Deciding which of the twelve marriage-eligible NPCs inStardew Valleyto marry is an important decision in the game, especially for players who value romance in their cozy games. While practically all the twelve NPCs give similar daily gifts, they do bring small changes to the farm based on their personality,mainly in their personal side room and in the outdoor space found behind the farmhouseon the right.
The twelve options - Elliott, Maru, Abigail, Harvey, Sam, Leah, Shane, Penny, Sebastian, Haley, Alex, and Emily - all have strong personalities that players can discover by earning hearts and unlocking cutscenes. Once married,each spouse will take up some space on the farm to work on their favorite hobby. However, some spouse areas are much more visually appealing than others.
Alex’s Space Is A Bit Lackluster
Yet Another Work Out Space
While Alex does have a unique outdoor space on the farm, his activity is a little lackluster. Like most of his personality, his spot behind the farmhouse is entirely focused on working out. Once married, Alex will place a few weights, and nothing else, to pump iron with. While this does fit nicely into his personality, he already has plenty of weights inside his spouse room.
It would be nice if Alex had something else in his outdoor spaceto show a different feature of his personality. One possibility could be his own dog, since he spends so much time looking at the dog outside his grandparents' house. The current work-out set up is visually unexciting, which puts Alex down at the bottom of the ranking.
Elliott, Harvey, and Penny Have Simple Spaces
A Cozy Reading Nook, On Repeat
Not every marriage candidate has their own unique outdoor area. In the case of Elliott, Harvey, and Penny,all three have a simple space set aside for readingwith a few potted plants set aside for decoration. This small garden is cute, which makes it a nice area to look at. While it is disappointing that three NPCs have the exact same set up, it does make sense that these three characters would be less likely to invest in an outdoor space.
Each of them is much more of an indoor person, and wouldlikely prefer their personal spaces inside the farmhouse.Elliott would likely spend time indoors writing, while Penny would read, and Harvey would tinker on his model planes and radio.
Abigail Has A Fun Hobby
Quiet Space For Playing Flute
Abigail ranks slightly above Alex, Elliott, Harvey, and Penny, despite her set-up being exactly the same as the latter three, due to the fun hobby she practices. Once the player has married Abigail,she’ll start playing her flute outside the farmhouse, which is especially cute due to how happy she looks while practicing.
While the fluteisn’t one of her most well-known hobbies- she’s more iconic for her interest in sword fighting and adventure - it is a charming instrument to see her play.
Maru’s Outdoor Space Fits Her Hobby
The Never-Finished Invention
In match with her most prominent character trait, Maru’s outdoor area focuses on her inventions. This invention is a small greenish box thatMaru hammers away at when she spends time outside, though the box never changes, and there are no other loose tools or half-finished projects scattered around. For a creative mind like Maru, this fairly empty space feels somewhat disappointing.
Maru is a fun character, but her personality ismostly limited to being interested in inventing gadgetsthat don’t seem to ever be finished. While this is, of course, a limitation of the game that can’t give the player endless items, seeing Maru endlessly hammering at a box is somewhat underwhelming.
Leah’s Outdoor Space Is All About Woodworking
Art In A Natural Space
Like Maru, Leah spends her outdoor time working on her most mentioned hobby: wood carving. Leah is an artist, and, as revealed through her heart-event cutscenes,is particularly fond of creating sculptures out of wood. In fact, players can earn some special decorations through building a relationship with Leah.
In the end, Leah’s outdoor space looks very similar to Maru’s, in that they both havea single item that they’re always working on but never changes. Leah ranks slightly above Maru only in that her project is slightly more aesthetically pleasing on the farm than the metal box Maru works on. It would be nice if Leah’s projects were swapped out occasionally to provide some variety, but her single sculpture is also nice to look at.
Sam Loves To Skateboard
A Half-Pipe For Even More Hobbies
Unlike the other marriage candidates living in Pelican Town, Sam’s outdoor space isn’t dedicated to his primary hobby, which makes him a much more varied spouse. While music is Sam’s number one passion,his outdoor space is a half-pipe for him to skateboard onand practice tricks. Since his spouse room already houses his keyboard and guitar, having a separate space for more athletic pursuits matches with his personality.
This wooden structureisn’t anything remarkable to look at, but it does provide a fun activity for Sam. It takes up the entire fenced area behind the farmhouse and doesn’t have any further decor, but it is entertaining to see Sam using it when the weather is nice.
Haley Brings A Different Vibe To Her Outdoor Space
A Scenic Area For Photos
Like her sister, who sits further up in the ranking,Haley brings a different vibe from other spouses to her outdoor space. While she may seem like anunapproachable mean girl at first, players discover that Haley has a strong interest in photography as they become friends with her, which allows her to reveal more of her down-to-earth personality.
For her outdoor space,Haley sets up a small garden with two potted palm trees, where she’ll occasionally go outside to take pictures with her camera. The palm trees aren’t particularly exciting to see when Haley isn’t outside, but her love of the desert (just like her sister) and passion for photography make it a charming area.
Sebastian Has A Cool Outdoor Space
The Coolest Ride In Town (That Doesn’t Move)
The coolest of all the spouse spaces is, by far, Sebastian’s. As seen in one of his heart events,Seb owns a motorcycle that he likes to work on in the garage, which he offers to take the player on for a ride. After marriage, that very same motorcycle will appear behind the farmhouse for Sebastian to tinker on occasionally.
While it does seema little out of character that Seb would leave his bike outsideto face all the elements without cover, it is fun to see him outside and still embracing his interest from an early cutscene.
Emily’s Outdoor Space Is One Of Best In Pelican Town
A Crystal Garden Of Color
As the most colorful villager living in Pelican Town, Emily does not disappoint when it comes to her personal outdoor space. For her hobby,Emily adds a crystal garden to meditate in. Each of the crystals and their bases brings an extreme pop of color to the corner of the farm, which, for farmers who enjoy more decoration around their home, is a welcome addition.
Emily’s setup also nicely matches her personality, asher affinity for crystals is well-establishedas players get to know her through cutscenes and quests. Because of her fun decor and the color it brings to the farm, Emily ranks high on the list.
Shane Has The Best Outdoor Space
A Special Place For Chickens
At the top of the list is Shane, with an outdoor space that is unique, ties into Shane’s personal development, and fits in nicely with the classic farm aesthetic. For Shane’s hobby,he adds a compact chicken hutch behind the farmhouse, where he keeps his favorite chicken, Charlie, and presumably some of his special breed of blue chickens.
When he spends time outside,Shane will hold Charlie next to the hutch, which is incredibly endearing. How cute Shane’s chicken hutch is becomes even more surprising when compared to his indoor space, whichis a messy side roomfilled with spilled soda and muddy footprints. Since mostStardew Valleyspouses are fairly singular in their indoor and outdoor space, this change up makes Shane’s space even more appealing.
