Sam Stardew Valley: Everything You Need to Know

Stardew Valley is loved by its fans for providing an unparalleled experience through its compelling storyline. This story, however, has a huge emphasis on each character presented to you in the game. In that regard, Sam in Stardew Valley is undoubtedly one of the most important villagers you’ll come across. 

One of the most amazing tips we can offer you is to follow the story of each character closely. It’s this lore that dictates the experience you’ll have with the game. However, considering overall events and the complexity of interactions, it can become pretty tricky to get details on each character.

Don’t fret, though! Today, we’ll be covering everything there is to know about one of the most charming characters in Stardew Valley – Sam.

Background

Sam is like every other lively teenager out there. He’s full of energy at the peak of his youth. He lives in the southern part of Pelican Town, at 1 Willow Lane, to be exact, with his family. 

In the case of his relationships, Sam is the brother of Vincent and the son of Jodi and Kent. He’s also friends with Sebastian, Penny, and Abigail. Sam’s hobbies include music, playing pool at the Stardrop Salon, skating, and playing video games. 

Similar to Elliott and Harvey, Sam is included amongst the 12 marriage-eligible candidates in Stardew Valley. He’s actually considered to be one of the younger individuals on this list. Sam also works part-time on some days in the Joja Mart or the Museum, depending upon the situation of your Community Center.

He has a huge passion for music and is in a band with Sebastian. His objective, as he explains, is to produce a couple of songs so he can eventually release them. This sounds like a big endeavor, but it’s something right up Sam’s alley since he’s always working on unrealistic projects (unsuccessfully, most of the time). 

Some of his heart events also showcase his love for music, video games, and the like. He isn’t given as much depth as someone like Shane but is overall a nice addition to your game experience. 

Behavior 

In Stardew Valley, Sam leaves a genuinely nice first impression. He displays his youthful exuberance right from the start. It becomes apparent very early on that he’s a youngster filled with joy, looking forward to great things in life.

However, like all characters in Stardew Valley, Sam does have some secrets in his life. Although he doesn’t mention this in the early phases of your friendship, Sam makes it apparent that he’s anxious about the return of his father. Sam’s father, Kent, is a soldier serving in the Army. This causes Kent to be absent during your first year in the game. In the later stages of your friendship, Sam opens up about his life without his father and shares deep sentiments regarding his family structure with you.

His overall attitude towards you, however, remains unaffected. Sam is always open to a conversation and treats you with respect. He’s mostly positive and almost always maintains a friendly attitude toward you. 

Schedule

Sam’s daily routine can change depending on numerous variables, including (but not limited to) changes in weather, the current season, and in-game festivals. Here’s a breakdown of Sam’s daily activities, including all special occasions and any irregularities. 

Summer

Following his regular schedule, Sam wakes up at 10 am. 

This is different from most characters in the game, that are either already awake once the day starts or are up and running at 8 am. After moping about for an hour, Sam starts practicing on his guitar at 11 am. 

He keeps doing this till the clock hits exactly 1:40 pm, at which point he leaves his room and heads towards the beach region. Here, accompanied by his brother Vincent he stands close to the fire camp. 

Both of them will spend most of their day here and head back home at 7 pm. After two hours, Sam will go to his bedroom and call it a night. 

Special Occasions

On each Monday and Wednesday, Sam’s daily routine will change. On these days, he wakes up at 10 but stays inside his room till 11 am. Afterward, he heads over to the Joja Mart or the Community Center, depending upon your game progression. 

Here, he’ll work part-time from 12:50 pm to 4 pm. Once his shift ends in Stardew Valley, Sam will head directly back home, arriving at 6 pm. He’ll stay idle here till 9:30 pm, at which point he’ll go to sleep.

Every Saturday, Sam again changes his daily activities. He’ll wake up at 10 am as always but stay idle in his room till 2 pm this time around. 

Once the clock hits 2, Sam will stand next to Sebastian, a friend of his, who also happens to be in the room now. 

Both of them will stay idle for the next 4 hours and then eventually leave to stand at the river in front of Sam’s house. Sam will stay here till 7:50 pm and then head back inside, going to sleep quite early this time around.

On his Birthday, Sam wakes up at 10 am, stays idle, and then starts practicing on his guitar as the clock hits 11 am. He’ll do this till 3 pm, after which he heads to the living room in his house and starts playing video games.

At 5 pm, Sam will head back into his bedroom and stroll about for 3 hours. He goes to sleep at 8 pm on this day.

Winter

Surprisingly, Sam only has a single schedule that he follows throughout the Winter season, regardless of any elements in the game.

According to this schedule, Sam will start each day by waking up at 10 am. After spending some time in his room, he’ll start practicing on his guitar from 10:40 am to 1:20 pm. 

