The characters of Stardew Valley live a rather simple life, and perhaps no-one encapsulates this better than Linus. He’s an old man who lives in a tent on the outskirts of town, immersing himself in nature and generally avoiding human contact.
Whilst he distrusts the townsfolk for looking down upon his somewhat reclusive lifestyle, he can still be befriended and has heart events just like anyone else. The Linus basket quest is likely to be your first step towards his friendship, but the Linus basket location can remain a mystery if you don’t know where to go.
Here’s everything you know about how to find Linus’ Basket and complete the Blackberry Basket quest.
How to unlock the Linus Blackberry Basket quest
The Blackberry Basket quest is unlocked early in the game. On the 8th day of Fall during your first year on the farm, check your mail in the mailbox outside. There’ll be a letter from Linus asking you to find his basket, in order to make the most of blackberry season. Accept the quest and it’s time to get searching. This letter will always be delivered on this day regardless of the relationship level you have with him so far.
Is the Linus basket quest missable?
The good news is that this quest is not missable, and does not have any time limit. Even after blackberry season has passed, the basket will still be in the same location. I suppose this means if you don’t find his basket Linus will wait forever without ever obtaining another one. Bless him.
Where to find Linus’ Basket
Stardew Valley does not spell this one out, and Linus himself offers no clues whatsoever. Thankfully, once you know where to go this is actually a very quick and easy quest.
Head out of the right-hand exit of your farm and walk upwards to reach the bus stop in Backwoods.
There is a further exit on the road to the left (west) of the bus. This is somewhat obscured by a tree on the left of the screen so it’s easily missed if you don’t know it’s there (pictured above).
Once you have gone through the exit, walk down the road to find a tunnel and some shrubs. On the top-side of the road, there’s a basket in amongst the shrubbery (pictured below). This could easily be confused for a pipe or a tree stump, but once you know where to look you can hardly miss it. If you’re doing this quest during blackberry season, you can also grab a few blackberries by examining the nearby bushes.
Pick up the basket, and you’ll now have to hand-deliver it to Linus to complete the quest.
Where to find Linus
Linus himself can be quite elusive. Like everyone in Pelican Town, he doesn’t always stay in the same place. At this point in the game, you may not even know who he is.
There are only three possible locations to find Linus, which change depending on the season, time and weather:
- Near his tent by the mines
- By the lake
- Next to the Spa
His most common location is in or outside his tent by the mines. This is just north of Robin the Carpenter’s shop. If you can’t see him outside, have a look inside the tent.
If he’s not there, check the right-hand side of the Spa. Otherwise, he may be on the left-hand side of the lake.
When it’s raining, Linus will always be in or near his tent, so if this is the case you shouldn’t have any trouble locating him.
Once you’ve found him, speak to him and return the basket to complete the quest.
Rewards for completing the Linus Basket quest
Returning the basket to Linus will reward you with 250 friendship points, which is one full friendship heart.
Unfortunately, there are no further item or money rewards.
Other tips for befriending Linus
Some of the dialogue about Linus is a little heartbreaking, as several villagers mention his eccentricity and there’s even an event where Linus can be found scavenging for food inside a trashcan. All the more reason to befriend him and maximise your bond. In fact, his vague backstory and unusual lifestyle has turned Linus into a bit of cult hero, and there’s been lots of speculation and theorising about his past.
Linus’ birthday is on the 3rd day of Winter, so give him gifts on this day for a massive boost towards his friendship points. Otherwise, you can give him two gifts per week.
He’s generally a satisfied customer with most gifts. All Universal Loves will go down well, as will Blueberry Tart, Cactus Fruit, Coconut, Dish O’ The Sea and Yam. There aren’t any gifts he hates except for Universal Hates.
When you reach 3 hearts, you’ll learn the Sashimi recipe, whilst 7 hearts will earn you the fish Taco recipe. You’ll also get occasional gifts in the mail if you increase his friendship level, and learn how to craft White Bait after 4 hearts.
That should be everything you need to find Linus’ basket and tick another quest off the list, edging you closer to making a new friend in the process.
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