Stardew Valley is a treasure trove of secrets and mysteries for the player to uncover. Here’s a complete guide to one of the earliest secrets you’ll encounter in the game—the Winter Mystery event.
Table Of Contents
Triggering the Event
The Winter Mystery Event takes place in…well, winter. Therefore, you’ll need to leave your farm in winter for the event to trigger. Do note that any day works, as long as it’s during the winter.
The cutscene begins when you enter the Bus Stop. You’ll see a Shadow Guy (that looks like Krobus—it’s unconfirmed if it really is him) look at you in alarm and then run away in the direction of the town.
When the cutscene ends, your journal will then indicate a new quest, tasking you to find the Shadow Guy who just ran away.
Your next step will be to find where the mysterious shadow person has run off to.
Finding the Shadow Guy
The Shadow Guy is hiding somewhere in Pelican Town. Look at the ground carefully for his footprints to track him down to his hiding spot.
His hiding location is revealed to be behind the large bush directly beside the playground, near the Community Center. Give it a shake and the Shadow Guy will fall out, afraid of being caught.
The Magnifying Glass (and Secret Notes)
Once you’ve found the Shadow Guy, he will apologize for stealing and give you what he took: a Magnifying Glass, which will unlock a whole new aspect of the game: Secret Notes.
You can obtain Secret Notes by:
- Fishing
- Mining rocks
- Killing monsters
- Fishing
- Harvesting giant crops
- Digging artifact spots
The Magnifying Glass obtained from the Winter Mystery event allows you to read these notes, which reveal new secrets and special facts about the town and the people that live in it.
