While Stardew Valley‘s main focus is building up your farm and restoring the town’s Community Center, there is also an emotional factor imbedded within the game. Players are encouraged to develop relationships with the NPCs scattered throughout the town and form connections with them. The higher your heart rating, the closer you are to eventually marrying the character.
Each NPC has their own personalized back story and comes with benefits depending on who you choose to pursue. Overall there are 12 potential romantic candidates, six males and six females. Twice a week you can gift characters items to increase your heart rating, which can unlock “heart events” that deepens your connection and gets you one step closer to marriage.
Each potential partner has their own schedule, lists of likes and dislikes, and heart events. Players must manage these factors in order to advance to the marriage stage. In this Stardew Valley dating guide, we will go over everything you need to know about dating Alex.
Alex lives in Pelican Town with his grandparents Evelyn and George. Their house is southeast of Pierre’s General Store and Alex can frequently be seen tossing a gridball around in the yard. Alex is your typical sports buff and mentions his athletic ability any chance he gets. He enjoys spending time with his dog, Dusty, and hanging out at the beach.
Stardew Valley Dating Guide: Alex’s Likes and Dislikes
You can gift just about anything to anyone in Stardew Valley, but each character in the game has a specific list if items they love, like, feel neutral about, dislike and hate. Giving characters gifts they love is the quickest way to boost your relationship with them.
Loves
Alex loves all the items categorized under “Universal Loves”, which includes a Golden Pumpkin, Magic Rock Candy, Pearl, Prismatic Shard, and Rabbit’s Foot. But more personalized items that Alex loves are a Complete Breakfast (made by cooking a fried egg, milk, hashbrowns, and pancakes together), and a Salmon Dinner (made by cooking a salmon, amaranth, and kale together). When given one of these items, Alex will be prompted to say “Hey, awesome! I love this stuff!” Gifting items that Alex loves will earn you more friendship points, which will increase your relationship faster.
Likes
Alex likes all the items categorized under “Universal Likes” which includes amaranth, artichoke, beet, bok choy, cauliflower, corn, eggplant, fiddlehead fern, garlic, green bean, kale, parsnip, potato, pumpkin, radish, red cabbage , taro root, tomato, yam, apple, apricot, cherry, orange, peach, pomegranate, blue jazz, crocus, fairy rose, summer spangle, sunflower, sweat pea, tulip, aged roe, caviar, cheese, goat cheese, cloth, coffee, honey, green tea, wine, juice, beer, mead, pale ale, pina colada, truffle oil, mayonnaise, duck mayonnaise, dinosaur mayonnaise, pickles, jelly, algae soup, artichoke dip, autumn’s bounty, baked fish, banana pudding, bean hotpot, blackberry cobbler, blueberry tart, bruschetta, carp surprise, cheese cauliflower, chocolate cake, chowder, coleslaw, cookie, crab cakes, cranberry candy, cranberry sauce, crispy bass, dish o’ the sea, eggplant parmesan, escargot, farmer’s lunch, fiddlehead risotto, fish stew, fish taco, fried calamari, fried eel, fried mushroom, fruit salad, ginger ale, glazed yams, hashbrowns, ice cream, lobster bisque, lucky lunch, maki roll, mango sticky rice, maple bar, miner’s treat, omelet, pale broth, pancakes, parsnip soup, pepper poppers, pink cake, pizza, plum pudding, poi, poppyseed muffin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, radish salad, red plate, rhubarb pie, rice pudding, roasted hazelnuts, roots platter, salad, earth crystal, fire quartz, frozen tear, amethyst, aquamarine, diamond, emerald, jade, ruby, topaz, life elixir, and maple syrup. But more personalized items that Alex likes are all eggs except void eggs. When given one of these items, Alex will be prompted to say “This is cool! Thanks.”
Neutral
Alex feels neutral about about all the items categorized under “Universal Neutrals” which includes bread, clam, coral, duck feather, sweet gem berry, tea leaves, truffle, wheat, wool, hops, nautilus shell, rainbow shell, roe, and squid ink. He also feels neutral about ancient fruit, blackberry, blueberry, cactus fruit, coconut, cranberries, crystal fruit, grape, hot pepper, melon, pineapple, qi fruit, rhubarb, spice berry, starfruit, strawberry, wild plum, all milk, chanterelle, common mushroom, daffodil, dandelion, ginger, hazelnut, leek, magma cap, morel, purple mushroom, snow yam, and winter root. When given one of these items, Alex will be prompted to say “Thanks!”
