Stardew Valley: How to Unlock Mayor's Basement

Mayor Lewis's basement is one of Stardew Valley's hidden secrets. A concealed path leads to a maze-like basement, suggesting Mayor Lewis may be hiding something. Within this labyrinth, players can discover a unique item that adds an intriguing layer of mystery to the game.

To get here, players must complete some tasks and develop a relationship with Lewis, which results in some interesting reactions from other villagers. If you are willing to go through the mystery of Pelican Town’s Mayor, this guide will take you through steps to unlock the basement and what is present within it.

How to Unlock Mayor's Basement

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To unlock Mayor Lewis’s basement, you need to raise your friendship level with him. Interact with him daily and give him gifts until you reach two hearts. Once achieved, you’ll access his bedroom, which leads to the basement.

The next step is to craft the Staircase. To unlock this recipe, reach Mining Level 2. Gather 99 Stones to craft the Staircase needed for the basement. Once ready, visit Mayor Lewis's house between 8:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. when it's open. Alternatively, if you have the town key, you can enter anytime.

Head to the right side of the house, where you will find his bedroom. Once inside, equip the Staircase and place it near the bed in the bottom left corner. The tile will turn green, allowing you to descend into the basement now.

Explore the Mayor's Basement

Inside the basement, you will find a maze of barrels in a dark, shadowy room. You should bring torches that will light your way for a better vision. Work carefully to the bottom right corner of the room, where you will find a pair of Lucky Purple Shorts as your reward.

After picking up the Lucky Purple Shorts, an eerie enemy resembling the floating pair of shorts will begin to chase you through the maze. Since this ghostly enemy is undefeatable and will inflict damage if it catches you, your only option is to run back to the staircase and exit as quickly as possible.

What Can You Do with Lucky Purple Shorts?

The Lucky Purple Shorts are more than just a mere item; they open up a variety of humorous interactions with NPCs:

• At the Luau: Place them in the Luau soup to see a special reaction from the Governor and Mayor Lewis.
• In the Stardew Valley Fair: Display them in the grange exhibit to be disqualified, prompting Lewis to offer you 750 Star Tokens to keep his secret safe.
• On Ginger Island: Gift them to Lewis here, and he will wear them as beachwear for the season.
• As a Crafted Item: You can combine them with a Gold Bar at the sewing machine to create Trimmed Lucky Purple Shorts, which you can wear to see unique reactions from Lewis and Marnie.