NPC Gift Preferences

Overview

Every NPC on Starsand Island has personal gift preferences that determine how much affection they gain when you hand them an item. Learning what each character loves, likes, and hates is one of the most efficient ways to build relationships, unlock heart events, and progress toward romance or deep friendships. This article covers the gifting system, affection point values, universal safe gifts, and a full breakdown of preferences for every romanceable and key non-romanceable NPC on the island.

For a quick-reference chart sorted by item rather than by character, see the All NPC Gift Chart. For broader relationship-building strategies beyond gifting, see the Gift Guide and Friendship Levels articles.

How Gifting Works

You can give one regular gift per NPC per day. Walk up to any NPC and select the gift option from the interaction menu. The amount of affection you receive depends on how that NPC feels about the item. Each gift falls into one of four tiers: loved, liked, neutral, or hated.

There is no penalty for skipping a day of gifting; affection simply does not increase. However, giving a hated item wastes your daily gift opportunity and awards zero affection, so it is always better to give a neutral item than to risk a hated one when you are unsure.

Affection Point Values

The following table shows how many affection points (AP) each gift tier awards. These values apply to all NPCs and are the same whether the character is romanceable or friendship-only.

Gift Tier	Affection Points	Description
Loved	+15 AP	The NPC's absolute favorite items. They respond with enthusiastic dialogue and a special animation.
Liked	+10 AP	Items the NPC enjoys. A positive response with standard thanks.
Neutral	+5 AP	Items the NPC has no strong opinion about. A polite but unenthusiastic response.
Hated	0 AP	Items the NPC actively dislikes. They react negatively. Your daily gift chance is wasted with no affection gained.

Beyond regular gifts, there are additional ways to earn affection with NPCs:

Action	Affection Points	Notes
Daily talk	+5 AP	Speak to any NPC once per day for a small boost
Bulletin Board requests	+15 to +25 AP	Completing NPC-posted requests grants substantial affection
Story and profession quests	+50 AP	Major quest completions related to a specific NPC

Birthday Bonus

Birthdays double the affection points from gifts. Giving a loved item on an NPC's birthday yields +30 AP instead of the usual +15. Check the calendar in your house or the Phone app for upcoming birthdays. Planning a loved gift for each NPC's birthday is one of the most efficient affection strategies in the game.

Sugar Paintings

Sugar Paintings are a special gift category that can grant +30 affection when an NPC adores the design. Each NPC has Sugar Painting designs they particularly love. Delphin is known to love Sugar Paintings, and several other NPCs react very positively to specific designs. Sugar Paintings can be purchased or crafted and offer a strong alternative to standard loved gifts.

Universal Gifts

A handful of items are liked by nearly every NPC on the island. When you are unsure what to give someone, or when you want to stock up on a single gift for multiple characters, these are your safest choices.

Item	Tier	Notes
Moonflower	Liked (+10) by almost all NPCs	Found in the Evernight Forest and at flower vendors. One of the two true universal likes. Loren is the notable exception: he hates Moonflower.
Plain Noodles	Liked (+10) by almost all NPCs	Cooked at a Gas Stove with Flour (ground from Wheat at a Grinder). Cheap and easy to mass-produce. Matilda hates Plain Noodles.
Pasture Grass	Liked (+10) by most NPCs	Easy to gather in bulk from any grassy area. Loved by Graminova, Marston, Matilda, and Sagewood.
Celeste Berry	Liked (+10) by most NPCs	A widely appreciated berry that grows in multiple locations. Loved by Marston.
Mirthshroom	Liked or Loved by many NPCs	Foraged in the Moonlit Forest area. Loved by Graminova, Zephyria, and Bruce among others.
Moondew Shroom	Liked or Loved by many NPCs	Another popular mushroom. Loved by Zephyria and favored by most characters.
Chilled Twilight Salad	Liked (+10) by many NPCs	A cooked dish that serves as a reliable safe gift. Liked by Sylvain, Delphin, Graminova, and others.

Universal Dislikes

While individual hate lists vary, several items are disliked by the vast majority of NPCs. Avoid gifting these unless you know for certain the character wants them.

