Core goal: Get a townsfolk to 10 hearts and marry them in Cozy mode so they move into your house, without burning weeks on bad gifts or locking the wrong person. You can only marry one NPC, and there is currently no divorce.

1Lock in Cozy Mode and Treat Romance as a Daily Loop

Start (or keep) Cozy difficulty so nights and resources don't eat the hours you need for walking town. Every day:

  • 1
    Talk to your target at least once.
  • 2
    Give one gift. First Neutral/Liked/Loved gift of a type gives bonus friendship.
  • 3
    Check mail. Friends send gifts as hearts rise.
  • 4
    Hit the Saloon in the evening. Most romanceable townsfolk show up there.
Open the Social menu. It tracks friendship and which gifts you've already learned they like/dislike. Don't guess forever. Log what you give.

2Raise Hearts the Way the System Actually Works

Hearts come from talking plus gifting. Side tasks for that person often do not move the meter, even if the quest is about them. Don't wait on quests to "unlock" romance.

  • 1
    5+ hearts: You can get mail inviting you to Elderfield High (road next to the Police Station). There are 3 group scenarios, 3 romanceables each. You only need high friendship with one person in that trio to get the invite. Do these. They are the main date-like content before marriage.
  • 2
    10 hearts: Father Desmond reminds you about the ring. That's your cue that proposal is live.

3Propose: The Exact Sequence

  • 1
    Craft the Ring of Binding at the Jeweler's Desk.
  • 2
    Gift the ring to the 10-heart NPC.
  • 3
    You're taken to the church for the ceremony.
  • 4
    At midnight, they move in. A new room is added to your house (character-specific walls/floor, empty, decorate it). Their old house locks. Morning and bad-weather schedules shift to your home. Dialogue updates to married.
Do not gift the ring to anyone under 10 hearts. Do not craft it and sit on it if you're still shopping between candidates. Once you propose, that's the save.

Key Decisions

DecisionWhat to do
Who to max firstPick one early. You can befriend everyone, but only one marriage.
Platonic vs romanticMax hearts is the same path; the ring is the romance lock. Don't give the ring if you only wanted roommate energy.
Time of dayEvening Saloon is the most reliable find-everyone spot. Rain/snow sends some people home. Check houses.
Cozy vs challengeCozy if romance/farming is the point. Challenge doesn't change the heart/ring steps; it just steals time.
9 romanceable townsfolk. Group High School events are how you see them interact before you pick.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

What Marriage Actually Gives You

Spouse in your house, extra room to decorate, new morning lines, weather/night schedule at home, slightly rewritten dialogue. That's the payoff players are chasing in Cozy mode, not combat buffs.