What are Secret Notes in Stardew Valley?

The primary reward for owning a Magnifying Glass in Stardew Valley is being able to find Secret Notes all over Pelican Town. As the name suggests, Secret Notes are a collectible item that contains secret messages. Some of these messages contain valuable details about other NPCs while others can be more cryptic. Here’s a guide on what Secret Notes do in Stardew Valley. 

How to Get Secret Notes in Stardew Valley

In order to start finding secret notes in Stardew Valley, your player will first need to acquire a magnifying glass. This can be found only on Winter evenings. Start walking from the Bus Stop to your Farm, and a cutscene will begin where the Shadow Guy runs away from you. You’ll have to trace his footsteps and locate him hiding behind one of the bushes closest to the Community Center. 

Once you interact with the bush and find Shadow Guy, he will hand you the Magnifying Glass. You can now begin searching for Secret Notes. 

All 25 Secret Notes in Stardew Valley

Here are all the 25 Secret Notes in Stardew Valley and what they really are. 

• Note #1 – Abigail’s Diary
• Note #2 – Sam’s Holiday List
• Note #3 – Leah’s Diary
• Note #4 – Maru’s Note
• Note #5 – Penny’s Diary
• Note #6 – Stardrop Saloon Special Offers
• Note #7 – Unknown Diary
• Note #8 – Letter from Haley and Emily’s parents
• Note #9 – Alex’s Notes
• Note #10 – Qi’s Skull Cavern Challenge
• Note #11 – Photograph of Marnie
• Note #12 – Unknown Writer
• Note #13 – Junimo Plush Instructions
• Note #14 – Junimo Statue Directions
• Note #15 – Mermaid Show Pearl
• Note #16 – Treasure Map
• Note #17 – Treasure Map
• Note #18 – Treasure Map
• Note #19 – Secret Lewis Statue
• Note #20 – Town Square Directions
• Note #21 – Drawing of a Bush
• Note #22 – Qi’s Message
• Note #23 – Secret Woods invitation
• Note #24 – M. Jasper’s book
• Note #25 – Fish for necklace

What to Do with Secret Notes in Stardew Valley

All 25 Secret Notes have different purposes. While some of these notes contain useless information like a diary entry or a shopping list, they contribute to the player understanding the villagers better. 

Many of the Secret Notes are Treasure Maps for valuable collectibles, and others trigger quests for side storylines.