Item	Description
Glazed Cicada	Hated by almost every NPC except Bruce and Fang, who love bugs. This is the single most widely hated gift in the game.
Trash items	Broken items, weeds, and junk never go over well with any NPC.
Veggie Bait / Bug Bait / Meat Bait	Crafting baits are hated by many NPCs. Do not gift these.
Copper Ore	Disliked or hated by several NPCs including Gust and Garrick. Zerine is the exception since she loves unprocessed ores.
Failed cooking dishes	NPCs universally dislike burnt or failed recipes.

Romanceable NPC Gift Preferences

The following 15 NPCs can be romanced once you reach high enough affection levels. Learning their loved gifts is especially valuable since you need substantial affection to trigger heart events and unlock the romance path. Gifts listed under "Loved" award +15 AP, while "Liked" gifts award +10 AP.

NPC	Loved Gifts (+15 AP)	Liked Gifts (+10 AP)	Hated Gifts (0 AP)
Alex	Diamond	Light Blue Hydrangea, Moonflower, Red-Hot Medley, Crispy Noodles, Berry Daifuku, Grilled Chicken Wings, Honey, Softwood, Velvet, B.C Milk, Wheat, Cucumber, Dragon Fruit, Tin Ingot	Mutton, Glazed Cicada, Pickled Water Spinach, Gold Ore, Arrow
Aurelis	Aurorite Ore	Mirthshroom, Dragon Fruit, Echo Bean, Eldergrain, Sleep Lilies, Leek, Cabbage, Egg, Tomato, Wheat, Truffle, Sheep Cheese Block, Celeste Berry, Mushroom Soup, Watermelon, Plainberry	Caco Laco, Glazed Cicada, Soy Sauce, Strawberry Milk, Pickled Cabbage, Bamboo Leaf, Softwood, Tin
Delphin	Light Blue Hydrangea, Blue Hydrangea, Moonflower, Sugar Painting	Mirthshroom, Moondew Shroom, Caco Laco, Celeste Berry, Green Grape, Wishful Heart Cookies, Twilight Succulent, Pumpkin, Chilled Twilight Salad, Grilled Mushrooms, Peanut	Fiddler Crab, Rockfish, Redfish, Scallop, Pickled Cabbage, Glazed Cicada, Moonshade Butterfly, Glowing Shell
Graminova	Moonflower, Mirthshroom, Cucumber, Wheat, Garlic, Pumpkin, Potato, Cabbage, Sleep Lilies, Peanuts	Celeste Berry, Hydrangeas, Dragon Fruit, Lamb Skewers, Chilled Twilight Salad, Soybean Seeds, Water Spinach, Plainberry, Sugar Painting	Bamboo Shoot, Latiao, Coconut Drink, Soy Milk, Glazed Cicada, Veggie Bait, Feather
Loren	Tin Ingot, Radiant Crystal, Magnet, Iron Sheet, Lunar Crystal, Chip, Cappuccino, Iced Americano, Mini Reactor	Star Ramen, Grilled Fish, Chilled Twilight Salad, Crispy Mushrooms, Celeste Berry, Mirthshroom, Moondew Shroom, Caco Laco, Dragon Fruit, Beef Jerky, Jelly	Blue Hydrangea, Moonflower, Glazed Cicada, Red Sleep Lily, Copper Ore
Lunelle	Flannel, Linen, Leather, Fabrics	Twilight Succulent, Premium Wool, Moonflower, Celeste Berry, Grilled Fish, Blue Hydrangea, Pink Hydrangea, Sleep Lilies, Wheat, Chilled Twilight Salad	Chinese Perch, Iron, Caco Laco, Luminwing Butterfly, Frost Fizz, Glazed Cicada, Strawberry Milk
Neona	Iced Americano, Mocha, Tin Ore, Copper Ore, Runebird Fragment	Celeste Berry, Coconut Latte, Lamb Skewers, Moonflower, Hydrangeas, Dragon Fruit, Grilled Chicken Wings, Twilight Succulent, Cabbage, Wheat, Sunflower Seeds, Watermelon, Plainberry, Pumpkin	Red Firefly, Caco Laco, Glazed Cicada, Coconut Drink, Solarwing Butterfly, Mango Sago, Daiquiri, Pickled Water Spinach, Frost Fizz
