Ginger Island, introduced in Stardew Valley’s 1.5 update, is a late-game addition that adds about a dozen hours of content to the game. From unique crops to hidden treasures, this island is a must-explore area, especially if you’ve done what the rest of the game has for you. In this article, we’re going to go over everything you need to know about Ginger Island including how to unlock it, new characters, farming, and more.

How to Unlock Ginger Island

To access Ginger Island, you need to repair Willy’s boat at the Fish Shop. Gather 200 hardwood, 5 battery packs, and 5 iridium bars. Hardwood can be found in the Secret Woods, battery packs can be found a few different ways, but your best bet is from lightning rods during thunderstorms, and iridium bars come from smelted iridium ore.  Each trip to Ginger Island costs 1,000 gold. You want to be sure you either have a steady income or are budgeting accordingly. You can make sure you have enough gold by selling high-profit crops or artisan goods like cheese and wine.

Exploring Ginger Island

The western part of the island includes a farm area where you can grow crops year-round. Additionally, there’s a dig site that offers various resources and fossils. The northern part of the island has the exciting Volcano Dungeon. Here, you can find cinder shards to upgrade your weapons at the forge and tough enemies.  The eastern part of the island includes the resort and tide pools which are full of forgable items like coral and sea urchins. You’ll find golden walnuts and parrots that trade golden walnuts all over the island. Don’t pass them up, the rewards are worth it. 

Characters on Ginger Island

There are two new characters you can meet on Ginger Island. Birdie offers a quest involving a lost keepsake. Completing this quest grants you valuable rewards, including 5 golden walnuts. Unfortunately, you can’t befriend her.   Leo is a young boy living on the island. He lives on the island because his parents were lost at sea. He is initially too scared to talk to you until you make friends with the parrots. You can do this by collecting 10 golden walnuts. You can then befriend him by giving him gifts that he likes such as duck feathers and mangoes.

Quests and Activities on Ginger Island 

Collecting golden walnuts is your main quest on Ginger Island. These walnuts unlock various areas and items. They can be found by exploring, fishing, mining, and solving puzzles. You’ll experience a few side quests on the island as well. One of them is helping Professor Snail complete his collection by donating fossils and artifacts found around the island. Doing this rewards you with golden walnuts and useful items. 

Another side quest is unlocking Qi’s Walnut Room. This requires one hundred golden walnuts. Inside, you can take on Mr. Qi’s challenges to obtain gems which can then be used to purchase various rewards. There are other activities to participate in on the island.  This includes solving the Gem Birds puzzle by placing the correct gemstones in their respective pedestals and accessing Pirate Cove on rainy days to participate in pirate-themed activities like darts. These activities also yield unique rewards. 

Farming on Ginger Island

One of the biggest benefits of Ginger Island is the ability to grow crops all year long. This allows for the continuous production of high-profit crops like starfruit and ancient fruit. Many players focus on growing these crops because they yield high profits and can be used to produce valuable artisan goods like wine and jam. Players often include a few fairy roses and beehouses for flavored honey as well.

Wrapping Up

Ginger Island offers a whole other level of content and challenges for Stardew Valley players. From unlocking the island to exploring its areas and completing quests, this guide ensures you’re well-prepared to make the most of your adventure. Try to start collecting materials for Willy’s boat ahead of time, that’s the most time-consuming part of the Ginger Island quest line. Otherwise, it’s all pretty quick. 

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