Dislikes
Alex dislikes all the items categorized under “Universal Dislikes” which includes battery packs, clay, fiber, hardwood, stone, wood, all artifacts, all bombs, all crafted floors, all fences, all fertilizer, all fish, all geode minerals, all geodes, all seeds and fruit tree saplings, pine cones, all sprinklers, all tackle, cave carrot, driftwood, field snack, jack-o-lantern, oak resin, oil, pine tar, qi fruit, rice, solar essence, spring onion, tea salt, unmilled rice, bone fragment, cinder shard, coal, copper bars, gold bars, gold ore, iridium bars, iridium ore, iron bars, refined quartz, vinegar, void egg, void essence, and wheat flour. When given one of these items, Alex will be prompted to say “Um… Okay. Thanks.”
Hates
Alex hates all the items categorized under “Universal Hates” which includes all baits, all fossils, all monster loot, all trash, artifact trove, bug steak, carp, copper ore, crab pot, dragon tooth, drum block, energy tonic, error item, explosive ammo, fairy dust, flute block, grass starter, green algae, golden coconut, hay, iron ore, journal scrap, monster musk, muscle remedy, oil of garlic, poppy, qi seasoning, radioactive bar, radioactive ore, rain totem, red mushroom, sap, sea urchin, seafoam pudding, seaweed, secret note, slime egg, snail, strange bun, sugar, torch, treasure chest, void mayonnaise, warp totems, and white algae. But for more personalized items that Alex hates are holly and quartz.
It is important to note in this Stardew Valley dating guide that giving a gift to a character on their birthday will earn you 8x more friendship points, and giving a gift during the Feast of the Winter Star will earn you 5x more points. Alex’s birthday is Summer 13 and gifts on his birthday will have a greater effect and unlock a unique dialogue.
Gifting items that Alex loves will be key to advancing your relationship with him.
Stardew Valley Dating Guide: Alex’s Schedule
Finding Alex in the game will be key to giving him gifts and furthering your relationship with him. Like all characters, Alex’s schedule changes depending on the season and your relationship with him.
Spring
In the Spring, Alex usually leaves his house at 8 a.m. where he will stand next to the tree in his yard until 1 p.m. He will then wander into his room and lift weights for three hours. At 4 p.m. he will leave once again and stand by the dog pen located in front of his house. After 6:30 he can be found inside his house until the next day.
Summer
In the Summer, Alex works at the ice cream stand located next to the Museum. He will usually leave his house at 7:50 a.m. and walk over to the beach. He stays at the beach until 12 p.m. and then heads to the ice cream stand to start his shift. At 5 p.m. he will head home and remain there until the next day. On Summer 16 Alex has a doctors appointment. He will leave his house at 8 a.m. to stand under the tree, and then at 10:30 a.m. he will walk over to the Clinic and return home at 4 p.m.
Fall
In the Fall, Alex usually leaves his house at 8 a.m. where he will stand next to the tree in his yard until 1 p.m. He will then wander into his room and lift weights for three hours. At 4 p.m. he will leave once again and stand by the dog pen located in front of his house. After 6:30 he can be found inside his house until the next day.
Winter
In the Winter, Alex will usually leave his house at 9 a.m. to go to the Spa where he will hang out in the gym section until 3 p.m. He will then go back home for a couple hours, and then leave to stand by the dog pen at 6 p.m. At 7:30 p.m. he will go back inside the house and remain there until the next day.
Special Occasions
On Wednesday’s Alex has a special schedule (if unmarried), he will stand outside at 8 a.m. like normal, but at 12 p.m. he will head over to Haley and Emily’s house. At 4:30 p.m. he will leave their house and go stand by the dog pen until 6:40, where he will then return home for the day. No matter the season, if it rains Alex will stay inside his house until 4 p.m. and will walk over to the dog pen. At 6:30 p.m. he will head back inside and remain there for the rest of the day.
If married to Alex, he can usually be found around your farm. But on Monday’s Alex will go visit his grandparents at 8:30 a.m. and return to the farm at 6 p.m.
Having an understanding of Alex’s schedule will help players boost hearts with him.