Once he’s done with this, Sam will leave for the Stardrop Salon, where he’ll stay for a few hours – mostly playing snooker/pool on the table located on the right side of the room. 

Sam heads back home at 7 pm and then eventually goes to his bedroom at 9 pm to sleep.

Spring

In the Spring, Sam normally wakes up at 10 am and remains in his room for 40 minutes before he starts practicing on his guitar. 

He does this till the clock hits 1:40 pm and then leaves his house to stand by the river located next to Mayor Lewis’ house. He’ll stay here till 6:30 pm and then return home. After staying in the living room for a few hours, Sam heads inside his bedroom and goes to sleep.

Special Occasions

On Mondays and Wednesdays, Sam will follow the same routine as he did for these days in the Summer season.

On Tuesdays, Sam’s schedule slightly deviates from his normal ones for Spring. He wakes up at 10 am and plays his guitar from 10:40 am to 2 pm. Afterward, he’ll head outside to the river located next to Mayor Lewis’ house. At 6:30 pm, Sam heads back home.

On Thursdays, Sam starts the day at 10 am and proceeds to play his guitar for the next 40 minutes. Afterward, he walks over to the area just southeast of Mayor Lweis’ house and stands here till 6:30 pm. 

He then returns back home and stands in front of his dresser for an hour. Sam will call it quits at 9 pm and go to sleep.

On Fridays, Sam wakes up at 10 am and practices on his guitar for an hour. He’ll then go skate in front of his house from 11 am to 3 pm. Afterward, he heads towards the Stardrop Salon. Once in the building, he’ll walk over to the pool table and play a couple of games (till 9:20 pm).

Sam returns to his home in Stardew Valley at 10:20 pm and goes directly to bed. 

On Rainy Days, the character will get up at 9 am and spend the next 2 hours inside his house. At 11 am, he’ll head over to the bridge near the Museum, which he reaches in about an hour.

For the next 4 hours, Sam will stand idle at the bridge, after which he heads over to the tree in front of Emily’s (Or Hayley’s) house. He’ll again stay idle here till 7 pm before returning back home. From 7:30 to 9:30, Sam stands in front of his dresser and then, ultimately, heads off to bed. 

Fall

Throughout the Fall season in Stardew Valley, Sam follows the same schedule with the exception of one day. In this routine, he wakes up at 10 am and roams around his room for the next 40 minutes. 

After this, Sam starts practicing his guitar from 10:40 to 1:20 pm. Here on out, he’ll move towards the Cindersap Forest region and stand in the area located slightly southwest of Leah’s Cottage. Sam will spend most of his day here and return back home once the clock hits 7 pm.

After staying idle inside his house for another 2 hours, he heads to bed at 9 pm sharp.

Special Occasions

On the 11th of Fall, Sam has his annual medical examination. On this day, he wakes up at 10 am, stays idle for an hour and a half, and then heads towards Harvey’s Clinic for his checkup. He’ll spend 2 hours in the waiting room playing video games before being called in for his examination.

The checkup itself lasts till 4 pm, after which Sam leaves the Clinic and heads into Pelican Town. He spends the rest of the day here and returns to his bedroom at 9 pm (going directly to bed).

After Marriage

Two new routines will be followed by Sam if you end up marrying one another. 

On Mondays, Sam wakes up at 6 am and leaves for Pelican Town after 2 hours. Here, he spends most of his time inside his house (1 Willow Lane) and then heads back to the farmhouse at 3 pm. He’ll spend the rest of his day here and go to sleep once the clock hits 10 pm.

On Fridays, Sam wakes up at 6 am again and leaves for Pelican Town after 2 hours. He’ll go straight to his house (1 Willow Lane) but this time around, he’ll only stay here for 2 hours. At 12 pm, Sam starts skateboarding and continues to do so for the next 3 hours.

Afterward, he heads into the Stardrop Salon to play on the pool table. Sam spends most of the day here and heads towards home (to the farmhouse) at 9 pm (arrives by 11 pm). 

Irregularities

Aside from his normal schedules and special occasions, the following are a few irregularities in Sam’s schedule that can occur from time to time.

Heart Events

Heart events are exclusive interactions you can experience with each character after reaching a specified friendship level with them. In Stardew Valley, Sam has the following heart events that you can unlock.

Two Heart Event

To trigger Sam’s two heart event in Stardew Valley, you’ll have to enter his residence while he’s present. The event showcases Sam and Sebastian playing some music in Sam’s room. Upon entering, Sam will tell you that he’s planning on creating a band and asks you for your preference for the type of music they should play. 

Regardless of what you choose, Sam’s answer, your friendship, and the rest of the cutscene remain the same. 

