After spending 50 days in Stardew Valley, a mysterious cutscene featuring Mr. Qi dropping boxes from his airplane signals the arrival of elusive Mystery Boxes-packed with rare seeds, weapons, and treasures hidden throughout the valley. Whether you’re mining deep in the caves, digging up artifact spots, fishing treasure chests, or participating in seasonal festivals, these enigmatic crates offer a thrilling surprise for players across all platforms, from PC to mobile and consoles. Ready to uncover where and how to find these coveted boxes? Dive into our guide to unlock the secrets of Stardew Valley’s Mystery Boxes and boost your farming adventure.
Where to find Mystery Boxes in Stardew Valley
Mystery Boxes in Stardew Valley become available after triggering a special cutscene featuring Mr. Qi dropping boxes from a plane, which occurs after spending 50 in-game days or obtaining the second Prize Ticket. Once unlocked, these boxes can be found in various ways across the valley, often appearing randomly during regular activities. Common sources include digging up Artifact Spots, mining by breaking rocks and containers in the Mines or Skull Cavern, fishing treasure chests, defeating monsters, shaking trees, and participating in festivals like the Desert Festival, Trout Derby, and Squid Fest. They can also be purchased from the Calico Desert Egg Merchant during the Desert Festival or obtained as rewards from certain events. The randomness of their appearance means players should keep an eye out during daily tasks to collect them.
Once you spend 50 days in the valley or you collect a prize ticket, you’ll unlock Mystery Boxes. After you meet one of these requirements, a short cutscene will play while you sleep, showing Mr. Qi airdropping these boxes all over the valley.
Once this happens, you’ll start digging these bad boys up from doing pretty normal Stardew Valley tasks, such as:
- Hoeing dig spots (the little wiggling worms in the ground)
- Fishing up treasure chests
- Defeating enemies
- Mining rocks and ore
- Shaking trees that drop seeds
- Panning in the rivers
- Chopping trees
The above sources are more likely to drop Mystery Boxes if you have good luck that day.
You can also get them as rewards from the Trout Derby and SquidFest events.
There are also Golden Mystery Boxes, which are only unlocked after unlocking Foraging Mastery.
How to open Mystery Boxes in Stardew Valley
To open Mystery Boxes in Stardew Valley, you need to take them to Clint the Blacksmith, located on the east side of Pelican Town. Clint’s shop is open from 9 AM to 4 PM every day except Friday. Interact with Clint and choose the option to process geodes; then place the Mystery Box on his anvil and pay 25 gold to have it opened. This process is similar to opening geodes, and the Geode Crusher cannot be used for Mystery Boxes, so visiting Clint is necessary to reveal the contents inside.
You can open Mystery Boxes at the blacksmith’s, just like geodes. Clint will crack them open for you for 25 gold each and they can have a plethora of items inside.
Where are the hidden locations of Mystery Boxes across all gaming platforms in Stardew Valley
Mystery Boxes in Stardew Valley can be found in a variety of hidden and random locations across all gaming platforms once the player triggers a special cutscene with Mr. Qi after spending 50 days in the valley or collecting the second Prize Ticket. Here are the main locations and methods to find them:
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Artifact Spots: Digging up these spots (marked by three worms wriggling in the ground) can yield Mystery Boxes among other items. They are a common source due to the frequency of artifact spots around the valley.
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Mines: Breaking rocks, opening crates or barrels, and defeating enemies in the Mines can drop Mystery Boxes.
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Fishing Treasure Chests: While fishing, treasure chests sometimes contain Mystery Boxes, though this method has a lower chance (about 12%).
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Festivals: Mystery Boxes can be won as prizes at the Trout Derby (Summer) and SquidFest (Winter), or purchased with Calico Eggs at the Desert Festival (Spring).
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Other sources: They can also occasionally be found by panning, combat, from Mayor Lewis’ Prize Machine, from trees, the bookseller, and the Giant Stump.
After acquiring Mystery Boxes, players must take them to Clint the Blacksmith in Pelican Town to open them for 25 gold each, as they cannot be opened at home or with a Geode Crusher.
What are the specific locations where Mystery Boxes can appear in Stardew Valley
The specific locations and methods where Mystery Boxes can appear in Stardew Valley across all platforms are:
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Artifact Spots: Digging up artifact spots scattered around the valley is one of the most common ways to find Mystery Boxes, with a reasonable chance to spawn there.
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Mines, Skull Cavern, and Volcano Dungeon: Breaking rocks, opening crates or barrels, and defeating monsters in these underground areas can yield Mystery Boxes.
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Fishing Treasure Chests: While fishing, treasure chests sometimes contain Mystery Boxes, including the rarer Golden Mystery Boxes, though the chance is relatively low (~12%).
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Chopping Trees: Hitting trees with an axe can occasionally drop Mystery Boxes.
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Panning: Searching riverbeds with a pan can yield Mystery Boxes.
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Present Train Cars (Winter): Mystery Boxes can be found as gifts in the train cars during winter.
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Festivals: Mystery Boxes are given as rewards at the Trout Derby (Summer) and SquidFest (Winter), and can be purchased from the Calico Egg Merchant during the Desert Festival in Spring.
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Trading the Book of Mysteries: You can trade this special book with the traveling Bookseller for a Mystery Box.
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Mayor’s Prize Machine: Mystery Boxes can be won from the prize machine in the Mayor’s Manor.
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Special Requests and Events: Completing certain Raccoon requests after the fifth one, or placing Milk or Cookie items on the farm table on Winter 24 can earn you Mystery Boxes.
After unlocking Mystery Boxes by triggering the Mr. Qi cutscene (after 50 in-game days or obtaining a second Prize Ticket), these are the main specific locations and activities where you can find them. To open a Mystery Box, you must take it to Clint the Blacksmith, who charges 25 gold per box.
This variety of locations and methods ensures Mystery Boxes can be found throughout Stardew Valley’s different environments and activities, providing a rewarding surprise for players exploring the game fully.
