Choosing between mushrooms and bats in Stardew Valley’s cave can be a tough decision, especially for new farmers. It impacts your early game income and influences how you approach certain parts of the game. This guide will walk you through the pros and cons of each option, giving you a clear path to making the right choice for your playstyle.
Understanding the Cave Event
Early in your Stardew Valley adventure, Demetrius, Robin’s husband and a resident scientist, will approach you with a request. He’s observed strange activity near your farm and wants to use your cave for research. He presents you with a choice: allow him to cultivate mushrooms in the cave, or let bats roost there, which will bring you fruit.
This is a one-time decision. Once you make your choice, you’re locked in for the rest of your playthrough. There’s no changing your mind later, so it’s essential to understand the implications of each option.
The Mushroom Cave: A Fungus Farm
Opting for mushrooms turns your cave into a miniature mushroom farm. Demetrius will install six mushroom boxes that passively produce various types of mushrooms. The types of mushrooms that grow are:
- Common Mushroom: Found in the forest during Fall. Sells for 40g.
- Chanterelle: Found in the forest during Fall. Sells for 160g.
- Morel: Found in the Secret Woods (requires a Steel Axe) and occasionally in the forest during Spring. Sells for 150g.
- Red Mushroom: Found in the mines and the forest during Summer. Sells for 75g.
- Purple Mushroom: Found in the mines and the Skull Cavern. Sells for 250g.
Pros of the Mushroom Cave
- Consistent Income: The mushroom boxes produce mushrooms regularly (roughly every other day or every two days, depending on luck), providing a steady source of income, especially early in the game.
- Foraging Skill Leveling: Harvesting mushrooms contributes to your foraging skill, unlocking new recipes and crafting options.
- Useful for Bundles: Several mushrooms are required for completing the Community Center’s foraging bundles, specifically the Fall Foraging Bundle (Common Mushroom, Chanterelle, and either a Hazelnut, Wild Plum, or Blackberry) and the Quality Foraging Bundle (requires quality (gold star) mushrooms). The mushroom cave provides a reliable source for these, allowing you to complete the bundles faster.
- Ingredient for Recipes: Mushrooms are ingredients in several useful recipes, such as the Life Elixir (restores a significant amount of health and energy), the Super Meal (provides +1 Farming, +1 Mining, +40 Energy, and +18 Health), and the Fried Eel (+1 Luck).
- No Maintenance: The mushroom boxes require no watering, fertilizing, or other maintenance. You simply harvest the mushrooms when they’re ready.
- Safe and Predictable: Unlike the bat cave, there’s no risk of receiving unwanted or low-value items. You always get mushrooms, and you know exactly what to expect.
Cons of the Mushroom Cave
- Lower Potential Profit: While consistent, the income from the mushroom cave is generally lower than the potential income from the bat cave, especially later in the game. The base selling price of the mushrooms is relatively low, especially compared to some of the rarer fruits.
- Limited Variety: You’re restricted to the five types of mushrooms listed above. You won’t get other foraged items.
- Relatively Slow Growth: It takes time for the mushroom boxes to produce mushrooms. The production cycle isn’t as fast as planting and harvesting crops.
- Less Excitement: Some players find the mushroom cave less exciting than the bat cave, as it lacks the element of surprise and the potential for high-value finds.
Maximizing Mushroom Cave Profits
Here are some tips to maximize your profit from the mushroom cave:
- Foraging Skill: Level up your foraging skill to increase the quality of the mushrooms you harvest. Higher quality mushrooms sell for more.
- Botanist Profession: At Foraging level 10, choose the Botanist profession. This makes all foraged items iridium quality, significantly increasing their selling price.
- Preserves Jars: Turn your mushrooms into pickles using preserves jars. Pickles sell for more than the base mushroom price. The formula for pickle prices is `(Base item price * 2) + 50`.
- Kegs: Turn your mushrooms into mushroom wine using kegs. Mushroom wine sells for even more than pickles. The formula for wine prices is `(Base item price * 3)`. Note that wine takes significantly longer to process than pickles.
- Daily Harvest: Visit your cave daily to harvest the mushrooms as soon as they’re ready. This ensures that the boxes are always producing new mushrooms.
The Bat Cave: A Fruity Surprise
Choosing bats means your cave will become a home for bats that will occasionally bring you fruit. The types of fruits you can receive are:
- Apple: Found in the Fall. Sells for 100g.
- Apricot: Found in the Spring. Sells for 50g.
- Blackberry: Found in the Fall. Sells for 20g.
- Blueberry: Found in the Summer. Sells for 50g.
- Cherry: Found in the Spring. Sells for 80g.
- Coconut: Found in the Calico Desert. Sells for 100g.
- Cranberry: Found in the Fall. Sells for 75g.
- Crystal Fruit: Found in the Winter. Sells for 150g.
- Grape: Found in the Fall. Sells for 80g.
- Melon: Found in the Summer. Sells for 250g.
- Orange: Found in the Summer. Sells for 100g.
- Peach: Found in the Summer. Sells for 140g.
- Pomegranate: Found in the Fall. Sells for 140g.
- Spice Berry: Found in the Summer. Sells for 80g.
- Wild Plum: Found in the Fall. Sells for 80g.
Pros of the Bat Cave
- Potential for Higher Profit: If you’re lucky and receive high-value fruits like Melons, Crystal Fruits, Peaches, or Pomegranates, the bat cave can generate significantly more profit than the mushroom cave.
