There are tons of resources in Stardew Valley and collecting each one can seem like a daunting task. One of the many items that you might find that you need is squid ink.
This bottle of dark blue ink can be hard to come by, so in this guide, we are going to go over how to get squid ink, as well as what you can do with it. First, let's look at the different methods to obtain squid ink.
Squids Variants In Fish Ponds
As the name implies, squid ink is produced by squids. There are two variations of squids, normal and midnight squids, that can be placed into fish ponds to produce their ink. Fish ponds are a type of farm building that can be added to your farm, allowing you to grow a population of fish.
Fish ponds can be constructed by Robin and require the following materials.
- 5,000g
- 200 Stone
- 5 Seaweed
- 5 Green Algae
After two days of building, your fish pond will be complete and you can add squids. When added to the pond, squids and midnight squids will initially have a five percent chance to produce squid ink. As you grow the population, this chance will increase. With a population of ten, they will have between a 70 and 90 percent chance to produce squid ink.
These squid types can be a bit difficult to find, so let's take a quick look at each of their locations.
Normal Squids
Squids can only be found during the Winter, between 6 pm and 2 am at the beach. Additionally, the Traveling Merchant may sell a squid when she appears every Friday and Sunday in the Cindersap Forest.
Overall, the best way to acquire a squid is by fishing at the beach during Winter nights.
Midnight Squids
Midnight squids are a unique version of the normal squid that are a bit rarer. The main way to get your own midnight squid is by deep-sea fishing on the submarine during the Night Market.
This is an event that takes place every Winter 15 to 17 at the beach. On the far left of the event area, you can find a submarine that is open between 5 pm and 11 pm.
To fish on this submarine, enter and speak to the Captain. After paying 1,000g, he will take you down into the ocean, and a panel will open on the floor. From here, you will be able to fish.
By deep-sea fishing here, you will have a 21 percent chance to catch a midnight squid.
If you missed out on the Night Market, you still have another chance to catch a midnight squid. If you visit the leftmost pier on the beach and face towards the left, you can fish with magic bait to catch a midnight squid. Magic bait is a late-game item that requires you to have access to Qi's Walnut Room.
Squid Kid Monster Drop
Lastly, squid ink can drop from the squid kid monster. This is a monster found on floors 80 through 119 of the mines. Upon death, they will have a 20 percent chance to drop squid ink. Squid kids only have one HP, however, they will shoot fireballs at you, which can do a lot of damage. When you encounter a squid kid in the mines, try to kill them quickly before they do too much damage.
With Qi's Walnut Room unlocked, you will also be able to unlock the Shrine of Challenge. This shrine essentially puts the mines in 'hard mode, with new and stronger enemies. With the Shrine of Challenge activated, dangerous versions of squid kids may appear. This dangerous version is similar to the regular version, with the addition of a pair of black sunglasses. They will also have a 20 percent chance to drop squid ink.
What To Do With Squid Ink
Now that you have squid ink, let's go over what to do with it.
Squid ink sells for 110g, and is needed to complete the shipping collection. This is a record of every item that can be shipped in the game. To access this collection, head to the collections tab of the menu.
In general, squid ink makes an okay gift. Every villager except Elliot is neutral towards squid ink, while Elliot loves it. Basically, it's only worth giving to Elliot.
You will not need squid ink to complete any normal bundles, however, if you are playing on remixed mode, then you may need one squid ink to complete the Fish Farmer's Bundle in the Pantry.
Squid ink is only used in two recipes, which you can find below.
|
Recipe |
Ingredients |
|---|---|
|
Seafoam Pudding |
|
|
Squid ink Ravioli |
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Finally, squid ink can be combined with cloth at the sewing machine to create the Midnight Dog Jacket.
That's all there is to know about squid ink. Don't forget to make a few fish ponds and head into the mines to defeat a few squid kids!