In Stardew Valley, players find a mysterious shrine with four candles in the northwest corner of their farm, known as Grandpa's Shrine. At the beginning of the third in-game year, Grandpa will return from the dead to evaluate how far his farm has come since you took it over.

On Grandpa's shrine are four candles which, when lit, will reward players with a statue. Players will receive a Statue of Perfection, granting two to eight Iridium Ores per day.

To speak with Grandpa's ghost about the condition of your farm after being evaluated, players will have to offer one Diamond.

Earn Points To Light All Four Candles

Stardew Valley's Hidden Point System

The number of lit candles depends on what the player did within their first two years on the farm. There's a hidden point system that 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 four candles in Stardew Valley.

Players can check how many points they have by going to the menu and browsing Stardew Valley's achievement section.

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

Getting Points Through Money

Potential Points: 7

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:

This leaves the player with seven earned points through money alone if they've successfully earned one million gold by the end of year two.

Back to Top

Getting Points Through Levels

Potential Points: 2

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 nine points currently.

Back to Top

Getting Points Through Achievements

Potential Points: 3

You're 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.

• Complete the museum collection: 1 point
• Catch every type of fish: 1 point
• Ship every item: 1 point

Three points can be collected through achievements, leaving the player at 12 points. Simply doing the money, level, and achievement goals will provide enough points in order to light up all four candles. However, there are more methods to achieve points in the game.

Back to Top

Getting Points Through Friendship

Potential Points: 4

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 that you find particularly abhorrent, like Stardew Valley's Pierre, there is no need to make friends with them. ​​​

Back to Top

Other Methods of Getting Points

Potential Points: 5

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

Again, the player only needs 12 of the total 21 points in order to light up all four candles on Grandpa's Shrine. When the player has enough points, they can then receive their rewards.

Rewards For Completing Grandpa's Shrine

Once all four candles are lit, you will receive the Statue of Perfection. The Statue of Perfection rewards the player with two to eight Iridium Ore per day. This ore can be smelted into bars (at a cost of five Ore per bar) and is the most valuable Ore in the game. As such, completing Grandpa's Shrine is a worthwhile endeavor in Stardew Valley.

Back to Top