Matilda
Matilda is a non-romanceable NPC in Starsand Island and the matriarch of the island's farming family. She is the mother of Graminova, who runs the Happiness Seed Shop and teaches the Farmer profession, and the wife of Sagewood, one of the island's two town elders. Like the rest of her family, Matilda has a deep connection to the land. She is one of the easier NPCs to build friendship with because her loved gifts are common crops that most players already grow on their farm.
Profile
Detail | Info |
|---|---|
Occupation | Community caretaker and homemaker |
Romanceable | No |
Max Hearts | 4 |
Family |
Personality
Matilda has the loudest laugh on the island and the busiest hands. She is the heartbeat of the island's daily life, always managing multiple responsibilities at once. She remembers every birthday, every field that needs fertilizing, and exactly what is missing from the next community event. She tends to show up with snacks and help before anyone even asks.
Some residents call it meddling, but most see it for what it is: love. Her caregiving nature is relentless, and she takes pride in keeping the community running smoothly. She expresses affection through practical acts of service rather than words.
Location
Matilda lives in the family's residential area near the Happiness Seed Shop in Starsand Town. She shares the house with Sagewood, which sits to the left of Graminova's garden. During the day, she can be found in and around the garden area above the shop or inside the house.
A grey outbuilding (shed) near the family's property contains a treasure chest that does not require any friendship level to open. This is separate from the chest inside Matilda's home, which requires 3 hearts.
After your first interaction with Matilda, use the phone's Social app to Locate or Follow her on the map if she is not in her usual spot.
Daily Schedule
Matilda follows a routine centered around the family home and garden. She spends most of her time near the Happiness Seed Shop area.
Time | Activity |
|---|---|
06:00 | Wakes up and begins morning tasks around the house |
07:00 - 11:00 | Works in the garden above the seed shop, tending crops and weeding |
12:00 - 13:00 | Prepares lunch at home for the family |
13:00 - 17:00 | Visits neighbors, checks on community projects, or organizes supplies |
18:00 - 21:00 | Relaxes at home or sits outside near the garden |
22:00 | Returns inside for the night |
Gift Preferences
Matilda's taste in gifts skews heavily toward crops, flowers, and cooked food. Loved gifts grant +15 Affection, liked gifts grant +10 Affection, and a daily conversation adds +5 Affection. Her disliked and hated items are worth remembering, because several of them (like Mushroom Soup and Grilled Fish) seem like they would be appropriate for a farming NPC but actually cost affection.
Loved Gifts (+15 Affection)
Gift | How to Obtain |
|---|---|
Foraged in the wild or grown from Moonflower Seeds | |
Moondew Shroom | Foraged in Moonlit Forest |
Leek | Grown from Leek Seeds (Happiness Seed Shop) |
Water Spinach | Grown from Water Spinach Seeds (Happiness Seed Shop) |
Gathered by clearing shrubs on your farm | |
Yellow Sleep Lily | Grown from Yellow Sleep Lily Seeds |
Wintermelon | Grown from Wintermelon Seeds (winter crop) |
Matilda may also love all types of flowers. Leek and Water Spinach are the cheapest and most reliable loved gifts since both are early-game crops you can grow in large quantities.
Liked Gifts (+10 Affection)
Gift | Category |
|---|---|
Grilled Chicken Wings | |
French Fries | |
Strawberry Milk | Beverage |
Caco Laco | Beverage |
Fenta | Beverage |
Foraged item | |
Watermelon Jam | |
Coconut | Foraged item (beach trees) |
Light Blue Hydrangea | Flower (grown from seeds) |
Disliked and Hated Gifts
Gift | Reaction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Velvet | Disliked | Rare crafting material |
Stone | Disliked | Common mining material |
Copper | Disliked | Common mining material |
Glazed Cicada | Hated | Bug item (near-universally disliked) |
Grilled Fish | Hated | Common cooking recipe |
Mushroom Soup | Hated | Common cooking recipe |
Plain Noodles | Hated | Common cooking recipe |
The farming family shares overlapping gift preferences. Sagewood and Graminova also love crops, so a single harvest of Water Spinach or Leek can cover daily gifts for all three family members. This is one of the most efficient ways to build friendship across multiple NPCs without needing different gift items.
Friendship and Treasure Chest
As a non-romanceable NPC, Matilda's friendship caps at 4 hearts. The practical incentive for building her friendship is the treasure chest inside her home.
Item | Details |
|---|---|
3 hearts | Unlocks access to Matilda's home interior, which contains a treasure chest. This follows the same pattern as all non-romanceable NPCs. |
4 hearts | Maximum friendship level. No additional reward beyond the satisfaction of maxing out the relationship. |
Matilda is one of the fastest NPCs to reach 3 hearts with because her loved gifts (Leek, Water Spinach) are among the most commonly grown crops in the game. You likely already have a surplus of both from your farm. Give her one every day and chat with her, and 3 hearts arrives quickly.
Family and Relationships
Graminova is Matilda's son. He runs the Happiness Seed Shop and is the Farmer profession mentor. His shop sells seeds, fertilizers, and farming blueprints. If you are visiting him regularly to buy supplies, Matilda is often nearby, making it convenient to gift her on the same trip.
Sagewood is Matilda's husband and one of the island's two town elders. He lives in the same house and can be gifted at the same time. Sagewood's loved gifts overlap with Matilda's (both love Moonflower and Pasture Grass), so a single stack of either item works for both of them.
As a family, the three of them (Sagewood, Matilda, and Graminova) all share a love for crops and farm produce. Growing a large batch of Water Spinach or Leek is the most efficient strategy for raising friendship with the entire family simultaneously.
Tips
Leek and Water Spinach are the cheapest and most reliable loved gifts for Matilda. Both are early-game crops that you can grow in large quantities.
Avoid giving Matilda Mushroom Soup, Plain Noodles, or Grilled Fish. All three are hated items, and the first two are common cooking recipes that you might hand over by mistake if you are not paying attention.
The grey shed near the family's house has a treasure chest inside. You can open it without building any friendship. Check it on your first visit to the area.
If you are trying to unlock all NPC treasure chests, Matilda is one of the quickest to max out. Prioritize her early for an easy chest.
Copper and Stone are disliked. Do not dump leftover mining materials on Matilda; she will lose affection.
Visit Matilda whenever you swing by the Happiness Seed Shop to buy seeds. Giving her a gift and chatting takes a few seconds and builds friendship passively over time.