Stardew Valley: A Winter Mystery Quest Guide

Despite its focus on farming and selling crops, Stardew Valley also offers opportunities to interact with various characters and take on mysterious quests. One such quest is A Winter Mystery, which becomes available at some point during your first year on the farm. This quest involves locating a suspicious individual who is hiding somewhere in the Valley. If you have spotted this person lurking around Pelican Town but are unsure of their whereabouts for the completion of the quest, continue reading for a comprehensive guide on how to finish A Winter Mystery.

How to Begin a Winter Mystery Quest in Stardew Valley

To experience A Winter Mystery, all you need to do is reach your first Winter on the farm. In Stardew Valley, Winter is generally considered the least eventful season, especially if your main focus is on farming and selling crops. The only crop that can be grown outside during Winter is Powdermelon. Fortunately, activities like A Winter Mystery add excitement to the season.

Stardew Valley A Winter Mystery Quest Note — Screenshot by Prima Games

Once you have completed your first Winter, the quest may commence at any given time. The only additional requirement for triggering the cutscene is for you to leave your farm between 9 AM and 4 PM, which is a routine activity for you. As you make your way towards the Bus Stop outside your farm, you will catch a glimpse of a mysterious figure dressed in black. The figure gets startled by your presence and hastily disappears into the distance.

Where Is the Mystery Character in Stardew Valley?

To locate their hiding spot in the bush between the swing set and the fiber garden, simply follow the tracks of the figure left in the snow to the park next to the Community Center. By following the figure directly, you will have no trouble finding their hiding spot.

Stardew Valley Mysterious Figure Location — Screenshot by Prima Games

These Secret Notes are a valuable source of information that can assist you in various tasks, including locating Golden Walnuts on Ginger Island, determining the most cherished gifts of villagers to improve your relationships, and revealing clues that may lead you to additional quests. You can obtain Secret Notes while participating in activities such as fishing, mining, woodcutting, defeating monsters, harvesting giant crops, and excavating artifact spots in the Valley.

You are free to continue your day in Stardew Valley instead of constantly trailing the Mysterious Figure around Pelican Town. However, it is highly recommended that you do so. To locate the figure, you can simply follow its footsteps. However, once Winter is over and the snow has melted, the footprints leading to the figure disappear. This makes completing the quest much more challenging. In case you forget to follow the elusive figure, this guide will direct you to its hiding spot.

To discover additional tips and tricks, be sure to read our guide on altering your appearance in Stardew Valley.