Gus may not be a marriage option in Stardew Valley, but he's a fantastic character to make friends within the game. He may be more of a low-key figure in the game compared to some of the other members of Pelican Town, but he makes up for that with remarkable likability. Stardew Valley players are sure to become familiar with him as their daily routine takes them throughout town, particularly since they will likely join the crowd at the Saloon on Fridays. It's not hard to find oneself befriending Gus, and it's worth the effort.
A key part of gameplay is making friends with Stardew Valley's villagers, and that area of the game has proven to have remarkable appeal. While the marriage candidates are the best-known examples, nearly every character in the village can be befriended. Although they have fewer heart events than the marriage candidates, they still get their small scenes to further develop them and show their personalities. Another perk is that many of them will also send the player gifts or recipes in the mail once their friendship is high enough. In Stardew Valley, making a lot of friends is a benefit to the player's progress.
Local Bartender and Cook Gus Makes For a Great Friend in Stardew Valley
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Amidst the villagers the player will find in Pelican town, Stardew Valley's resident bartender Gus is an easy guy to get along with. He can generally be found at the Stardrop Saloon, which he owns and runs, although he can also be found shopping at Pierre's in the morning. The Saloon is a place that players will easily become very familiar with. Gus sells a variety of recipes and cooked dishes, and will mail some to the player at high friendship levels. Between that and most of the town congregating there on Friday nights, the Saloon is a reliable place to help players raise their friendship levels.
Gus is a great villager to befriend whether the player is invested in Stardew Valley's cooking mechanics or not. Thankfully, there are a few tricks to befriending him quickly. He likes Daffodils, which are commonly found in Spring. However, one of his loved gifts is Oranges, so if the player manages to get a sapling, they will have a steady stream of loved gifts for him during the Summer. He also loves Escargot and Fish Tacos, which opens a potential shortcut. Sometimes Gus will sell Fish Tacos at the Saloon, which the player can immediately gift back to him for a big friendship boost at a reasonable price
One of the more intangible perks of befriending Gus in-game is that, unlike Stardew Valley's selfishly ambitious Pierre, Gus is a wholly friendly person all-around. His personal events show him being anxious about asking Pam to pay her bar tab due to their friendship, as well as him giving an analogy about the farmer being a new ingredient added to a stew. Rather, he also shines outside his own Heart Events. Most notably, he offers Linus some food in one of Linus' own scenes after seeing him searching through a trash can, highlighting his warm and generous personality.
Even though Gus isn't one of the game's marriage candidates, he still stands out as one of the nicest characters in Pelican Town. Even in Stardew Valley's early game, Gus is a delightful presence that the player can steadily gain friendship with due to his consistent schedule and liking of the common Daffodil gifts. Players will likely be seeing him on a near-daily basis while playing through the game, so there's no real reason not to befriend him. Gus isn't just one of Stardew Valley's best sources of good food, he's a great friend to have.
Stardew Valley is available now for Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox One.
