Stardew Valley: How to Light All 4 Candles

In Stardew Valley, players take over a farm after their grandfather passes away, and that farm includes a mysterious shrine with 4 candles. Players can find Grandpa’s Shrine in the northwest corner of the farm. At the beginning of the third in-game year, Grandpa will return from the dead to evaluate how far his farm has come ever since being taken control of by the player character, and besides his dialog the number of candles lighting up on Grandpa’s Shrine is about the only way of knowing how much progress the player has made during these first two years.

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On Grandpa’s shrine are four candles, and each one lights up based on specific criteria. Lighting all four candles will also reward players with items and a statue. Players will receive a Statue of Perfection if they successfully light all 4 candles in Stardew Valley, and will also get 2-8 Iridium Ores per day. After being visited by Grandpa’s ghost at the beginning of the third year, players can reevaluate their progress at any time by visiting the shrine.

Points Are What Light All 4 Candles

The number of candles lighting up depends on what the player did within their first two years before Grandpa returned to evaluate them. There’s a hidden point system which determines when candles light up on the mysterious shrine, with a grand total of 21 points to collect. However, players only need to get 12 points in order to light all 4 candles in Stardew Valley.

Below are the many ways players can earn points in Stardew Valley:

Getting Points Through Money in Stardew Valley

Reaching certain financial goals will provide the player with a single point each time. Here’s how much money the player needs to earn in order to get a point:

• 50,000g: 1 point
• 100,000g: 1 point
• 200,000g: 1 point
• 300,000g: 1 point
• 500,000g: 1 point
• 1,000,000g: 1 point

This leaves the player with 7 earned points just through money.

Getting Points Through Levels in Stardew Valley

There are two ways to get points through leveling up in Stardew Valley, and both of them add one point towards getting all 4 candles lit:

• Have 30 Levels in Skills: 1 point
• Have 50 Levels in Skills: 1 point

Although only two points can be found through leveling up, this leaves the player at 9 points currently.

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Getting Points Through Achievements in Stardew Valley

Players are likely already aware that Stardew Valley has a plethora of activities and achievements, but some of these are also tied to the game’s point system. Here are the achievements players can gain points from:

Three points can be collected through achievements, leaving the player at 12 points. The player now has enough points in order to light up all 4 candles. However, there are more methods to achieve points in the game.

Getting Points Through Friendship in Stardew Valley

Building bonds with the NPC characters is another method of gaining points. Here’s the breakdown of how Stardew Valley marriage and friendships affect points:

• Married with at least two house upgrades: 1 point
• A friendship with eight hearts with five villagers: 1 point
• A friendship with eight hearts with ten villagers: 1 point
• A friendship with your pet of at least four hearts: 1 point

This brings the total point tally to 16. For the house upgrade, it’s better to choose the nursery and the kitchen in order to get the evaluation point. Adding another house upgrade does not change anything. It also doesn’t matter which villagers the player forms friendships with. This means if there is an NPC which you find particularly abhorrent, like Stardew Valley’s Pierre, there is no need to make friends with them. ​​​

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Other Methods of Getting Points in Stardew Valley

These are methods that don’t stick to any of the above categories, but also give points to the player for completing them:

• Complete the Community Center: 1 point
• Complete the Community Center Completion Ceremony: 2 points
• Obtain the Skill Key: 1 point
• Obtain the Rusty Key: 1 point

Among completing these tasks, the player now had every point available in Stardew Valley. Once again, the player only needs 12 of the total 21 points in order to light up all 4 candles on Grandpa’s Shrine. When the player has enough points, go to the shrine to be evaluated. All four candles will be lit and the player will get the Statue of Perfection. The Statue of Perfection rewards the player with 2-8 Iridium Ore per day. This ore can be smelted into bars and used for various crafting purposes.

Players can complete many milestones just by playing through Stardew Valley’s story, mining, and farming, and organic gaming should lead the player to at least 12 of the required points. When players feel they have all the required achievements and points, remember to bring a Diamond for the Shrine. Placing the diamond will summon Grandpa’s ghost, and he will tell players their progress. This can be done at any time after the first evaluation, as there is no time limit to lighting all four candles after the third year.

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