Stardew Valley beautifully incorporates different elements of reality in its gameplay by featuring all four seasons. The game starts with Spring, followed by Summer, Fall, and Winter. Similar to real life, crops follow seasonal patterns. They can only be planted during their designated season, and when the season changes, the crops wither and die. After a cycle of seasons is complete, the game moves forward one year.
Each season in Stardew Valley lasts for 28 in-game days. As such, players have a limited timeframe to cultivate seasonal crops for harvest. Keeping this in mind, players need to track seasons so that they can vigilantly plant new crops to maximize profits.
How to Check Date, Time, and Season in Stardew Valley
For players who are confused about the in-game dates and season, there are a couple of ways to check them.
Check the HUD
The heads-up display in the top right corner of the screen is the quickest and simplest way to check both the date and time. The date, along with the day of the week, is displayed in the top bar. Just below the date, two small boxes display the current weather (on the left) and season (on the right).
The four seasons are represented by the following icons:
- Spring – A pink flower
- Summer – A sailboat
- Fall – A fallen leaf
- Winter – A sprig of holly
Under this, players can find the clock to check what time it is. In Stardew Valley, the day cycle is a period of 20 hours, from 6 AM to 2 AM. The small half-dial on the left indicates the progression from day to night. The arrow starts at the bottom and moves to the top, based on the time of day.
Right below the date/time display, players can also find their current gold count in Stardew Valley .
Check the Calendar
A calendar provides more detailed information than the HUD. For players who are curious about the villager’s birthdays, seasonal festivals, and upcoming weddings, a calendar is their best bet.
There is a public calendar hanging outside Pierre’s General Store, which players can use. Right-clicking on the calendar shows all upcoming events. Players can also purchase their own calendar from Robin at the Carpenter’s Shop for 2,000 gold and hang it in the Farmhouse.
Players who have previously purchased the Furniture Catalogue for 200,000g can purchase the Calendar for 0g.
Stardew Valley is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.