Stardew Valley has been a mega-hit ever since the indie game was released in 2016 by the one-person development team ConcernedApe aka Eric Barone. Unsurprisingly, the game just reached a new level of success, after the release of its update 1.5 that resulted in Stardew Valley hitting a new player count record on Steam.
Of course, the resurgence of Stardew Valley's popularity is not at all surprising given that the latest update introduced a massive amount of content that includes a new Beach Farm layout, new game options, several quality-of-life changes, local split-screen co-op, among many others. Additionally, Stardew Valley's latest update added several new characters in the game, such as Birdie, Gourmand Frog, and Professor Snail, but the most popular one is Leo.
Stardew Valley: Leo's Story
Leo, along with the other characters added in Stardew Valley's update 1.5 on PC, are part of the newly added Ginger Island. After a tragic event, Leo's parents were lost at sea, and the only companions he has on the island are the parrots, which he considers as his friends and family. In a way, Leo's story is similar to that of Tarzan, given that he was a victim of a shipwreck that killed his parents. After washing ashore on Ginger Island, Leo learned to live by himself despite his young age.
Of course, given Leo's tragic story, some players wondered whether it is possible to convince him to move to Pelican Town instead. Luckily for players, it is possible to have Leo become a permanent resident in town, but players must first reach a heart level of six. Once this condition is met, Leo will move into a treehouse in the mountains of Pelican Town. Upon moving into Pelican Town, Leo will immediately become friends with Jas and Vincent and the villager Linus who lives in a small tent near The Mines. In total, Leo has six different heart events that players can trigger. The first half will be unlocked while on Ginger Island, where players will learn more about his life and story, while the remaining events will focus on his new life in Pelican Town.
Stardew Valley: How to Befriend Leo and Convince Him To Move To Pelican Town?
Upon reaching Ginger Island, players must first gather ten golden walnuts and give them to a specific bird. Afterward, that bird will aid players in gaining Leo's trust, and from there, Leo will start to share his lonely existence with the player. Like other characters in the game, players can deepen their friendship with Leo by giving him certain items he is fond of. Leo loves mangoes, poi, Ostrich eggs, and duck feathers. Bringing these items to him as much as possible would increase his friendship with the player, and once level 6 is achieved, Leo will leave Ginger Island and move to Pelican Town.
Of course, veteran Stardew Valley players would know that increasing one's friendship with a certain villager is not an easy thing, and the fact that Leo lives outside of Pelican Town makes it even harder. It is worth noting that having the resources to visit Ginger Island is extremely difficult to get, especially during the first and second years. However, during this time, players could start collecting some of Leo's favorite gifts, so once the island is unlocked, it would be easier to befriend him. Additionally, players should remember that giving villagers a birthday gift is the quickest way to increase their friendship. A birthday gift is worth eight times more than any other present given on a normal day, and Leo's birthday falls on Summer 26.
Stardew Valley is available now on Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One.