Some of you have asked me about the Secret Notes in Stardew Valley, so I’ve put together a comprehensive guide to help you uncover all the secrets. If you’re interested, let’s dive in!
First, let’s talk about how to trigger the Secret Notes. They can be unlocked during winter mornings between 6 AM and 4 PM when you head from your farm to the bus stop. You’ll see a shadowy figure getting scared and running away in a cutscene, and a new quest called “Winter Mystery” will appear in your journal.
Follow the footprints to the playground on the left side of the Community Center, and click on the nearby bush. The shadowy figure will jump out and give you a magnifying glass before running away. With the magnifying glass, you can find Secret Notes while digging, chopping trees, mining, and defeating monsters. Once found, place the note in the top row of your inventory, right-click to read it, and it will be added to your collections and activate the Secret Notes tab in the menu.
There are a total of 25 Secret Notes. Some reveal the preferences of various characters, while others contain puzzles that need to be deciphered. In this guide, we will focus on the 13 notes that require decoding.
Secret Notes #10:
After your first visit to Skull Cavern, Mr. Qi will challenge you to reach the 25th level of the Desert Mine. After completing this challenge, you’ll receive the note, which states that someone is waiting for you at the 100th level of Skull Cavern. Reaching this level will trigger a cutscene with Mr. Qi and reward you with an Iridium Snake Milk, permanently increasing your health by 25 points.
Secret Notes #13:
On the 28th day of any season, at exactly 12 PM, click on the bush above the playground to receive a Junimo Plush toy for decoration.
Secret Notes #14:
At the back of the Community Center, use your pickaxe on a specific spot to obtain a Stone Junimo Statue.
Secret Notes #15:
During the Night Market event on Winter 15-17, head to the far-right boat to watch the Mermaid Show. After the performance, click on the shells in the order 1-5-4-2-3 to receive a pearl.
Secret Notes #16:
Follow the treasure map to the area above the Spa by the train tracks. Use your hoe to dig up a treasure chest worth 5,000 gold.
Secret Notes #17:
Dig with your hoe on the riverbank north of JojaMart to find a green Strange Doll. If you’ve already donated one to the museum, you won’t receive another.
Secret Notes #18:
Dig in the southeast part of the desert to obtain a yellow Strange Doll. Like the green doll, if you’ve already donated one, you won’t receive another.
Secret Notes #19:
Click behind Mayor Lewis’s house to find his secret Solid Gold Lewis statue.
Secret Notes #20:
Give a rabbit’s foot to the truck driver next to JojaMart for a permanent luck increase. This is still possible even if JojaMart has closed or turned into a movie theater.
Secret Notes #21:
At 12:40 AM, click on the bush by the Pelican Town beach bridge to discover Marnie and Mayor Lewis on a date.
Secret Notes #22:
Place a battery pack in the box next to the tunnel near the bus station to begin Mr. Qi’s mysterious quest. Note that finding this Secret Notes is not a requirement to trigger the quest; you can still place the battery pack in the box even without discovering the note.
Secret Notes #23:
After reading the note, you’ll trigger a quest called “Strange Note.” Between 6 AM and 7 PM, bring maple syrup to the Secret Woods to trigger a cutscene. A friendly bear will teach you special knowledge about berries. After the cutscene, a bear paw icon will appear in your wallet, and the selling price of blackberries and salmonberries will permanently triple.
Secret Notes #25:
Fish outside the Spa (except during winter) to obtain an Ornate Necklace. You can give this necklace to Caroline or Abigail. Gifting it to Caroline will increase her friendship by 50 points, while giving it to Abigail will increase her friendship by 100 points.
FAQ:
Q: How do I obtain Secret Notes #10, which triggers the Desert Mine 100th floor quest?
A: Secret Notes #10 has a chance to be obtained after unlocking the Desert Mine and completing Mr. Qi’s challenge. The location where it drops is random.
Q: How do I view the Secret Notes on the mobile version?
A: The process is similar to eating food in the game. First, select the Secret Notes in your inventory from the game interface. With your character holding the Secret Notes, tap on your character, and you can view the note.
That concludes our guide to decoding the Secret Notes in Stardew Valley. Good luck uncovering all the secrets, and happy farming!
