Stanley Spiritfarer Guide

Stanley Spiritfarer Guide

I’ve played hundreds of video games over the years, but I don’t think any character has ever affected me as much as my little mushroom boy, Stanley. He captured my heart from the moment I met him, and I still regularly think of him, long after I completed Spiritfarer. All of the spirits in the game are special in their own way, but Stanley is on a level of his own. He was the last spirit that I sent to the Everdoor, simply because I couldn’t bring myself to part with him until I was ready to finish the game.

I love the childlike innocence that he brings to the ship. He’s so extraordinary and sees the world in a different way than any of the other spirits. Even the way we find him is unique. Spiritfarer is one of my absolute favorite games, and Stanley is a big part of the reason why. I feel like some people don’t appreciate him enough, so hopefully, this article will help you realize what makes Stanley one-of-a-kind.

In this Stanley Spiritfarer guide, I’ll cover everything, including where to find him, how to complete his quests, how to keep him happy, and what his lore is. Read on to find out all you could possibly wish to know about Stanley from Spiritfarer.

Sail into the Heartfelt Adventure of Spiritfarer Deluxe | GOG

Embark on an emotional journey of compassion and friendship in "Spiritfarer Digital Deluxe Edition," where you'll guide spirits to their final resting place aboard your mystical boat. With its stunning hand-drawn art style and heartfelt storytelling, immerse yourself in a unique blend of management simulation and heartfelt exploration.

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Everybody Loves Stanley

  • Where to find him – Fish up a Mysterious Seed and plant it in the Garden
  • Appearance – Walking mushroom with grayish-green skin and a red head with white circles
  • Favorite food – French fries!
  • Spirit flower – Fly agaric mushroom
  • Real-life implication – Stanley represents a child who died of a fatal disease

Who is Stanley

Stanley is a young boy spirit and is the only child that you encounter throughout the game. He appears as a walking mushroom with 4 arms, and even though he doesn’t have a mouth, his eyes make it seem like he’s nearly always got a wide grin on his face. His skin is a grayish-green color, and his head is that of a red toadstool with white circles on the top.

Due to his young age, Stanley is more excitable than the other spirits. He gets into a lot of mischief and is pretty needy. That clinginess can put off some players, and I have seen people refer to him as annoying. But the way I see it, Stanley trusts the player enough to share his feelings with you, and I find that very moving. He’s had such a hard life, and yet his heart is still open to connecting with new people.

Although most of the spirits enjoy being hugged (except for Elena), Stanley seems to love it more than most. When you initiate a hug with him, he jumps up and wraps his arms and legs around you, holding tightly. It’s a really cute animation and helped solidify my love for him. I don’t have kids in real life, but my maternal instincts go into overdrive whenever I see Stanley, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him.

Where to get Stanley

Spiritfarer fishing
The fishing rod is found right at the back of the ship.

Whereas most of the other spirits can be found after travelling to a particular location, Stanley’s discovery is a bit different. First of all, you will need to take three other spirits through the Everdoor. Stanley won’t appear until that’s happened, so you’ll need to complete quests for the spirits you already have on the boat. Typically, the best order for releasing them would be Gwen, Alice, and then Summer. A lot of the other spirits have quests that require aspects that are only available after getting more spirit flowers.

Once you’ve released three spirits, you’ll want to go fishing. When I was playing Spiritfarer, I never figured out how I was supposed to fish and had to Google how to do it. I’d assumed that there would be a fishing rod in my inventory, but that’s not how it works. Instead, head to the back of the boat, and interact with the golden rod that you find there. You’ll be able to cast your line and reel it in once you’ve got a catch.

You don’t have to fish in any particular location. Stanley can be found anywhere as long as you follow the above instructions. Sooner or later, you’ll catch something called a Mysterious Seed… This is Stanley! Take your Mysterious Seed (not to be confused with an Odd Seed) and head to your Garden (it won’t grow in the Field). Plant it in the ground and water it, and then either wait 2 and a half days or play Song of Growth until it’s fully grown.

