Guide to Obtaining and Using Prize Tickets in Stardew Valley

The 1.6 update of Stardew Valley has introduced a variety of new features, prominently including the prize tickets. This popular farming simulator, which has captivated its followers for seven years, has received its largest update to date, adding a new bookshelf, a mysterious weapon called Meowmere, and this intriguing collectible item. Players returning to the game after the update or those playing it for the first time may feel confused about how to use these prize tickets, as well as how to obtain them. Below, we explain how to acquire and use prize tickets in Stardew Valley.

In Stardew Valley, prize tickets are obtained by completing special requests and various missions. They can also be earned by participating in festivals, such as the Egg Festival and the Ice Festival, and even by solving the Spirit’s Eve maze. Although they are not earned directly, it is possible to buy prize tickets using 1,000 star tokens at the Stardew Valley Fair.

Beyond festivals and events, the most common way to get prize tickets is through certain missions. To find out which mission offers this reward, players should check the "Help Wanted" board in the village, where a star counter is located in the upper-left corner. Once this counter reaches three stars, the next mission will reward a prize ticket. It is important to note that this counter may not be entirely accurate as multiple missions can be activated simultaneously. After completing the mission, the counter resets.

As for special requests, which are unlocked at the beginning of autumn in the first year, prize tickets are offered as a reward for completing a request, simply by checking the mail next to the special requests board. In this case, there is no star counter, so each special request should reward a prize ticket.

The only way to use prize tickets in Stardew Valley is through the prize machine located in Lewis's house, next to the Town Register Book, on the left side of his home. By interacting with the machine, players can spend a prize ticket to receive a gift. Although the reward is random, it is possible to see what prize will be received, as well as the next two in line. The first 22 prizes are fixed, while the last nine change in a cycle of nine possibilities. If one of these slots has more than one prize, the game will choose only one of them.

Here is a list of the prizes that can be obtained from the machine:

First 22 Prizes

1. 12 carrot seeds, 12 summer zucchini seeds, 12 broccoli seeds, or 12 melon seeds (depending on the season).
2. Orange sapling or peach sapling.
3. 10 mixed seeds or 15 mixed flower seeds.
4. Three mystery boxes.
5. Stardrop Tea.
6. Blue striped bed or blue striped double bed (depending on the farmhouse level).
7. Four jars of pickles, four quality sprinklers, or four mushroom logs.
8. Apple sapling or pomegranate sapling.
9. Friendship 101 book.
10. 12 bombs, 20 cherry bombs, or six mega bombs.
11. Sports cap.
12. Dehydrator or fish smoker.
13. Four mystery boxes or four artifact chests.
14. House plant.
15. Books like Combat Quarterly, Bait And Bobber, Stardew Valley Almanac, Mining Monthly, or Woodcutter’s Weekly.
16. Stardrop Tea.
17. Cow sticker.
18. Eight omni geodes.
19. Four barrels or four beehives.
20. Five diamonds.
21. Five mystery boxes.
22. Rock candy.

Last Nine Cyclical Prizes

1. Stardrop Tea.
2. Treasure chest.
3. Iridium sprinkler.
4. Luxurious decorative plant or pig painting (75% chance to get the luxurious plant, 25% chance to get the pig painting).
5. 15 bombs or eight mega bombs.
6. Five mystery boxes.
7. One or two fairy dusts.
8. Five artifact chests, five Triple Espressos, five iridium bars, five crab cakes, or five spicy eels.
9. House plant.