and work with Gunther at the Museum.

Question: Does Sam Help Around the Farm if You Marry Him?

Answer: So, the short answer is yes, but this is the same for all the spouses. No matter which bachelor or bachelorette you marry, their programming regarding chores is exactly the same. They have a chance to do helpful tasks such as milking the cows/ goats, watering the crops, or feeding the chickens. There are slight differences in their married behaviour, though.
One of the things I love about Sam is that he sometimes cooks me breakfast, usually pancakes or cookies. Sam also remembers his responsibility to his family and will visit them a couple of times a week.