When it’s completed, you’ll be able to harvest your Mysterious Seed. But instead of getting a plant, out will pop Stanley! I remember being so surprised when it happened to me, as I had no knowledge of what to expect from the game. He’s instantly quirky and will ask you where he should go, at which point you send him to the Guest House. From there, his quest line will begin!

Completing his Quests

Once Stanley is on your ship, you’ll need to complete several quests for him before he’s ready for you to take him to the Everdoor. I enjoy pretty much everything in Spiritfarer, but I think that Stanley’s quests are the most fun of all. They have the creative imagination of a child and are so unlike any of the other quests in the game.

Big Boy’s Room

Stanley's Playroom
I love how his sweet personality really shines through in the decorations.

When spirits arrive on your ship, they get put in the Guest House whilst you build them a place of your memory. But Stanley, bless him, misunderstood the assignment. He gets so excited upon entering the Guest House that he assumes it’s a place of his very own! He’s thrilled to have his own space but wants some help customizing it. His plan is to turn it into Stanley’s Playroom, and he’ll need your help to get him the right materials.

Firstly, he’ll ask for some Linen Fabric. To do this, you’ll need to plant Linen Seeds, and harvest them to get Linen Fibre. You can then process that in the Loom and turn it into Linen Thread, which in turn you can process again at the Loom to turn it into Linen Fabric.

He’ll then want something ‘shiny’ to make the room stand out, and will request a Tchotchke. These are the unique items that appear under the Tchotchke tab of your inventory, such as an Old Carpet. Stanley is a special little boy, so please don’t just give him an Old Shoe. He deserves better than that.

Upon receiving both items, this quest will be completed.

Dr Splash’s Strange Experiments

Dr Splash's Strange Experiments
Only a little child would think to try and make thread out of a leek!

Stanley has a creative mind, and he wants to experiment with the machines on your ship! Of course, he’s too young to use them himself, so he gets you to try things out for him. This is probably my favorite quest in the game as it’s so silly and original.

Firstly, he wants you to head to the Foundry and smelt an Old Shoe. This will result in Glue, a new material for you. He encourages you to try new experiments with new items, and this will unlock new possibilities when you’re at the machines.

You’ll need to conduct 3 experiments each in the Crusher, the Foundry, and the Loom. The game will show you which items to use, and you can either do 3 different items or the same item multiple times. Sometimes this will result in a Failed Experiment, such as trying to use a Leek on the Loom. Other times, you’ll create something new and useful, such as Metal Rope which comes from using Copper Ore on the Loom.

Junior Architectural Designer

Everyone knows that kids love to draw, and Stanley wants to get in on the action. The only problem is that he doesn’t have any paper, so it’s up to you to acquire some. Paper isn’t an item that can be bought, but thankfully you can make it right there on your ship.

To make Homemade Paper, you’ll need two ingredients, which you then cook together in the Kitchen. The first is Glue, which you just made in the previous quest. If you need to make more glue, simply take an Old Shoe to the Foundry and smelt it down.

The second ingredient is Sawdust. You can get this as a by-product of using the Sawmill. Whenever you use the Sawmill to create Planks, you’ll get Sawdust in your inventory. This happens regardless of how neatly you cut your planks, or what type of wood you use.

Once you’ve cooked the Glue and the Sawdust together in the Kitchen, you’ll receive Homemade Paper. Take this to Stanley, and give it to him to complete the quest.

Mysterious Word

This quest seems fun and silly at first glance, but it actually has a rather sad implication which I’ll reveal in a moment. But first, let’s go over how to complete it.

Stanley is craving a new food, but he only knows it by an odd word – Fakinhage. Obviously, this is nonsensical gobbledegook, but Stanley is very insistent that it’s what he wants. He describes it as something white and round, and mentions that you can have it for breakfast.

The item he’s looking for is an Egg. You get these from your Chicken Coop. Once your Chicken Coop is built, you can get Chickens by placing an Egg in the incubator inside. Eggs can be bought from the Oxbury branch of Raccoon. Inc for 440 Glims. Of course, you could just give Stanley an Egg you’ve bought, but that doesn’t make the most financial sense as then you’d need to buy another one to get Chickens.

