Marnie is well-known among Stardew Valley players for her love of animals, secret relationship with Mayor Lewis, and frustratingly common absence from her store's register. Yet despite the latter detail, she remains a fan favorite thanks to her kind, gentle nature.
She's also a helpful friend to have around, especially early on in the game. Players who get on Marnie's good side can receive recipes and free hay — or sneak into her bedroom to retrieve Lewis's purple shorts. Whatever the player's endgame may be, or if they simply want to get to know her, here's a guide to befriending Marnie in Stardew Valley.
Updated February 22, 2023 by Demaris Oxman: The characters that populate Pelican Town are one of the biggest reasons that Stardew Valley has had such staying power ever since its release. One of those characters is the local rancher Marnie, a kind person and a helpful friend to have around. When trying to make new friends in their new home, gifts are a great way to gain affection with Pelican Town's residents, but what does Marnie like? And more importantly, where can players find those items? To help new players and veterans alike, this guide has been updated to include more information what gifts Marnie loves and how to obtain them, as well as more detailed information on her movie preferences and quests that increase her friendship level.
What Gifts Does Marnie Like?
Like any of the villagers, presents are the way to Marnie's heart. Of course, not all gifts are created equal — she'll appreciate some more than others, while terrible gifts will offend her. Bear in mind that any present given on her birthday, Fall 18th, will count for 8x the usual friendship points. Here's the rundown of gifts that Marnie likes and loves.
Loved Gifts
The following items are ideal gifts for Marnie, and will earn the player 80 friendship points. When trying to gain her friendship, save these items to present to her, especially on her birthday:
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Universal Loves: Prismatic Shard, Pearl, Magic Rock Candy, Golden Pumpkin, Rabbit's Foot
- The Golden Pumpkin is the easiest of these to find, as players can acquire one each year by completing the maze at the Spirit's Eve festival.
- The Rabbit's Foot may drop if the player keeps one or more rabbits in their farm's coop, and keeps them happy.
- A Pearl can be found by correctly playing the Mermaid's song at the Night Market, or may occasionally be found in a Fish Pond where Blobfish are kept.
- Prismatic Shards are the rarest gem in the game. There is a variety of ways that players can obtain them; click here for a full guide.
- Magic Rock Candy is sold by the Desert Trader every Thursday in exchange for three Prismatic Shards. However, since Prismatic Shards are also a universally loved gift, this is not an economical exchance if players tend to use the Magic Rock Candy as a present.
- Diamond, which players can often find in the lower levels of the Mines.
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Cooked meals:
- Pink Cake, made with Wheat Flour, Egg, Sugar, and Melon. This recipe is obtained by watching the Queen of Sauce on 21 Summer, Year 2.
- Pumpkin Pie, made with Pumpkin, Wheat Flour, Milk, and Sugar. Learn this recipe from the Queen of Sauce on 21 Winter, Year 1.
- Farmer's Lunch, made with Omelet and Parsnip. Players obtain this recipe at Farming Level 3.
Liked Gifts
These presents will earn the player 45 friendship points — not as much as the above gifts, but a substantial amount nonetheless. This list also covers a great deal more items, making it more likely players will have one of these in their inventory.
- Eggs, except Void Egg. Collect these from chickens in the Coop.
- Milk, which players can obtain from cows and goats in their Barn.
- Quartz, often foraged in the Mines.
- Flowers, except Poppy. Crocuses and Sweet Peas are good choices, as they can be foraged in Winter and Summer respectively.
- Fruit Tree Fruits: apple, apricot, orange, peach, pomegranate, cherry. Players can grow these trees from Saplings bought at Pierre's store.
- Artisan Goods, except for Oil and Void Mayonnaise. Items such as Wine, Jelly, Pickles, and Honey make great gifts to give Marnie.
- Other gemstones not mentioned above (for example, Ruby, Emerald, Topaz), which players can find in the Mines.
Disliked & Hated Gifts
Any of the following gifts will decrease Marnie's relationship with the farmer rather than increasing it. Hated gifts will lead to a greater loss of friendship than Disliked; however, players should never give her any of the following items:
- Salmonberry
- Seaweed
- Wild Horseradish
- Holly
- Crafting materials such as clay, coal, and ores
- Raw fish
- Crafted items, including fences, bombs, sprinklers, floors, bait, fertilizers, etc.
- Geodes and geode minerals
Movie Theater Preferences
Like all villagers, once the movie theater is up and running, players can give Marnie a movie ticket to invite her to attend a showing. Depending on how much Marnie enjoys the movie and concessions, players can earn up to 250 friendship points. Fortunately for players, Marnie will never be unhappy with whatever film is playing that day; perhaps she simply likes the experience of the cinema itself.
- Loved Films (200 points): The Miracle at Coldstar Ranch, which plays during Winter in odd-numbered years.
- Liked Films (100 points): All others.
- Disliked Films (0 points): None.
- Loved Concessions (50 points): Ice Cream Sandwich, Stardrop Sorbet
- Liked Concessions (25 points): All others not listed below.
- Disliked Concessions (0 points): Black Licorice, Fries, JojaCola, JojaCorn, Nachos, Salted Peanuts, Truffle Popcorn
Quests
Like all other townsfolk, Marnie may occasionally post a Help Wanted quest on the bulletin board outside Pierre's store. Bringing her the item she requests will earn the player 150 friendship points. In addition, Marnie will ask for the player's help with the quests below:
Cow's Delight
On the 3rd of Fall, Marnie sends the player a letter in the mail. She asks the player to bring her a bunch of Amaranth, mentioning that it's her cows' favorite treat. Upon bringing it to her, she will reward the player with 500g, and her friendship will increase by one heart.
To complete the request, players must purchase Amaranth Seeds from Pierre's shop for 35g. These seeds take 7 days to fully mature, after which they are harvested with a scythe.
Marnie's Request
Upon reaching three hearts, Marnie will request that the player bring her a Cave Carrot, which she wants to use to help her train goats. Players will be rewarded for their efforts with 100 friendship points, and a charming cutscene in which a goat attempts to do a trick.
To find Cave Carrots, head to the Mines. By digging in the dirt underground with the Hoe, players should be able to unearth this root vegetable easily.
Friendship Perks
As mentioned before, befriending Marnie has its upsides. Among these are the recipes that she sends the player once they reach certain friendship levels.
- Pale Broth: Sent at three hearts. Though this recipe doesn't provide any perks, it's still a profitable dish to cook and useful for turning a common ingredient into an energy source. It only requires 2 White Algae to make, and replenishes 125 Energy and 56 Health.
- Rhubarb Pie: Sent at seven hearts. Another profitable recipe, Rhubarb Pie also has a place on several villagers' lists of Loved gifts. Players can make it using Rhubarb, Wheat Flour, and Sugar. Eating it restores 215 Energy and 96 Health.
In addition to these recipes, Marnie may also send the player 30 hay in the mail. This is especially useful during winter in Year 1, when some players struggle to feed their animals.