The Skull Key is an essential part of any Stardew Valley playthrough, but if you’re relatively new to the game, you might not know how to get it or where to use it once you do.
Don’t worry. Getting the key is pretty straightforward and, with a few quick pointers, you’ll be well on your way to obtaining the Skull Key and reaping the rewards of doing so.
How To Get The Skull Key
The Skull Key is likely the first major objective of any given playthrough, and that’s because it’s located in such a convenient spot: the bottom of the Mines. Once you hit the final floor of the Mines, floor 120, you’ll find a chest containing the key. After opening it, a brief message will play at the bottom of your screen, and the Skull Key will be added to your player. Keep in mind that it won’t take up an inventory slot; the game will just treat it as if you have the key with you from now on.
The position of the Skull Key, while hard to reach, is still very convenient since you’ll need to work your way through the Mines anyway. Minerals like Fire Quartz and metals like Gold are essential to upgrading your gear and are usually found in the Mines. Even if you aren’t doing a normal playthrough, there are special items that can only be found in the mines, like the Ghostfish. Given all of that, you’ll likely find yourself working toward the Skull Key early on in the game no matter how you play.
How To Use The Skull Key
To use the Skull Key, all you have to do is find the right door. If you take the bus to the desert and walk to the top left of the map, you’ll see a small entryway in the rock behind a pond. Inside, you’ll find the door to the Skull Caves. If you make it here before getting the Skull Key, the door will be locked, and there will be nothing you can do to open it. With the Skull Key, however, this door opens right up for you and gives you access to the end-game version of the Mines, the Skull Caves.
Why You Want Access To The Skull Caves
The Skull Caves are often the final piece to late-game Stardew Valley farms. Unlike the normal Mines, the Skull Caves have Iridium Ore, the highest tier metal, in abundance, so you’ll likely need to go here to upgrade your gear to their final levels. On top of that, the Skull Caves are a good way to farm all sorts of rare items like Diamonds, Void Essence, Spicy Eel, and more.
It’s a good idea to save your Skull Cave runs for days with high luck so that you get more ore for your effort.
The tradeoff for all this loot is that the Skull Caves are dangerous, very dangerous. You’ll need to have the best weapon you can find and plenty of food for healing if you want to stay down here for any significant length of time.