Three Heart Event

This one happens exclusively in Year 1. Additionally, it cannot occur during the Winter season. Lastly, it requires you to visit the Beach area anywhere between 7 am and 3 pm on a Sunny day. 

The event features Sam watching his little brother Vincent play in the sand. Sam mentions how his father used to bring both of them to the beach like this. After some time, Vincent comes up and mentions how he heard people talking about mass casualties in military affairs and then asks Sam whether their father will return. Sam reassures his little brother that their father will eventually return and that he shouldn’t believe those reports. 

Sam has no idea of the veracity of his earlier statement, becomes guilty for getting Vincents’ hopes up, and then asks your opinion on how he should’ve handled the situation. You’re then given 2 options to choose from, but the outcome remains the same regardless of what you pick. 

Four Heart Event

Sam’s fourth heart event has relatively loose requirements – you’ll have to enter his house while he’s there. Upon doing so, a cutscene triggers, showing Sam taking out a snack from his fridge. While doing so, he drops an egg on the kitchen floor – causing a mess.

Sam’s mother – Jodi – hears this and walks in. She becomes furious and demands to know who caused the ruckus in her kitchen. You’re then presented with different options to choose from – each of which has an effect on your friendship level with Sam. 

After picking one of the options, Jodi thanks you for your honesty, Sam vows to clean up the area, and the cutscene ends. 

Six Heart Event

The six heart event takes place in Pelican Town on any non-rainy day. You’ll have to enter the area between noon and 4 pm for this to work correctly.

In the event, Sam can be seen skateboarding and performing tricks outside of Emily and Hayley’s house. He then uses one of the flower pots placed outside the house to facilitate one of his tricks. Mayor Lewis, who’s also present in the area, takes note of this and scolds Sam for his behavior.

He then turns to you and asks for your opinion on the matter. You’re then presented with 3 options to choose from. You can either stay neutral or side with one of the two characters. Your choice, however, has no effect on friendship levels with either character or the outcome of the heart event.

Eight Heart Event

Sam’s eight heart event in Stardew Valley is a bit different from his other ones as it sort of triggers on its own. It does require, however, that you’ve experienced his 2 heart event beforehand.

It has a cutscene that triggers if you step outside of your house between 6 am and 8 am. Upon doing so, you’ll find Sam at your doorstep with an invitation for you to watch his band perform in the city. Then, you’ll need to enter the Bus Stop area next to Pelican Town between 4 pm and 7 pm.

Doing so takes you to a concert performed by Sam, Sebastian, and Abigail, with a few other individuals in the audience. Towards the end, Sam comes out and thanks you for all your support.

Ten Heart Event

For the ten heart event, you’ll receive a letter from Sam in your mailbox instructing you to meet him in Pelican Town. The event triggers if you enter the town area anywhere between 8 pm and 12 pm. 

You then meet Sam outside his house, who comments that it’s cold outside and, thus, sneaks you into his bedroom. Once inside, Sam confesses that he has feelings for you, and before you can answer, Jodi knocks on the door. You then hide in his bed while Sam, who makes up an excuse to explain why he’s so flustered, answers the door.

Before the cutscene ends, you’re given 2 options to choose from. Choosing one of these presents you with yet another 2 actions to select from. Each choice has its own ending to the event; however, your friendship level with Sam in all scenarios remains unaffected. 

Fourteen Heart Event

Sam’s fourteen heart event is only accessible after you’ve married him. Additionally, there are 4 different parts to the event – each with its own requirements and characteristics. 

Part 1

To activate this, you’ll need to upgrade your house at least twice and enter it anywhere between 6:10 am – 5 pm with Sam present inside. You’ll have a small interaction with him where he’ll comment about how he feels lazy after moving into the farmhouse and wants to find a job related to music.

Part 2

Same requirements as the last part, but there’s a 3-day waiting period before this can work. Sam tells you that he received a job offer to make music for a children’s tv-show. He then asks for your opinion on the matter, and you can select from a variety of options. Your final response has no effect on your friendship level with Sam.

Part 3 

Part 3 of this event again has the same requirements as the last part. This once features Sam being optimistic about his progress on the song. He plays what he’s written so far for you and hopes that the studio likes it. 

Part 4

This one also has the same requirements as the previous parts. This part features a cutscene with you, Vincent, and Jas perched in Sam’s room (of the farmhouse). Sam puts up a video of the song he made and shows his excitement at the overwhelming response it receives from Jas and Vincent.

The event ends with Sam thanking you for your support and giving you the “Sam’s Boombox” item. 

Gifting Preferences

This table analyzes Sam’s gifting preferences in Stardew Valley. You’ll find all the items that he loves, likes, is neutral to, dislikes, and hates. Do note that this list excludes any and all items to which villager sentiments are universal.