Stardew Valley Dating Guide: Alex’s Heart Events
As you develop relationships with each character, a certain amount of hearts will trigger a heart event. These heart events help players get more personal with the characters and deepens their relationship.
First Heart Event
Once two hearts have been reached with Alex, visit the beach on a sunny summer’s day when Alex is there. A cutscene will occur where Alex will talk to you about his dreams of being a professional gridball player. Alex will then ask you what you think his chances are and you are given the option to say either “I believe in you!” or “Wow, you’re really arrogant.” Both options have no effect on his friendship level.
Second Heart Event
Once four hearts have been reached with Alex, enter town anytime between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and a cutscene will occur. You will catch Alex talking to himself next to the dog pen. He reveals the dogs name and admits they have both been through a lot. Alex catches you listening and asks if you heard anything he said. You are given the option to say either “Yes, I heard everything.” or “Not really… Why?” Both options have no effect on his friendship level. Alex will then reveal the truth behind why he lives with his parents.
Third Heart Event
Once five hearts have been reached with Alex, enter his house when he is there. A cutscene will occur where Alex confesses to you he is worried he won’t get anywhere in life. You are given the option to say either “That’s crazy. You’re a genius!” which has no effect on his friendship level, “We all have our strengths and weaknesses.” which will earn you 50 friendship points, or “Worthless? Yeah, that about sums it up.” which will take away 50 friendship points.
Fourth Heart Event
Once six hearts have been reached with Alex, enter his house when he is there. Alex will confess to you that is has doubts about becoming a professional gridball player. No dialogue choices are given and but you successfully offer him some encouragement.
Fifth Heart Event
Once eight hearts have been reached with Alex, visit the beach in the summer when he there. You find Alex crying and he shares so pretty deep stuff with you. After he gets his feelings out, he will ask you what you are thinking. You are given the option to say either “Honor your mother’s memory by always doing your best.”, “You shouldn’t dwell in the past.”, “I’ll always be here for you if you get lonely.”, or “Get over it. Life is hard for everyone.” All options have no effect on his friendship level. After this event, you can then buy a bouquet from Pierre’s General Store and gift it to Alex so he officially becomes your boyfriend.
Sixth Heart Event
Once ten hearts have been reached with Alex, he will send you a letter telling you to meet him at the Saloon after dark. A cutscene will occur once you go to the Saloon between the hours of 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. and you see that Alex has reserved a private room for a dinner date. Alex confesses he has had a crush on you and you are given the option to say either “I feel the same way.” or “I’m sorry… I don’t feel the same way about you.” Both options have no effect on his friendship level.
Stardew Valley Dating Guide: Marrying Alex
Marriage is the last step to any relationship. After marrying any of the characters in the game, they can now gift you presents and help out around the farm.
Once Alex’s friendship level is at ten hearts, he is now eligible to marry. To become engaged, you must gift Alex a Mermaid’s Pendant which can be bought from the Old Mariner. The Old Mariner will be by the tidal pools on the beach and will sell you the pendant for 5,000g. He will not sell you the pendant until your farmhouse has been upgraded at least once. Present the Mermaid’s Pendant to Alex, and you are officially engaged.
The wedding ceremony will take place three days after you propose. The ceremony will happen in the morning as soon as you wake up, and once completed you and Alex will return to the farmhouse at 6 a.m. where you can continue your day as normal. Your friendship level with Alex can now go up to 14 hearts (which will unlock another heart event), but your friendship level can also decrease by 20 points per day whenever there is no interaction between the two of you.
Alex then moves into the farmhouse and keeping him happy will result in him helping out around the farm. He may make you breakfast, repair fences, feed animals, or water crops.
After reaching 12.5 stars with Alex, he will gift you a Stardrop as a token of his love. Once fourteen hearts have been reached a cutscene will occur when you exit the farmhouse on any other day than Sunday. Alex will ask you for 5,000g for a “special project.” Part two of the cutscene will occur once you enter the Saloon and discover he bought a mancave with the money.
Once married, Alex will move into your farm and add some unique décor.
While marrying any of the potential candidates in Stardew Valley comes with the same benefits, the only difference is the kind of room they add to your farmhouse. Alex in particular will decorate your bedroom with some gym equipment and change the floor color to green. Keep this in mind when choosing to pursue Alex as your Stardew Valley match!
For more information about marriage, divorce and having kids, check out the Stardew Valley Proposal and Marriage Guide.
