Although unnecessary to play Stardew Valley, raising friendship levels with characters will trigger heart events and earn players great rewards in the form of recipes, gifts, or the chance to date and marry a resident. 
Alex, the grandson of George and Evelyn, is one character players can befriend and possibly marry. Through Alex’s heart events, players can help him deal with the struggles of trying to be a professional gridball player and cope with the loss of his mother.
Raising a friendship level with Alex is achievable by completing any quests he posts on the Help Wanted board or giving him gifts, especially on his birthday. However, Alex has no story-specific quests, just randomly generated requests for items. It can be time-consuming to wait for him to request items, so gifting him objects is the quickest way to advance his friendship.
Updated on November 9, 2024, by Robbie Robinson: A central part of the charm and grind of Stardew is romancing one lucky bachelor or bachelorette of Pelican Town. Every player is sure to have their favorite, but it can be more than frustrating struggling to find where the character is or what they like as gifts. For the Alex lovers out there, this article has been updated to include his schedule and to explain how to marry him.
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Best Gifts to Advance Friendship With Stardew Valley’s Alex
Giving the Right Gifts Is Crucial
When it comes to the best gifts Stardew Valley players can give to Alex to advance their friendship, they can be somewhat more difficult to obtain and heavily involve cooking. Under the Love category, which scores players the most friendship points (80), there are only two options: a Complete Breakfast or a Salmon Dinner. If players have any Universal Loves, such as a Golden Pumpkin, these can also be gifted. Alex also likes anything on the Universal Likes list, but any of these are only worth 45 friendship points — a large drop in points and a slower friendship process.
The easiest gifts to obtain are flowers (except Poppies), any Fruit Tree Fruits, or all Artisan Goods. Alex is also one of the few NPCs who enjoys Field Snacks, which are pretty easy to prepare at the Crafting Table at the beginning of the game. What’s more, with the 1.6 Stardew Valley update, players can get Stardrop Tea from the Prize Machine.
Stardrop Tea adds a whole heart to the relationship without taking away gift slots for the week, which makes it a great way of advancing the relationship quickly. Players must be especially careful not to gift Alex one of his hated or disliked gifts, as it can decrease many friendship points. A hated gift will lose the player 40 friendship points on a normal day, 200 on Winter Star, and 320 if it’s Alex’s birthday.
Find Alex Playing Gridball at the Beach
In Alex’s Two Heart Event, Players Get to Know his Gridball Passion
When players reach a two-heart friendship with Alex, they can head to the beach on a sunny summer day when he is there. They’ll find him playing with his gridball (Stardew Valley’s version of football). He greets the player and tosses them the ball. After the player fails to catch it, Alex laughs and says it was a good attempt. Then Alex reveals he wants to become the first professional gridball player from Stardew Valley and asks what the player thinks his chances are.
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The good news is that neither of the dialogue options ”I Believe in you!” or ”Wow, you’re really arrogant” affects friendship or any further heart events. In the first instance, Alex will thank the player for their support, and in the second one, he will tell the player that they’re just jealous. Either way, this isn’t Alex’s best heart event, since he’s still playing the jock stereotype. But players should wait to get to know Alex better.
Learn Alex’s Family Hardship
Alex’s Four Heart Event Shows a More Vulnerable Side to the Jock
Upon reaching a four-heart friendship with Alex, enter the town any day between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Players will find Alex next to the dog’s pen near his house, and he speaks to the dog, revealing its name as Dusty. Overhearing how he and the dog have been through a lot and feel misunderstood, the player appears behind the Saloon, and Alex asks what the player heard.
Players can either reply that they did overhear or that they didn’t. In any scenario, Alex goes on to explain how he ended up living with his grandparents. He will tell the player that his dad was an alcoholic who never really treated him well and that his mother had passed away. Trying to lighten the mood, the scene ends with Alex showing the player what trick Dusty will do for some barbecued steak. This interaction shows a more insightful and vulnerable side to Alex, who, up to this moment, has been nothing but arrogant and shallow. However, now players get to know about Alex’s past, and maybe why he puts up so many walls.
Be Genuine and Encouraging With Stardew Valley’s Alex
Alex’s Five Heart Event Shows Alex’s Deep Insecurities
Continually working on their friendship with Alex and reaching five hearts will trigger a heart event the next time players enter Alex’s house while he is there. The player finds him staring at his bookcase, and he disappointingly says he hasn’t read a single book in it. He also seems worried he won’t get far in life without being knowledgeable and he feels worthless. Here, players can be supportive of Alex or put him down.
- Players should choose “We all have our strengths and weaknesses” in this dialogue to earn 50 friendship points with Alex.
