Stardew Valley Secret Notes Guide

Secret Notes unlock during your first Winter. Leave the farm through the bus stop exit near the shipping bin to trigger the A Winter Mystery cutscene.

After the cutscene, follow the footprints in the snow to a bush near the playground area. Interact with the bush to recover the Magnifying Glass.

The Magnifying Glass is added to your wallet and permanently unlocks the ability to find Secret Notes through normal gameplay.

Secret Notes reveal villager gift hints, hidden items, puzzle solutions, Mr. Qi quests, special powers, and late-game secrets. Some notes are meant to be solved slowly.

After unlocking the Magnifying Glass, Secret Notes can drop from cutting trees, digging artifact spots, breaking rocks, fishing, and defeating monsters.

Artifact spots are one of the better ways to find Secret Notes, but you will usually collect them naturally if you keep playing normally.

Skull Cavern dives can be useful because you break many rocks and fight many enemies, giving more chances for notes to appear.

Finding every Secret Note usually happens over time. You do not need to force it unless you are trying to finish a specific reward or completion goal.

Secret Notes take up inventory space until read. Put the note in the top row of your inventory and use it like an item while your menu is closed.

After a Secret Note is read, it disappears from your inventory and is saved permanently in the Secret Notes tab of your Collections menu.

Certain secrets will not work until you have actually read the note. For example, some Mr. Qi and hidden-object interactions require the related note first.

Gift hints from Secret Notes can update villager gift information in the relationship menu, helping you remember loved gifts later.

Secret Note 10 unlocks the Mr. Qi meeting on Skull Cavern floor 100. Reaching it rewards Iridium Snake Milk, permanently increasing your health.

Secret Note 15 gives the Mermaid Show code 1-5-4-2-3 at the Night Market. Playing the sequence after the show rewards a Pearl once.

Secret Note 20 leads to the truck driver near JojaMart or the Movie Theater. Bring a Rabbit’s Foot to receive the Special Charm, which permanently increases daily luck.

Secret Note 22 hints at Mr. Qi’s tunnel quest. The chain eventually unlocks the Club Card, giving access to the Casino in the Desert.

Secret Note 23 starts the Maple Syrup Secret Woods event. Bring Maple Syrup to the Secret Woods to unlock Bear’s Knowledge, increasing Salmonberry and Blackberry value.

Secret Note 25 leads to the Ornate Necklace near the spa. It can be returned to Abigail or Caroline for different friendship rewards.

Secret Note 24 explains that placing gems or minerals inside Junimo Huts changes the color of the Junimos. A Prismatic Shard creates a prismatic effect.

Secret Note 26 explains that raisins increase Junimo productivity. Raisins are made by placing grapes in a dehydrator.

Secret Note 27 hints at the Mastery Cave in Cindersap Forest. It becomes available after reaching level 10 in all five skills.

Journal Scraps appear in the same general collection area later, but they are more tied to Ginger Island and work differently from normal Secret Notes.