Pastelle	Rabbit Feed, Farm Animal Feeds	Celeste Berry, Mountain Rice, Hydrangeas, Baked Potato, Chilled Twilight Salad, Moonflower, Mirage Sunflower, Mirthshroom, Twilight Succulent, Cucumber, Red Sleep Lily, Spirit Fruit, Water Spinach, Pickled Cabbage, Wheat, Pasture Grass, Midnight Herb, Rice	Wishful Heart Cookies, Steamed Fish, Moorish Idol, Glazed Cicada, Luminwing Butterfly, Latiao, Softwood, Bamboo
Serena	Velvet, Diamond, Starflare Core, Sachets (Floral, Soothing, Warming)	Potato, Blue Hydrangea, Light Blue Hydrangea, Moonflower, Mirthshroom, Moondew Shroom, Fenta, Garlic, Pumpkin, Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Dragon Fruit, Cabbage, Sleep Lilies	Glazed Cicada, Margarita, Curio Bowl
Solara	Strawberry Mousse, Tiramisu	Celeste Berry, Moonflower, Latiao, Noodles, Crispy Rice, Watermelon Jam, Caco Laco, Dragon Fruit, Twilight Succulent, Wishful Heart Cookies, Pink Hydrangea, Chilled Twilight Salad, Blue Sleep Lily, Wheat, Jelly, Pumpkin, Baked Potato	Mountain and Sea Skewers, Glazed Cicada, Betta, Gold Ore, Quartz
Stella	Black Tea Macaron	Moonflower, Sunflower Seeds, Celeste Berry, Hydrangeas, Sleep Lilies, Fries, Pasture Grass, Grilled Chicken Wings, Water Spinach, Watermelon, Red Sleep Lily, Giant Egg, Crispy Noodles, Beef Jerky, Frost Fizz, Honey	Mantis, Swallowtail Butterfly, Celeb Moth, Butterflyfish, Charcoal, Velvet, Bamboo Leaf, Glazed Cicada
Sylvain	Moonflower, Twilight Succulent, Hydrangeas, Sleep Lilies, Light Blue Hydrangea	Moondew Shroom, Water Spinach, Chilled Twilight Salad, Celeste Berry, Pink Hydrangea, Grilled Mushrooms, Sunveil Shroom, Mirage Sunflower	Char Siu Bao, Frost Fizz, Glazed Cicada, Ripening Fertilizer, Copper
Youfang	Fresh Bamboo Shoot, Bamboo, Bamboo Leaf	Celeste Berry, Hydrangeas, Moonflower, Fluffweave, Crispy Rice, Latiao, Caco Laco, Water Spinach, Moondew Shroom, Wheat, Garlic, Light Blue Hydrangea, Dragon Fruit, Chilled Twilight Salad, Glazed Cicada	Tin, Runebird Fragment, Wool, Soup Dumplings, Grilled Chicken Wings
Zephyria	Moonflower, Twilight Succulent, Mirage Sunflower, Spirit Fruit, Midnight Herb, Sunveil Mushroom, Sleep Lilies, Mirthshroom, Moondew Shroom	Pasture Grass, Garlic, Lamb Skewers, Celeste Berry, Pink Hydrangea, Celeb Moth, B.C Milk, Luminbird Fragment, Runebird Fragment, Emerald Hornscarab, Sunflower Seeds, Aurorite Ore, Grilled items	Meat Bait, Softwood Plank, Tiger Puffer
Zerine	Unprocessed ores (Copper, Tin, Quartz, Iron, Gold, Flamecore, Aurorite), Stone, Quartzite, Runebird Fragment, Moonflower Pollen, Hemp Rope, Piggy Bank	Celeste Berry, Hydrangeas, Moonflower, Green Grape, Grilled Chicken Wings, Twilight Succulent, Noodles, Blue Hydrangea, Red Sleep Lily, Yellow Sleep Lily, Sugarcane, Cabbage, Dragon Fruit	Mutton, Celeb Moth, Premium Wood, Glazed Cicada, Rabbit Poop, Copper Sheet, Softwood

Friendship NPC Gift Preferences

The following NPCs cannot be romanced but still have full gift preference systems. Building friendship with them unlocks unique dialogue, heart events, return gifts, and Bulletin Board requests.

