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To get Grandpa’s best evaluation in Stardew Valley, earn at least 12 of the 21 available points by the time the evaluation is checked. That lights all four candles and qualifies you to claim the Statue of Perfection. The first evaluation happens at the start of Year 3, but it is not a deadline: you can improve your score later by offering a diamond at Grandpa’s Shrine and requesting another evaluation.
How Grandpa’s evaluation works
Grandpa’s evaluation considers milestones from your first two years. The candle result reflects your score: 0–3 points lights one candle, 4–7 lights two, 8–11 lights three, and 12 or more lights all four. The game’s note at the shrine says, “Wait for my return at the dawn of the 3rd year.” The Stardew Valley Wiki’s Grandpa guide lists 21 available points across earnings, skills, achievements, relationships, the Community Center, and keys.
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| 1 |
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Stardew Valley (Nintendo Switch) | $33.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Stardew Valley [Nintendo Switch - Standard Edition] | $32.69 | Buy on Amazon |
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Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.83 | Buy on Amazon |
You do not need to complete every category. Choose milestones that match what you have already done and how you like to play.
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| Category | Milestone | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Total earnings | Reach cumulative earnings of 50,000g, 100,000g, 200,000g, 300,000g, and 500,000g | One point at each tier |
| Total earnings | Reach cumulative earnings of 1,000,000g | Two points |
| Skills | Reach at least 30 total skill levels | One point |
| Skills | Reach at least 50 total skill levels (level 10 in every skill) | One additional point |
| Achievements | Complete the museum collection | One point |
| Achievements | Catch every fish | One point |
| Achievements | Ship every item | One point |
| Relationships | Be married and have at least two house upgrades | One point |
| Relationships | Reach the friendship threshold with five villagers | One point |
| Relationships | Reach the friendship threshold with ten villagers | One additional point |
| Relationships | Raise your pet’s friendship to approximately five hearts | One point |
| Other milestones | Complete the Community Center | One point |
| Other milestones | Complete the Community Center ceremony | Two points |
| Other milestones | Obtain the Skull Key | One point |
| Other milestones | Obtain the Rusty Key | One point |
These values and thresholds are listed in the Stardew Valley Wiki’s evaluation guide. For villager friendship, the game checks 1,975 relationship points, slightly below the visible eight-heart mark of 2,000. The exact score is not displayed in-game; it can only be inspected in the save file.
#1 Best Overall
- Create the farm of your dreams: build your farm from the ground up on 1 of 5 map layouts suited to your play style!
- mmaster your branching skills: raise animals, grow crops, start an orchard and build useful machines!
- become a part of the local community: get to know all 30+ residents of Pelican town!
- customize your farmer: there are hundreds of character customization options to choose from!
- settle down and start a family: share life on the farm with 1 of 12 characters you can date and marry, and even have children with!.explore vast, mysterious caves! Encounter dangerous monsters and valuable treasures!.spend a relaxing afternoon at one of the local fishing spots: the waters are teeming with seasonal varieties of delicious fish. Craft bait, bobbers, and crab pots to help you in your journey toward catching every fish and becoming a local Legend!.
Choose a practical route to 12 points
Start by counting the milestones you have already earned. Then target the remaining points that fit your save rather than committing to a long checklist in every category.
- Develop the farm: Earnings tiers and skill levels reward regular farming and other activities. These are natural targets if your farm is already producing income or you are building up your skills.
- Build relationships: Friendship milestones and pet affection can contribute points over time. Marriage counts only if you also have at least two house upgrades.
- Complete collections: Museum completion, catching every fish, and shipping every item each offer a point, but each requires a broad collection effort.
- Explore milestones: Obtaining the Skull Key and Rusty Key each adds a point.
- Choose the Community Center route if it suits your playthrough: Its completion and ceremony together are worth three points. Choosing the Joja Warehouse prevents you from earning those two Community Center milestones, but does not prevent a four-candle result; you can reach 12 through other categories.
For the full list of milestone thresholds, see the Grandpa evaluation guide.
What to do if you get fewer than four candles
A result below four candles does not lock you out of the reward. Continue working toward milestones, then use the shrine to request another evaluation.
- Make more progress toward the milestones that will take your total to at least 12 points.
- Place a diamond in Grandpa’s Shrine to request a re-evaluation. The shrine remains usable after the first evaluation.
- Allow the re-evaluation to take place, then interact with the shrine to claim the reward if all four candles are lit.
The shrine is on the farm; the Stardew Valley Wiki’s farm guide describes its location and re-evaluation. If you marry on Year 3, Day 1, the marriage cutscene can take priority over Grandpa’s evaluation scene. The candles still reflect the evaluation, and the evaluation scene can play the next time you enter the farmhouse.
Rank #3
- You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life.
- Now with Multiplayer! Invite 1-3 players to join you in the valley! Players can work together to build a thriving farm, share resources, and build relationships with townspeople or each other.
- New Single Player Content! Including the new Winter Market Festival, more collectibles, added character cut-scenes and even hats for your horse!
Claiming the Statue of Perfection
Once the shrine shows four candles, interact with it to claim the Statue of Perfection. The statue produces 2–8 Iridium Ore per day, according to the Stardew Valley Wiki’s Statue of Perfection guide. Reaching the score is not enough by itself: you must interact with the shrine to collect it.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
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