Ultimate Guide to Marrying Shane in Stardew Valley

One of the most delightful aspects of playing Stardew Valley is the opportunity to develop relationships with the charming townsfolk of Pelican Town. By getting close to some of the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes, players can even propose and tie the knot. While there are twelve marriage candidates to choose from, Shane is a relatively easy spouse to woo.

Granted, Shane may not be the first choice for many players considering his sullen demeanor. Like Haley, he can be rather negative and withdrawn towards the player character at first. However, for those who are persistent, they can discover the complex person behind Shane's facade of cynicism and struggles. Fortunately, Shane's uncomplicated daily routine and fondness for easily obtainable gifts make him an ideal partner for those looking to get hitched sooner rather than later.

As stated before, obtaining gifts for Shane is a simple task. Even those who are just beginning their journey in Stardew Valley can collect some of the items that will earn them favor with Shane. It is recommended to give him gifts twice a week for maximum impact.

Shane has a list of favorite gifts that will earn players eighty friendship points. These gifts include beer, hot peppers, pepper poppers, pizza, and all universal loves like the golden pumpkin, prismatic shards, rabbit's foot, magic rock candy, and pearl. Players can easily purchase beer and pizza from the Stardrop Saloon once they have enough funds to buy two of Shane's loved gifts.

Additionally, Shane also has a list of liked gifts that will earn players forty-five friendship points. These gifts include all eggs (except void eggs), all fruit (except hot peppers), and all universal likes like emerald, aquamarine, ruby, amethyst, topaz, jade, diamond, fire quartz, frozen tear, earth crystal, all food recipes, pale ale, mayonnaise, duck mayonnaise, honey, jelly, beer, wine, juice, cheese, goat cheese, cloth, truffle oil, all vegetables and fruits, all flowers, coffee, and maple syrup. However, Shane dislikes pickles, which are under the universal likes category.

Lastly, Shane has a list of neutral gifts that will earn players twenty friendship points. These gifts include any kind of milk (including goat), fried egg, bread, wheat, and hops.

When interacting with Shane, players must be cautious of the gifts they give him as certain items can deduct either twenty or forty friendship points. It's important to note that seaweed, foraged items, all fish, and all minerals (excluding gems and minerals mentioned as liked gifts) are considered negative gifts. This also applies to copper bar, iridium bar, iron bar, gold bar, refined quartz, all ores, coal, wood, stone, clay, hardwood, fiber, battery pack, all fishing bobbers and hooks, all monster loot, all seeds, cave carrot, driftwood, wheat flour, oil, void egg, vinegar, rice, all geodes, oak resin, pine tar, weeds, joja cola, all trash, red mushroom, rotten plants, all bait, magnet, sap, all artifacts, seaweed, all algae, hay, poppy, sea urchin, bug meat, snail, slime, oil of garlic, strange bun, void mayonnaise, and all fertilizers, retaining soils, and speed-gro.

Step 2: Celebrate Shane's Birthday by Giving Him a Gift.

Shane's birthday falls on Spring 20, making it one of the first birthdays that players encounter in Stardew Valley. Remembering to give a gift to potential spouses on their birthday can significantly increase friendship points and bring players closer to unlocking special heart events with certain characters.

Fortunately, players don't have to worry about the weekly gift limit when it comes to birthdays. Even if they've already given Shane two gifts that week, they can still give him a birthday present. While Shane's loved gifts are a safe choice, players can also opt for gifts he merely likes or is neutral towards.

In addition to giving a gift, players should also make an effort to speak with Shane every day. This will help maintain and strengthen their friendship, potentially leading to more meaningful interactions down the line.

Maintaining and slowly increasing friendship points with a specific character in Stardew Valley requires consistent interaction. While gift-giving is helpful, players can also make a habit of talking to their chosen character every day.

Fortunately, Shane's daily schedule is predictable and easy to work around. He leaves Marnie's Ranch at 7:20 AM and arrives at Joja Mart around 9:30 AM to start his shift. This gives players ample time to catch him on his way to work. After work, Shane heads to the Stardrop Saloon at 5:00 PM and stays there until 11:10 PM. If players miss him in the morning, they can always wait for him to show up at the saloon in the evening.

Shane stands out from other characters as his schedule remains unchanged on weekends or during rainy days, making him a reliable and easily accessible NPC. To trigger Shane's Heart Events, follow these steps:

If players are put off by Shane's standoffish demeanor as a regular barfly, they can delve deeper into his personality through his heart events. As players gain more friendship points and increase their heart level with Shane, they will unlock cutscenes that reveal his struggles with depression and alcoholism, showing a vulnerable side to the overworked man. The player can make dialogue decisions that further raise their friendship points with Shane. Only after reaching eight hearts with Shane can players purchase the bouquet from Pierre, allowing them to initiate a romantic relationship.

To trigger many of these heart events, players can leave the farm and visit Pelican Town, Cindersap Forest, or Marnie's Ranch after 9:00 AM.

Step 5: Purchase the Mermaid Pendant.

Once a player has reached ten hearts with Shane and given them a bouquet (which can be purchased from Pierre's), they will have the option to purchase a mermaid pendant from the Old Mariner. This pendant is necessary in order to propose to any eligible bachelor or bachelorette. However, the mermaid pendant can only be purchased during rainy weather, as this is the only time the Old Mariner will appear. Additionally, players must have repaired the bridge to the right of Elliot's Cabin.

Once the player has obtained the mermaid pendant, they can gift it to Shane. As long as the player is not cheating on a previous spouse and has an adequate number of friendship points and hearts, Shane will accept the proposal and the two can be married.

Stardew Valley is currently available on PC, macOS, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and Mobile.