NPC	Loved Gifts (+15 AP)	Liked Gifts (+10 AP)	Hated Gifts (0 AP)
Bruce	Moonflower, Midnight Herb, Blue Sleep Lily, Twilight Succulent, Glazed Cicada, Solarwing Butterfly, Fireflies, Mantis, Emerald Hornscarab, Mirthshroom	Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Pink Hydrangea, Jelly, Mountain and Sea Skewers, Grilled Chicken Wings, Joy Potato Chips, Stone, Frost Fizz, Fenta	Hardwood, Topmouth Cutter
Charlene	Moonflower, Diamond, Sleep Lilies, Moondew Shroom, Pink Sleep Lily	Pasture Grass, Celeste Berry, Berry Daifuku, Crispy Rice, Glazed Cicada, Coconut Latte, Chilled Twilight Salad, Moonflower Tea	Not yet confirmed
Fang	Peppers, Glazed Cicada, Solarwing Butterfly, Fireflies, Mantis, bugs	Celeste Berry, Echo Bean, Moonflower, Midnight Herb, Spirit Fruit, Pasture Grass, Grilled Chicken Wings	Bamboo, Softwood
Garrick	Solid State Battery	Celeste Berry, Blue Hydrangea, Yellow Sleep Lily, Pasture Grass, Pickled Leek, Mirthshroom, Moonflower, Noodles, Moondew Shroom, Softwood, Light Blue Hydrangea	Copper Ore, Negroni, Beef Jerky, Iced Americano, Glazed Cicada
Gust	Furniture items (Stump Stool, tables, chairs, benches, cabinet, bed)	Moonflower, Blue Hydrangea, Pasture Grass, Celeste Berry, Dragon Fruit, Chilled Twilight Salad, Cucumber, Red Sleep Lily, Midnight Herb	Copper Ore, Runebird Fragment, Bamboo, Copper Ingot, Redfish
Ginger	Sheep Plushie, Pink Fox Plushie, Blonde Doll	Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Moonflower, Hydrangeas, Watermelon, Berry Daifuku, Mirthshroom, Sleep Lily, Dragon Fruit	Bug Bait, Clownfish, Moonstone
Hattie	Farm seeds (Wheat Seeds, Purple Sleep Lily Seeds, Red Sleep Lily Seeds, Moondew Shroom Spores, Cabbage Seeds, Pineapple Seeds)	Celeste Berry, Pasture Grass, Hydrangeas, Twilight Succulent, Purple Hydrangea, Rabbit Poop, Mountain and Sea Skewers, Moonflower, Milk, Desserts	Stone, Coconut Drink, Glazed Cicada
Marston	Celeste Berry, Dragon Fruit, Moonflower, Coconut, Pasture Grass, Sleep Lilies, Twilight Succulent, Pumpkin, Yellow Sleep Lily, Mirthshroom	Tiger Puffer, Light Blue Hydrangea, Spinefoot, Grilled Chicken Wings, Scallop	Bug Bait, Glazed Cicada, Latiao, Bamboo
Matilda	Moonflower, Pasture Grass, Yellow Sleep Lily, Wintermelon, Moondew Shroom, Leek, Water Spinach	Caco Laco, Celeste Berry, Watermelon Jam, Light Blue Hydrangea, Fenta, Grilled Chicken Wings, Strawberry Milk, French Fries	Mushroom Soup, Plain Noodles, Glazed Cicada, Grilled Fish, Velvet, Stone
Momo	Blonde Doll, Pink Fox Plushie, Watermelon Jam, Pineapple Jam, Banana Jam, Yo-Yo, Sheep Plushie, Mini 4WD	Pasture Grass, Moonflower, Crispy Rice, Toys, Wishful Heart Cookie, Desserts, Strawberry Milk, Mirthshroom, Moondew Shroom, B.C Milk, Glowing Shell, Pink Starfish, Light Blue Hydrangea, Fries, Fenta	Veggie Bait, Glazed Cicada, Softwood Plank
Nia	Moonflower, Hydrangeas, Sleep Lilies	Wheat, Pasture Grass, Cherry Tomato Seeds, Celeste Berry, Mountain and Sea Skewers	Aurorite Ore, Softwood, Chinese Perch
Regis	Plain Noodles, Mountain and Sea Skewers, Grilled Chicken Wings, Grilled Mushrooms, Lamb Skewers, Forest Treasure Bowl, Fish Head Tofu Soup, Chilled Twilight Salad, Baked Potato	Pasture Grass, Celeste Berry, Sunflower Seeds, Strawberry Milk, Pickled Cabbage, Moonflower, Mirthshroom, Moondew Shroom, Frost Fizz, Twilight Succulent, Clay Pot, Caco Laco, Wheat, Blue Hydrangea, Pumpkin	Glazed Cicada, Moorish Idol, Veggie Bait, Velvet
Sagewood	Cucumber, Peanut, Moonflower, Pasture Grass, Pickled items, Sleep Lilies, Mirthshroom, Moondew Shroom, Water Spinach, Plainberry, Red Sleep Lily, Yellow Sleep Lily	Celeste Berry, Grilled Chicken Wings, Light Blue Hydrangea, B.C Milk, Ripening Fertilizer I, Moonflower Seeds	Veggie Bait, Plain Noodles, Glazed Cicada, Copper

