How to romance Sam in Stardew Valley

Learn how to win over the passionate musician.

Sam displaying six different emotions in Stardew Valley.
Screenshots by Dot Esports. Remix by Kacee Fay

Choosing which partner you want to end up with in Stardew Valley is no easy task when there are 12 unique bachelors and bachelorettes to choose from. One of your many options is Sam.

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If you’re thinking that Sam might be the one for you, then you need to learn about him so you can successfully get to know him and eventually end up with him. Here’s how to romance Sam in Stardew Valley.

Sam romance guide in Stardew Valley

The player talking with Sam in Stardew Valley.
You’ll win him over in no time. Screenshot by Dot Esports

To win over Sam so you can romance him, you first need to befriend him. Here’s everything you need to know about Sam, including his schedule, relationship events, best gifts, and more.

Sam bio in Stardew Valley

Sam is a musician who also works part-time at the antagonistic Jojamart, which might make you not like him too much when you first meet him. There’s a lot more to him than you might think, though, and Sam’s complete bio is as follows.

“Sam is an outgoing, friendly guy who is brimming with youthful energy. He plays guitar and drums, and wants to start a band with Sebastian as soon as he has enough songs together. However, he does have a habit of starting ambitious projects and not finishing them. Sam is a little stressed about the impending return of his father, who has been away for years due to his line of work.”

Sam schedule in Stardew Valley

To successfully romance Sam, you need to know his exact schedule so you can ensure you get to talk with him and give him gifts when you can. Ensuring you regularly work on your friendship with him is the key to eventually romancing him.

Spring schedule

DayTimeLocation
Monday and Wednesday10amWakes up and hangs around his room.
11amSam leaves his house and heads to Jojamart or the Museum if the Community Center has been restored.
12:50pmHe arrives at either Jojamart to start work or the Museum if the Community Center is fixed.
4pmSam heads home.
6pmHe hangs out in his room.
9:30pmSam goes to bed.
Tuesday10amWakes up and stays in his room.
2pmHe leaves the house and heads over to the river near Lewis’ house.
6:30pmSam heads back home.
Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday10amHe wakes up and relaxes around the house.
1:40pmSam leaves the house and heads over to Lewis’ house.
6:30pmHe walks back home.
7:50pmSam enters his bedroom and spends some time in there.
9pmHe goes to bed.
Friday10amSam wakes up.
11amHe heads outside and skateboards near the front of his house.
3pmSam heads over to the Stardrop Saloon.
4pmHe arrives at the Stardrop Saloon.
9:20pmSam heads home.
10:20pmHe arrives at home.
Any rainy Spring day9amHe wakes up.
10amSam walks over to the bridge by the Museum.
4pmHe walks over to the tree by Haley and Emily’s house.
7pmSam heads home.
9:30pmHe goes to bed.

Summer schedule

DayTimeLocation
Monday and WednesdayAlwaysSame schedule as Spring.
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday10amSam wakes up.
1:40pmHe leaves the house and walks to the firepit at the beach to hang out with his brother Vincent.
7pmSam heads home.
9pmHe goes to bed.
Saturday10amSam wakes up.
10:30amHe stands near the tree located to the southeast of his house.
11:10amSam heads over to the river near his house.
12:30pmHe walks into his room to hang out with Sebastian.
1pmSam and Sebastian play music together.
6pmThey both head outside and stand by the river.
7:50pmSam goes to bed.
Any rainy Summer day10amHe wakes up.
3pmSam leaves his room and hangs out in the kitchen.
5pmHe heads back to his room.
8pmSam goes to bed.
The player looking at Sam in Stardew Valley.
He hangs out in his room a lot. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Fall schedule

DayTimeLocation
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday10amSam wakes up.
1:20pmHe leaves his house and heads over to the forest area near Leah’s cottage.
7pmSam heads home.
9pmHe goes to bed.
Friday10amHe wakes up and hangs out in his room.
12pmSam walks outside and rides his skateboard by his house.
3pmHe heads to the Stardrop Saloon.
9pmSam heads home and goes to bed.

Winter schedule

DayTimeLocation
All days10amSam wakes up and wanders around his room.
10:40amHe plays guitar in his room.
1:20pmSam heads to the Stardrop Saloon.
7pmHe returns to his house.
9pmSam goes to bed.

Sam heart events in Stardew Valley

As you get to know Sam better, you get to share some special heart events with him. These are crucial to improving your friendship and advancing your romantic relationship with him.

Heart levelHow to triggerEventResponses
Two heartsVisit Sam’s house while he’s home.Sam asks you what kind of music you like.• “Cheerful pop music.”
• “Experimental noise rock.”
• “Hi-Energy dance music.”
• “Honky-tonky country music.”

