Hello everyone, in this tutorial, we will discuss the differences between the Community Center and JojaMart routes in Stardew Valley. I have gathered some knowledge, advantages, and disadvantages of these two options.
Discovering the Community Center
First, let’s talk about the Community Center, located above the clinic and general store. On any sunny day between the 5th of Spring and 8:50 AM to 11:50 AM, entering Pelican Town from the bus stop will trigger an event with Mayor Lewis at the Community Center. Lewis will then lead us to the center, where we discover strange creatures called Junimos and a glowing scroll with unreadable text.
After clicking on the scroll, we receive a letter from the Wizard the next day, which unlocks the Wizard’s Tower. Once we meet the Wizard and drink his potion, we can understand the Junimo language.
Community Center or JojaMart Route
We can then return to the Community Center to read the scrolls and provide bundles to the Junimos. At this point, Mayor Lewis also informs us of JojaMart’s intention to turn the Community Center into a warehouse. We face two choices: let the Junimos help us restore the Community Center or purchase a JojaMart membership and turn the Community Center into a warehouse. This is what we call the Community Center route or the JojaMart route.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Community Center Route
If we choose the Community Center route, we need to complete bundles for the Junimos, who will then reward us accordingly. There are six rooms in the Community Center, and once we complete the bundles for each room, the corresponding area will be renovated, with the Junimos providing special rewards such as minecart repair and unlocking the greenhouse.
When all Community Center bundles are completed, the center will be fully restored, JojaMart will go out of business, and we can build a movie theater after completing a final bundle. Advantages of the Community Center route include a more engaging and exploratory experience, a two-heart friendship boost for non-marriageable villagers upon completing bulletin board bundles, and the satisfaction of restoring life to the town. We will also receive the Stardew Valley Hero Trophy.
The main disadvantage of the Community Center route is the extensive preparation required, making it more time-consuming compared to the JojaMart route.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the JojaMart Route
For the JojaMart route, we must first spend 5,000 gold to become a member. Before membership, JojaMart’s seed prices are higher than Pierre’s, but the prices become equal after joining. Morris will then give us a Joja Community Development Form.
We can buy town renovation services with gold instead of completing bundles. However, we won’t receive individual bundle rewards, but some special items from the rewards will become craftable. So, what are the advantages of the Joja Supermarket route? It only requires money, making it less demanding than the Community Center route. However, the disadvantages are quite obvious as well. It may go against the wishes of the villagers, and after the Community Center becomes a warehouse, it will be filled with clutter, making the town look less attractive.
Recommendations for New Players
In summary, for new players experiencing the game for the first time, it’s recommended to follow the Community Center route for a more complete and rewarding game experience. However, if you’re more skilled at earning money or don’t want to put in as much effort, the Joja route may be an interesting alternative to try.
Preparing for the Community Center Route
Next, let’s discuss some of the things to prepare. We won’t go into detail for the Joja route since it only requires money. For the Community Center route, you can find a list of required items in your inventory after drinking the wizard’s potion. In general, there are six bundles to complete.
The Crafts Room bundle unlocks the bridge to the Quarry, while the Pantry bundle unlocks the Greenhouse, allowing year-round farming.
The Fish Tank bundle unlocks a boulder near the mine, and once completed, Willy will provide you with a pan to collect metal ores and other items from the water.
The Boiler Room bundle repairs the minecart, making travel more convenient. The Vault bundle requires a total of 42,500 gold and, once completed, unlocks the bus stop to the desert.
Finally, the Bulletin Board bundle increases the friendship level with non-marriageable villagers. This particular bundle contains a Red Cabbage, which can only be purchased from Pierre’s General Store during the second year’s summer. So, unless you choose to complete the Community Center in the first year when starting the game, you’ll need to rely on luck with the Traveling Cart. If luck isn’t on your side, you may have to wait until the second year’s summer to complete the bundle.
Some items required for the bundles are only available in certain seasons, so plan accordingly. If you want to see the full list of required items for the bundles, refer to the in-game menu.
Conclusion
Lastly, after completing the Community Center route, you will receive a score from Grandpa, while after the Joja route, you can spend 500,000 gold to convert the Community Center into a movie theater. This concludes our tutorial on the differences between the Community Center and JojaMart routes in Stardew Valley.