Where to Find Popular Gifts

Knowing what NPCs want is only half the challenge. Below is a quick reference for sourcing the most commonly requested gift items.

Gift Item	Where to Find
Moonflower	Foraged in the Evernight Forest at night. Also sold at flower vendors occasionally.
Celeste Berry	Grows wild in multiple regions. Found on bushes across the island, especially near Starsand Town.
Pasture Grass	Cut from any grassy area using a sickle or gathered by hand. Extremely abundant.
Mirthshroom	Foraged in the Moonlit Forest area. Respawns daily.
Moondew Shroom	Found alongside Mirthshrooms in the Moonlit Forest. Less common but respawns daily.
Plain Noodles	Cooked at a Gas Stove using Flour. Flour is produced by grinding Wheat at a Grinder.
Chilled Twilight Salad	Cooked using Twilight Succulent. Twilight Succulents grow in the Moonlit Forest and can be found near the Evernight Forest border.
Diamond	Mined from Diamond ore nodes in late-game mining areas. Very rare.
Bamboo / Fresh Bamboo Shoot	Found in the Bamboo Grove area. Bamboo Shoots can be dug near bamboo clusters.
Flannel / Linen / Leather	Crafted at a Loom using wool, flax, or animal hides. Requires unlocking the Crafter profession.
Farm Animal Feeds	Crafted at a feed station or purchased from Hattie's farm shop.
Black Tea Macaron	Cooked using a recipe that combines Black Tea and baking ingredients. Recipe may need to be discovered.

Tips and Strategies

Stock up on Moonflower and Plain Noodles early. These two items are liked by nearly every NPC and can be farmed or cooked cheaply. Keep a stack of each in your inventory for when you bump into characters unexpectedly.
Prioritize loved gifts for characters you are romancing. The +15 AP from a loved gift adds up quickly. A daily loved gift for 10 days equals 150 AP, while a liked gift over the same period nets only 100 AP.
Never give Glazed Cicada as a general gift. Almost every NPC hates this item. The only characters who appreciate bugs are Bruce and Fang.
Use birthdays to your advantage. A loved gift on a birthday is worth +30 AP. Check the calendar regularly and plan ahead. See NPC Birthdays for the full schedule.
Pasture Grass is the easiest gift to stockpile. You will encounter it constantly while clearing farmland. Keep a dedicated chest of Pasture Grass for daily gifting rounds.
Match gifts to NPC personalities. Characters who love nature (Zephyria, Graminova) prefer foraged items and crops. Tech-oriented NPCs like Loren prefer ingots and mechanical parts. Animal-lovers like Pastelle appreciate animal feeds.
Do not overlook friendship NPCs. Non-romanceable characters like Regis, Hattie, and Sagewood unlock useful content and return gifts at higher friendship levels.
Loren hates Moonflower. This is the most important exception to the universal gift rule. If you are mass-gifting Moonflower across the island, remember to skip Loren and give him a Tin Ingot or Cappuccino instead.

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