None of the choices have any effect on friendship.
Three heartsVisit the beach on a sunny day between 7am and 3pm. This day cannot be in Winter and must be during Year one.Sam is at the beach with his brother Vincent and asks for your advice on whether he did the right thing or if he should’ve been honest with his brother about their dad not coming home.•”It’s best to be honest with kids.”
•”You did the right thing. Kids should have hope.”

None of the choices have any effect on friendship.
Four heartsVisit Sam’s house while he’s there. Sam is cooking and drops an egg. His mom enters and asks you what happened. • “Sam dropped the snack as he was handing it to me.” -10 friendship
• “Sam dropped it on purpose. He thought it would be funny.” -50 friendship
• “Sam handed me the snack and then I dropped it.” +50 friendship
Six heartsEnter the town between 12pm and 4pm on a day when it’s not raining. Sam is skateboarding on Haley and Emily’s flower box when Lewis enters and scolds him for it before asking what you think. • “You’re right, sir. Sam should respect private property”
• “I’m staying out of this.”
• “Don’t blame Sam. There’s nowhere else to ride!”

None of the choices have any effect on friendship.
Eight heartsAfter witnessing his two hearts event, Sam will show up at your house between 6am and 8am. Sam asks you to come see his band perform by meeting him at the bus station at 4pm. None.
10 heartsOpen a letter from Sam and enter town between 8pm and 12am.Sam sneaks you into his room and hides you in his bed when his mom enters. After she’s gone, you are given a few options. • “Get out of the bed.”
After getting out of bed, you can either “Move closer” to kiss Sam or “Head for the window” to reject his advances.
• “Stay put.”
If you choose this option, you and Sam kiss.

None of the choices have any effect on friendship.
14 heartsPart one: Enter an upgraded farmhouse between 6:10am and 5pm while Sam is inside.
Part two: Do the same thing three days later.
Part three: Wait another three days and follow this process again.
Part four: Do the same thing for the final time.
Sam is feeling stuck and you help him think about what to do next in his music career.No choices in this event have any impact on friendship.

What’s the best gift for Sam in Stardew Valley?

The best gifts for Sam are Maple Bar, Cactus Fruit, Pizza, and Tigerseye, which are all his specific favorite items. You can also give him any universally loved item, which includes Pearl, Golden Pumpkin, Prismatic Shard, Magic Rock Candy, and Rabbit’s Foot.

Sam's favorites and other info about him in Stardew Valley.
There are lots of gifts you can choose for him. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Sam gifts in Stardew Valley

All of the gifts you can give Sam and how he reacts to each one are as follows. It’s best to give him loved and liked gifts if you want to successfully romance him. Neutral gifts are OK, but the best way to get your relationship with him up is by gifting him the best items possible.

ReactionGifts
LoveMaple Bar
Cactus Fruit
Pizza
Tigerseye
Pearl
Golden Pumpkin
Prismatic Shard
Magic Rock Candy
Rabbit’s Foot
LikeJoja Cola
All universal likes (except Pickles, Vegetables, Mayonnaise, and Duck Mayonnaise)
NeutralAll Fruit (except Salmonberry, Cactus Fruit, and Fruit Tree Fruit)
All Milk
All universal neutrals
DislikeAll universal dislikes (except Tigerseye, Coal, Copper Bars, Gold Bars, Gold Ore, Iridium Bars, Iridium Ore, Iron Bars, and Refined Quartz)
All Vegetables (except Hops, Wheat, and Tea Leaves)
Chanterelle
Dandelion
Daffodil
Hazelnut
Common Mushroom
Leek
Ginger
Holly
Magma Cap
Quartz
Morel
Snow Yam
Purple Mushroom
Winter Root
Wild Horseradish
Seaweed
HateAll universal hates (except Joja Cola and Seaweed)
Pickles
Coal
Copper Bars
Gold Bars
Gold Ore
Iridium Bars
Iridium Ore
Iron Bars
Refined Quartz
Duck Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Author
Image of Kacee Fay
Kacee Fay
Staff Writer at Dot Esports covering new releases and a wide array of topics including Minecraft, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Phasmophobia, general gaming, streaming, and more. She has been avidly writing and gaming her whole life and now spends her time combining the two. Kacee graduated from San Diego State University in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Certificate in Creative Editing and Publishing. She then joined Dot Esports as a Freelance Writer in 2022 before transitioning to a Staff Writer in 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys buying more books than she can read, gaming alone or with friends, drinking too much tea, attending concerts, fangirling over movies and television, listening to music, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets, who are the most important parts of her world.