Grandpa

Grandpa is the first character players are introduced to. He writes the letter that gifts the farmhouse, setting the player on the path to moving to Stardew Valley and starting a new life on the farm.

Grandpa’s presence continues through Grandpa’s Shrine, which is found at the far northwest corner of The Farm. A note there explains that he will return at the start of Year 3, on 1 Spring, to judge the player’s progress. That evaluation determines how many of the four candles around the shrine are lit, based on a point system covering achievements from the first two years. There are 21 possible points total, and the number of candles lit reflects the player’s score.

The evaluation is tied to a wide range of milestones, including earnings, skill levels, achievements, friendships, and major progression goals. Points can come from total earnings, reaching high combined skill levels, completing museum and fishing milestones, shipping every item, building friendships, marrying and upgrading the house, and completing the Community Center or obtaining key items. Some milestones are worth multiple points, and the full evaluation can be enough to light all four candles if enough goals have been met.

The candle results are straightforward:

• 0–3 points: 1 candle
• 4–7 points: 2 candles
• 8–11 points: 3 candles
• 12 or more points: 4 candles

If the player scores 12 or higher, Grandpa rewards them with the Statue Of Perfection, which produces 2–8 Iridium Ore per day. To receive it, the shrine must be interacted with manually; the game does not otherwise announce the reward. The evaluation has no further gameplay effect, and the player can continue indefinitely after it occurs.

The shrine can also be used for re-evaluation. Placing a Diamond into Grandpa’s Shrine will cause Grandpa to appear again the following day, or sometimes after a game load or at the start of the next season, allowing the player another chance to qualify for all four candles even after the initial Year 3 assessment. This means the original evaluation is not the only opportunity to reach the maximum rating.

A few additional details affect the evaluation:

• The game checks villagers’ relationship values slightly below the visible eight-heart threshold, though this difference cannot be seen in normal gameplay.
• Turning the Community Center into a Joja Warehouse prevents points from being earned for completing the Community Center and for seeing its completion ceremony.
• If the player marries on Year 3, Day 1, the marriage cutscene overrides Grandpa’s evaluation cutscene, though the shrine candles still light according to the score. The evaluation scene will play the next time the farmhouse is entered.

Grandpa is therefore less a traditional villager than a background figure whose legacy shapes the opening of the game and one of its major early milestones.