- Fruit Tree Alternative: The bat cave provides a source of fruit that would otherwise require planting and maintaining fruit trees, which are expensive and take a full season to mature. This is especially helpful early in the game when your resources are limited.
- Variety: The bat cave offers a wider variety of items compared to the mushroom cave, keeping things interesting.
- Ingredient for Recipes: Fruits are ingredients in many recipes, including the Cranberry Sauce, Fruit Salad, and the Salmon Dinner.
- Animal Gifts: Fruits are liked or loved gifts for several villagers and animals, increasing your friendship levels.
- Community Center Bundles: Several fruits are needed for the Crafts Room bundles in the Community Center, potentially allowing you to complete these bundles earlier.
Cons of the Bat Cave
- Inconsistent Income: The fruit production is random, and you’re not guaranteed to receive high-value fruits. You might get stuck with a lot of low-value Blackberries.
- RNG Dependent: The profitability of the bat cave is heavily reliant on random number generation (RNG). Some players have great luck and receive valuable fruits frequently, while others struggle to get anything worthwhile.
- No Skill Leveling: Harvesting fruit from the bat cave does not contribute to any skill leveling.
- Can Be Unreliable for Bundles: While it *can* help with bundles, relying solely on the bat cave for specific fruits can be frustrating. You might need to supplement your fruit supply with foraging or purchasing from the Traveling Cart.
- Inventory Management: The variety of fruits can lead to inventory clutter. You’ll need to manage your inventory carefully to avoid running out of space.
Maximizing Bat Cave Profits
Here are some tips to maximize your profit from the bat cave:
- Daily Harvest: Just like with the mushroom cave, visit your cave daily to collect the fruit as soon as it appears. This maximizes the number of fruits you receive over time.
- Preserves Jars: Turn your fruits into jams using preserves jars. Jams sell for more than the base fruit price. The formula for jam prices is `(Base item price * 2) + 50`.
- Kegs: Turn your fruits into wine using kegs. Wine sells for even more than jam. The formula for wine prices is `(Base item price * 3)`. Note that wine takes significantly longer to process than jam.
- Save for Fruit Trees: Use the profits from the bat cave to invest in fruit trees. This will provide a more reliable and sustainable source of fruit in the long run.
- Track Fruit Production: Keep track of the types of fruits you’re receiving. If you’re consistently getting low-value fruits, consider supplementing your income with other activities, such as fishing, mining, or crop farming.
Mushroom vs. Bat: Which is Right for You?
The best choice for your farm depends on your playstyle and priorities. Here’s a breakdown to help you decide:
Choose Mushrooms If:
- You want a reliable and consistent source of income, especially early in the game.
- You want to level up your foraging skill.
- You prioritize completing the Community Center bundles quickly.
- You like to use mushrooms in recipes.
- You prefer a low-maintenance option that requires minimal effort.
- You dislike relying on luck or random chance.
Choose Bats If:
- You’re willing to take a risk for the potential of higher profits.
- You want a head start on fruit production without investing in expensive fruit trees early on.
- You enjoy the element of surprise and variety.
- You need fruits for recipes, gifts, or bundles.
- You don’t mind inventory management or dealing with a less predictable income.
- You enjoy the thrill of hoping for a high-value fruit drop.
Specific Scenarios
Here are some more specific scenarios to consider:
- Early Game Focus: If you’re struggling to get your farm off the ground, the mushroom cave can provide a much-needed boost to your income. The consistent income from mushrooms can help you buy seeds, tools, and upgrades.
- Community Center Completion: If you’re determined to complete the Community Center as quickly as possible, the mushroom cave can be invaluable for the foraging bundles. However, the bat cave *can* help with some of the crafts room bundles. Consider which bundles are giving you more trouble and choose accordingly.
- Recipe Enthusiast: If you love cooking and experimenting with different recipes, both the mushroom and bat caves can be useful. Mushrooms are key ingredients in several helpful dishes, while fruits are used in a wide range of desserts and other recipes.
- Min/Max Player: If you’re focused on maximizing your profits and efficiency, the bat cave has the potential to be more lucrative, but it requires careful management and a bit of luck. The mushroom cave provides a safer, but lower-paying option.
- Multiplayer: In a multiplayer game, coordinating with your fellow farmers can help you make the best choice. For example, one player could choose the mushroom cave to provide a steady supply of mushrooms, while another player focuses on other income streams.
Alternative Strategies
Regardless of which option you choose, remember that there are other ways to obtain mushrooms and fruits in Stardew Valley.
- Foraging: Regularly forage in the forest, mountains, and other areas to find wild mushrooms and fruits.
- The Mines: Explore the mines for mushrooms and occasionally find fruit-bearing trees that have fallen.
- The Traveling Cart: The Traveling Cart, which appears in the Cindersap Forest on Fridays and Sundays, sometimes sells rare mushrooms and fruits.
- Fruit Trees: Plant fruit trees on your farm to provide a reliable source of fruit.
- Seed Maker: Use the Seed Maker to turn fruits into seeds, which you can then plant to grow more fruits.
- Greenhouse: Once you unlock the Greenhouse, you can grow fruit trees and mushroom trees indoors, regardless of the season.
- Skull Cavern: The Skull Cavern contains a variety of mushrooms, including the rare Purple Mushroom.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the decision between the mushroom cave and the bat cave is a personal one. There’s no right or wrong answer. Consider your playstyle, your goals, and your tolerance for risk, and choose the option that best suits your needs. Both options can be valuable in their own way, and both can contribute to a successful and fulfilling Stardew Valley experience.
No matter which you select, have fun farming!
