Looking to start a family of your own with Sam? Here's how to romance Sam in Stardew Valley. Forced to take on more responsibilities after his dad leaves the family home, Sam is a hard-working young man with plenty of hobbies and ambitions he just can't seem to act on.
Down below, we'll go over everything you need to know to make Sam a farmer's husband. We'll cover his unique likes and dislikes, where to find him throughout the day, and how his romance events play out to get you some easy friendship points.
For a few other bits, check out five games like Stardew Valley for when you've exhausted this one. You'll also want to repair the community center and solve the Winter Mystery quest. And for the whole lot, our Stardew Valley walkthrough hub is worth checking out. Our Stardew Valley characters guide works in a similar fashion.
Sam Romance Guide
A little rough around the edges, Sam lives a simple life with his little brother Vincent, who are both doted on by their mother, Jodi. He's an avid musician looking for purpose.
With Sam's father disappearing before the start of the game, he feels a responsibility to be the man of the house despite not really acting on it other than to care for his brother. He's friends with Penny, who tutors his little brother most days.
Whenever he isn't home, Sam can most often be found at the Joja Mart or playing pool at the Stardrop Saloon.
Schedule
Sam's day-to-day isn't too involved. Because of his need to support the family in his dad's absence, he spends most days after 11am at work. This is either JojaMart or, if the Community Center is restored, the Museum.
Outside of those situations, he regularly spends the mornings in his room, and his afternoons either outside Mayor's Mansion, Lewis' house or, on Fridays, the Stardrop Saloon.
Spring
Monday
- 10:00 - Stays in his room.
- 11:00 - Walks to JojaMart (or the Museum after restoring the Community Center)
- 16:00 - Starts to walk home from work.
- 18:00 - Goes into his room.
Tuesday
- 10:00 - Stays in his room.
- 14:00 - Leaves the house to go stand by the Mayor's Manor.
- 18:30 - Heads home.
- 21:30 - Goes to bed.
Wednesday
- 10:00 - Stays in his room.
- 11:00 - Heads to work.
- 16:00 - Heads home.
- 21:30 - Goes to bed.
Thursday
- 10:00 - Stays in his room.
- 13:40 - Heads to the bush by Lewis' house.
- 18:30 - Heads home.
- 21:00 - Goes to bed.
Friday
- 10:00 - Stays in his room.
- 11:00 - Skateboards by his house.
- 15:00 - Heads to Stardrop Saloon.
- 21:20 - Heads home.
Summer
Monday and Wednesday
- 10:00 - Stays in his room
- 11:00 - Leaves for work.
- 16:00 - Heads home from work.
- 18:00 - Stays in his room.
Saturday
- 10:00 - Stays in his room.
- 18:00 - Leaves to stay by the river near his house with Sebastian.
- 19:50 - Goes home.
Other days
- 10:00 - Stays in his room
- 13:40 - Goes to the beach firepit with Vincent.
- 19:00 - Goes home.
Fall
Aside from Day 11, when Sam can be found at the Clinic from 10:00-16:00, his days remain largely the same.
Most days
- 10:00 - Stays in his room
- 13:20 - Walks to the forest by Leah's Cottage.
- 19:00 - Goes home.
Winter
Most days
- 10:00 - Stays in his room
- 13:20 - Walks to the Stasrdrop Saloon.
- 19:00 - Goes home.
Gifts to romance Sam
Lending credence to his obtuse demeanor, Sam likes a lot of the things over villages loathe. Joja Cola is always a safe bet, and his simple love of pizza and Maple Bars makes him particularly easy to impress once you get to know what makes him tick.
Loved gifts
- Cactus Fruit
- Pizza
- Maple Bar
- Tigerseye
- Universal loves
Liked gifts
- Joja Cola
- All eggs*
- Universal Likes*
*Except Void Egg, Duck Mayonnaise, Mayonnaise, Pickles, and vegetables.
Neutral gifts
- All Fruit*
- All Milk*
- All Universal Neutral gifts
*Except Cactus Fruit, Fruit Tree fruit, and Salmonberry.
Disliked gifts
- Chanterelle
- Common Mushroom
- Daffodil
- Dandelion
- Ginger
- Hazelnut
- Holly
- Leek
- Magma Camp
- Morel
- Purple Mushroom
- Quartz
- Salmonberry
- Seaweed
- Snow Yam
- Wild Horseradish
- Winter Root
- All vegetables*
- Universal Dislikes*
*Except Hops, Tea Leaves, and Wheat, Coal, Gold Bar, Copper Bar, Iridium Bar, Gold Ore, Iron Bar, Refined Quarts, and Tigerseye.
Hated gifts
- Coal
- Duck Mayonnaise
- Gold Bar
- Gold Ore
- Iridium Bar
- Iridium Ore
- Mayonnaise
- Pickles
- Refined Quartz
- Iron Bar
- All universal hates*
*Except Joja Cola and Seaweed.
Heart events when romancing Penny
At every two heart levels, you'll have the opportunity to trigger an event with Penny. The choices you make during these scenes can dramatically alter your friendship, either gaining more points or losing them very quickly.
Here are Penny's heart events and how to trigger them:
| Hearts | Event |
|---|---|
| Two | Visit Sam at his house. Sam asks you what kind of music he should form a band around. |
| Three | Visit the beach outside of Winter on a sunny day between 07:00-15:00pm in Year 1. Sam asks you to weigh in on how he tackled a tough subject with his little brother. He confirms the band is coming together. |
| Four | Visit Sam at his house. Sam accidentally angers his mom. Take the blame for a big friendship boost. |
| Six | Go to town between 12:00-16:00 when it's not raining. Sam is caught disrespecting another villager's property. |
| Eight | Only triggers after the two heart event. Sam visits you at your home between 06:00-08:00 Sam asks you to watch his band play in Zuzu City by catching the bus between 16:00-19:00. |
| Ten | Sam sends a letter instructing you to meet him in town on the evening of a sunny day. You enter Sam's room and risk being caught. Sam confesses to you. |
| Ten (Group) | Triggered by entering the Stardrop Saloon after having maxed out every bachelor and given them the Bouquet. The boys express anger in how they were treated and ignore you for a week. If you have the Rabbit's Foot item, you all play pool instead. |
| Fourteen | Plays out over the cause of a almost two weeks by speaking to Sam in the farmhouse every three or four days while he's present. Sam gets a chance to make a living through music, but he needs your support and encouragement. |
Married life after you've romanced Sam
Once you've woo'd Sam and had him move into the farmhouse, he'll spend the days lazying around the place and practicing tricks on the half-pipe he sets up behind the house.
His lack of any serious schedule plays into his 14-star event. He also offers food on rainy nights or lazy days and can gift you Cactus Fruit, Earth Crystals, Geodes, and Coconuts he sometimes finds in his drawer.
When the community center is restored, Sam only leaves the Farm on Mondays and Fridays. On these days, he wakes up early to see his family back home until around 15:00, when he'll either return to the Farm on Mondays or head straight to Stardrop Saloon on Fridays.
Saturdays are reserved for skateboarding behind the farmhouse.
Want to learn more? Check out our Stardew Valley Fishing Hub to learn where to find some of Sam's favourite items. And if you want to marry Morris instead, who's usually out of the running, there's a marry Morris mod out there just like there's one to add Pokemon to Stardew Valley and stay up late, too.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides and Stardew Valley page.