Although not necessary to play the game, raising the friendship level with characters in Stardew Valley will trigger heart events. Heart events earn the player great rewards in the form of recipes, gifts, or the chance to date and marry a resident. Shane, nephew of Marnie, is one character players can befriend and possibly marry. Using Shane's heart events to help him deal with his depression and addiction is a great start to support him on his journey towards self-love.

At any point after befriending him, Shane may send the player character a gift of either Pizza or some Pepper Poppers in the mail with a letter attached. The chances of receiving this gift increase the more his friendship level with the player grows, so spending time with Shane and bringing him gifts is more likely to begin triggering heart events that progress the relationship in the right direction.

Updated on April 17, 2024 by Noelle Warner: Stardew Valley remains one of the most popular indie games of all time, even years after its debut in 2016. This guide has been updated with even more information about Shane's heart events for those players who need it, as well as with information about the game's recent 1.6 content update.

All Of Shane's Heart Events

Ideal Gifts For Shane

As a big fan of The Stardrop Saloon, purchasing food sold by Gus is the best way to quickly improve your friendship with Shane. Food in the Saloon sometimes changes, but Beer and Pizza are reliable gifts for Shane. For cheaper alternatives, there are universal likes and fruits — though these will give fewer friendship points, meaning it will be a longer process to max out friendship or romance.

Still, a cheap option and one of Shane's favorites is Hot Pepper, which players can grow on their farms during Summer. Players can also improve their relationship with Shane by taking him to the movie theater or gifting him his favorite item on his birthday, which strongly boosts the friendship between the characters.

Share A Drink With Shane

Shane's Two-Heart Event

Upon reaching a two-heart friendship with Shane, enter Cindersap Forest after 8 pm but before midnight. Here, Shane will share a drink with you on the dock and begin describing his battle with depression. He explains how he sees you having an optimistic future but advises against heavy drinking.

There are no dialogue options, and this event is meant to give players more of an insight into Shane's past and current problems. It establishes that he is more than the rude, dislikable character he seems to be when you first meet him. After this event and raising your friendship level to three hearts, Shane will gift you the recipe for Pepper Poppers in the mail.

Discover Shane's Problem With Alcohol

Shane's Four-Heart Event

After reaching four hearts with Shane, enter Marnie's Ranch anytime the shop is open. You will find Shane passed out in his room on the floor, surrounded by beer cans. Marnie gets you to wake him up by pouring water on his head, then remarks that all he does is mope and get drunk.

When Marnie questions Shane further about his future, he states his hope that he ''won't be around long enough to need a plan." His orphaned goddaughter Jas overhears him, causing her to run away upset. Marnie follows her while Shane falls over and apologizes for his behavior. At this friendship level, Shane's everyday dialogue becomes friendlier.

Take Shane To The Hospital

Shane's Six-Heart Event

To trigger the six-heart event, enter the Cindersap Forest between 9 am and 8 pm on a rainy or stormy day. You'll find Shane face-down and drunk by the edge of the cliff, questioning why he shouldn't just roll off of it. The first dialogue options you are presented with do not affect your friendship. Shane will then ask you to take him to the hospital.

Once there, Harvey expresses concern for Shane's mental health and suggests counseling. When Shane tells you about his plans for counseling the next day, selecting the dialogue ''I'm glad I was there to help'' or ''I'm just happy you're still here'' will earn you 10 friendship points, while selecting ''You needed a serious wake-up call" will lose you 10 points.

Shane Starts To Feel Better

Shane's Seven-Heart Event

Several things happen at seven hearts that do not require any interaction from the player and have no effect on the friendship. The first event is triggered by entering Marnie's Ranch while Shane is home and after witnessing the six-heart event. During this event, Shane and Marnie discuss him cutting back on beer while he gifts Jas a present of expensive shoes.

Entering the town between 10 am and 4 pm on a sunny day will trigger a cutscene in which Shane is filming a scene with Emily and Clint (assuming the player has at least two hearts with Emily and Clint). Shane asks for help filming an advertisement for Joja Cola, as he hopes to win a contest. After that, Shane sends a recipe for Strange Bun in the mail.

Shane Shows You His Blue Chickens

Shane's Eight-Heart Event

After reaching eight hearts with Shane, the player can enter Marnie's Ranch anytime he is home for the next event. Jas leads the Farmer to Shane, who is painting a sign saying ''Fresh Eggs.'' He picks up a chicken named Charlie and talks to her about his struggles and his plans for the future.

Shane tells you that he wants to pass his knowledge about chickens onto Jas in case he ever moves out. After this event, anytime you purchase a chicken from Marnie, there is a one in four chance of it being a special blue chicken. However, they are only different in appearance and simply lay normal eggs.

Shane Takes You To A Gridball Game

Shane's Ten-Heart Event

Reaching the next heart event requires the player to give Shane a bouquet to begin romancing him. After reaching 10 hearts, exit your house before 6:30 am. Shane will be at your door and invite you to see a gridball match in the city with him. Go to the Bus Stop between 4 pm and 6 pm to travel there with him.

During the match, Shane thanks you for sticking with him through his struggles. While he asks you what you think of the match, none of the dialogue options have any effect on the friendship. When his team scores, Shane kisses you in excitement and then apologizes for it. After a pause, you reply with a kiss, and Shane seems relieved as the scene fades out.

You Worry About Shane's Old Habits

Shane's Fourteen-Heart Event

After marrying Shane, you can earn up to 14 hearts with him. At this point, you can trigger a final event by entering town between 8 am and 5 pm on any day aside from Friday. Standing outside the Saloon with Marnie and Jas, you see Shane coming out of the bar. On the second day, you enter the town, and Shane again comes out of the bar. Concerned that Shane has started drinking again, Marnie asks you to confront him. When you do, Shane is upset at the accusation.

On the third day, you and Marnie follow Shane into the Saloon and find him in front of the arcade machine. When Marnie asks about the cans on the floor, Shane explains they are Joja Cola. None of the dialogue options will have any effect on the relationship, but the event encapsulates how far Shane has come since the beginning.

Does The 1.6 Update Affect Any Of Shane's Heart Events?

Stardew Valley has had the great benefit of continued development and updates over the years, and its recently released 1.6 update is one of the game's largest expansions yet. 1.6 introduces tons of new content, including new items, quests, locations, and even a brand new festival. When it comes to romancing Shane, however, the short answer is no, Stardew's 1.6 update does not include any changes that significantly alter any of Shane's heart events.

There are a few small tweaks found in the 1.6 changelog that are relevant to Shane and the general romancing gameplay, though:

• Shane now automatically accepts the player as his Flower Dance partner if they are married.
• Shane's missing dialogue when browsing the Saloon vending machine has been restored.
• Fix for the wilted bouquet not cancelling weddings.
• A new item, Spouse Portraits, can be purchased after reaching 14 hearts.
• There's now a much lower chance of a spouse using neutral dialogue if the player has 12 hearts with them or more.
• Kissing their spouse and giving them a gift on the previous day will each lower the "minimum heart level threshold" by one for a bed-ridden day.

None of these changes or fixes will have a huge bearing on regular gameplay, but small tweaks like the lowered chance of neutral dialogue, or the inclusion of Spouse Portraits, add a lot to the overall feeling of the game. It's also worth noting that there was a slight change to Maru's 14 heart event in this update, so there's a chance that other characters like Shane could see alterations to their romantic scenes in the future.