Stardew Valley Elliott: The Complete Gift and Heart Events Guide

Elliott is the long-haired novelist who lives in a small cabin by the shore in Pelican Town. He spends his days drafting his book, wandering the beach at sunset, and occasionally drinking at the Stardrop Saloon. He is one of the eight marriage candidates, and like most romanceable villagers, he warms up faster when you hand him items he actually enjoys.

This guide covers every gift category, his birthday, and the full sequence of heart events.

Who Is Elliott

Elliott lives next to the ocean, so his palate leans heavily on seafood. With one notable exception, you can give him almost any fish and at least get a neutral reaction. That exception is the Sea Cucumber, which he actively hates. Strange line to draw, but his cabin, his rules.

He is also a self-styled romantic, the kind of person who toasts to friendship with a glass of wine and reads his own drafts out loud at the museum. He is friendly from your first conversation and even invites you over, although you cannot step inside his cabin until you have reached two hearts of friendship with him.

Gift-Giving Basics

You can give Elliott two gifts per week, plus one extra on his birthday on Fall 5. Birthday gifts count for eight times the normal friendship value, so save a Loved item for that day if you want a big boost.

Most of the time he is at home writing, which makes the daily delivery easy. His reaction tells you the category instantly:

• Love: “(Player name), this is a beautiful gift! Thank you!”
• Like: “This is for me? Marvelous!”
• Neutral: “Oh, a present! Thank you!”
• Dislike: “Hmm... I'm not a huge fan of this.”
• Hate: “This item gives me a terrible feeling. I'll have to dispose of it.”

Loved Gifts

• Crab Cakes
• Duck Feather
• Lobster
• Pomegranate
• Squid Ink (added in version 1.5)
• Tom Kha Soup

Liked Gifts

• Octopus
• Squid
• All Universal Likes except Amaranth and Pizza
• All Fruit except Pomegranate and Salmonberry

Neutral Gifts

• All Eggs except the Void Egg
• All Fish except Carp, Lobster, Octopus, Snail, Squid, and Sea Cucumber
• All Universal Neutrals except Duck Feather and Squid Ink

Disliked Gifts

• Chanterelle
• Common Mushroom
• Daffodil
• Dandelion
• Ginger
• Hazelnut
• Holly
• Leek
• Magma Cap
• Morel
• Pizza
• Purple Mushroom
• Snow Yam
• Wild Horseradish
• Winter Root
• All Milk
• All Universal Dislikes except Fish

Hated Gifts

• Amaranth
• Quartz
• Salmonberry
• Sea Cucumber

Heart Events

Elliott's cutscenes trigger at even-numbered heart levels. A bonus fourteen-heart event exists, but you must marry him first to see it. Each event below assumes you have met the friendship threshold and walked into the right place at the right time.

Two Hearts

Walk into Elliott's beachside cabin while he is home. He explains why he moved to Pelican Town and then asks what kind of novels you enjoy. All choices grant +30 friendship, so pick the genre you actually want him to write later. Your answer affects the eight-heart cutscene, which is the only reason this question matters.

Four Hearts

Visit the Stardrop Saloon between 3 pm and 10 pm on a day when Gus is behind the bar. Gus starts to take your order, Elliott arrives, and the scene shifts into a small celebration. When he proposes a toast, the four options break down like this:

• “To Pelican Town!” gives +25 friendship
• “To our friendship!” gives +50 friendship
• “To my good health!” gives -10 friendship
• “To your doom!” gives -50 friendship

Whatever you pick, the drink restores health and energy but leaves your character with the Tipsy debuff for a while afterwards.

Six Hearts

Return to the cabin and you will find Elliott at the piano. Several dialogue options pop up. None of them affect friendship, so feel free to pick whatever fits your roleplay.

Eight Hearts

Elliott mails you an invitation to visit the museum. Go any day after the letter arrives, between 1 pm and 7 pm. He reads aloud from his finished novel, and the genre matches whichever answer you picked back at the two-heart event. This is the payoff to that earlier question.

Ten Hearts

Head to the beach between 7 am and 1 pm on a day that is not raining. A letter sometimes announces this event, but it is not required for the trigger. You will meet him by the docks, where he invites you on a “maiden voyage.” Accept, and the scene continues to a sudden kiss. Your reply matters:

• “I’m happy.” gives +50 friendship
• “You’re making me very uncomfortable. Stop.” gives -50 friendship

If you decline the trip outright, the cutscene ends early. After clearing ten hearts you can give him a bouquet, propose with a Mermaid’s Pendant, and unlock his final fourteen-heart event once you are married.