Ironically, choosing “That’s crazy. You’re a genius!” doesn’t add friendship points to the relationship — probably because Alex can easily see through the mindless lie. The interaction ends with a wholesome invitation to dinner to discuss philosophy. While Alex can be very arrogant, if players continually get closer to him, they will realize that Alex becomes more and more honest and tender with the players. In this scene, he even reveals one of his most deep-rooted insecurities, as he doesn’t feel intelligent enough.
Alex Apologizes For Being Rude
Alex’s Six Heart Event Depicts Alex’s True Colors
Players will surely be glad to get to know this side of Alex, especially once he apologizes, as he used to be a difficult person. While Alex is a fan-favorite character in Stardew Valley, the character can be hard to befriend in the beginning. Alex can be found in most places, and he values gifts, but he’s constantly being rude to the player, which may deter people from trying to befriend him. However, this changes once Alex warms up the player.
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When players reach six hearts with Alex, they can enter his house when he’s home. He will be exercising in his room, but he seems disheartened about his future and has doubts about going pro as a gridball player. However, he thanks the player for sticking by him and apologizes for his rude and arrogant behavior in their first interactions. There are no dialogues in this interaction, but the player is still pretty supportive of Alex, who feels appreciated.
Alex Opens Up About His Mother
Alex’s 8 Heart Event Shows How Much Alex Loves and Misses His Mom
The eight-heart event with Alex can be triggered by visiting the beach on a sunny summer day or when Alex visits the Ginger Island resort. When the player enters the beach, a cutscene will play where the farmer finds Alex crying. Alex will tell the player that this is the day his mother died 12 years ago. He’s upset he could never thank her properly for her care, and he plays a music box that belonged to her.
As the music plays, the game shows a scene of Alex’s mother cradling him as a baby. Alex asks the player what they’re thinking, but none of the dialogue options affect the relationship. The scene ends with the player and Alex walking back to town, and he nervously asks the player to keep it a secret that he is crying. This is probably the most insightful and heartwarming heart event players will share with Alex, even after they get married.
Meet Alex at the Saloon
Alex’s 10 Heart Event Follows Alex Gifting the Player a Romantic Dinner
After giving Alex a bouquet, reaching a 10-heart status will trigger a heart event where he sends players a letter to meet him at the Saloon after dark. If the player enters the Saloon between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. any day, they’ll find that Alex has reserved a private room for a date. Alex will have hired Gus to play a romantic song on a violin and soon enough, he will order a classy dinner for he farmer and himself.
Depending on whether the player character is male or female, it will change Alex’s dialogue, but it has the same premise: he’s had feelings for the player since the day the two met, but didn’t know how to confess. In the dialogue that follows, the player can either return Alex’s feelings or reject them but neither option affects friendship, and players can still technically progress to the 14-heart event if they ask Alex to marry them.
After successfully courting Alex, the next step is marriage. Popping bottles is more than okay, but players will also need to make sure that their house is upgraded at least once. Then, players will need to make sure that they’ve repaired the wooden bridge with 300 wood at the beach. This will give players access to the Tide Pool area. Once a player is dating Alex, they need to wait for a perfectly stormy day and make their way to the Tide Pools. There, the player will find the Old Mariner. The player then just has to buy the Mermaid Pendant for a whopping 5,000 gold. Gift it to Alex and save the date!
Alex Will Include You In His Favorite Hobby
The 14-heart event with Alex will only trigger in Stardew Valley under certain conditions. Players must exit the farmhouse when married to Alex between 6 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. on any day but Sunday. If players are in their second year or later, they must have 5000g available to give Alex. Alex will ask the player to fund a special project that will be available to view on Sunday.
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Enter the Saloon on Sunday to find Alex and a few of the town’s residents watching gridball in the backroom, which has now been decorated. Alex realizes he may never go pro at gridball but is happy the town can now enjoy the sport how he does. The event ends with the characters talking about their new tradition. This will be the last major cutscene with Alex.
This scene might seem shallow in contrast with Alex confessing his feelings to the player or talking about his family life. However, this cutscene shows Alex’s growth throughout the relationship with the farmer. In the beginning, Alex was always alone. He was determined to become a gridball player and put all his self-value on his fitness and discipline. But when he marries the farmer, Alex accepts other people in his life, actively looking for a community. He understands that love and friendship matter more than becoming a professional athlete.
Stardew Valley is an open-ended country-life RPG. You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home?
- Platform(s)
- PC , Xbox One , Android , iOS , PS4 , Switch
- Released
- February 26, 2016
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer , Online Multiplayer
- ESRB
- E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
- How Long To Beat
- 53 Hours
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