Initially, I thought that ‘Fakinhage’ was some silly made-up language that Stanley spoke. I hadn’t quite grasped at that point that he was representing a real human boy, so I wondered if maybe the word was commonly spoken by the race of mushroom people I assumed he came from. However, after a while it dawned on me that Stanley was really a human, just like all the other spirits. And then came the realisation that ‘Fakinhage’ was him mishearing the phrase ‘f**king egg’. We know that his mum had anger issues when it came to Stanley, so it’s likely that he’d only ever heard the word shouted at him with the accompanying curse word.

It’s Alive!

It's Alive!
You’ll have to dash around quickly to collect all the Bottled Ectoplasm.

Stanley’s fascination with the rooms on your ship was not sated by his experiments. Now, he wants to try his hand at fermentation. For this, you’ll need to build and then use a Cellar. Stanley will provide you with the Blueprint for it.

To build it, you’ll need 20 Linen Fabric, 3 Comet Rocks, and 10 Bottled Ectoplasm. Linen Fabric has already been covered in this article (under Big Boy’s Room). To get Comet Rocks, you’ll need to trigger Giovanni’s event by travelling through a Meteor Shower. Bottled Ectoplasm comes from Stanley’s event. You can trigger this one by going into Stanley’s room and interacting with Jacob, his pet beetle.

Once you have the materials, build the Cellar from the Blueprint Station at the back of your ship. You’ll then need to use it. You can ferment any of the following: Herring, Cabbage, Milk, or Yoghurt. Fermentation tends to take longer than cooking, although the exact amount of time differs per item. You’ll have a timer alert which will go off when the fermentation is complete. The quest will be over when you retrieve your fermented item.

A Play In One Act

Stanley has decided to put on a play, and he wants you to invite some guests to attend. You’ll need to select two spirits from your ship to attend with you. It’s important to note that once you have this quest, any spirit you talk to will be automatically invited. So even if you plan to just offer them food, you’ll end up inviting them. I made this mistake and invited someone I didn’t want to. I tried to choose people who I thought would appreciate it, and I’d recommend taking Gustav as one of your choices, although it doesn’t make a difference.

When you’ve invited both guests, set sail for Oxbury. That’s where Stanley wishes to perform the play. You won’t have to find the location, as once you arrive at Oxbury, you’ll automatically be teleported to the performance area. Talk to Stanley to begin the cutscene.

He gives a moving performance about leaving through the Everdoor. It’s written childishly with plenty of short sentences and not much depth. However, it’s clear how much he loves Stella, and it’s also apparent that he’s scared about what comes next. At one point, he uses the line “That’s when the real pain starts”.

After it’s over, head back to your ship, and the quest will be completed.

The Reviews Are In!

After his play, Stanley will be eager to know what the others thought of it. He’s too nervous to ask them himself, so he enlists you to go and talk to them. You’ll need to track the spirits down by looking around your ship, then speak to both of the guests who attended.

Now, here’s the sad part. It doesn’t really matter who you chose, or what they say. If you picked friendly spirits, they’ll have something kind and polite to say about it. They might be tactical with their word choices, but they’re certainly not mean. If you chose someone harsher like Bruce and Mickey, I imagine they might be less positive. However, regardless of what the reviews were, Stanley isn’t going to take it well.

He’s used to criticism, and so even if you report back with nice comments, he’s going to assume the worst. He’ll twist what they say and make it seem like they didn’t like his play at all. This devastates him as he put all his effort into performing, and he feels like he’s been rejected. Nothing you say or do will comfort him, and he’ll insist that the other spirits said mean things about his play. It’s awful to think that this is likely a reaction to him never receiving praise back when he was alive.

Last Vacation

Stanley Last Vacation
When you’re ready, you can take Stanley to the Everdoor.

This is simultaneously the easiest and the hardest quest of them all. It’s easy in that all you need to do is take Stanley through the Everdoor. But the hard part is plucking up the strength to let him go. I could never bring myself to do it, and even though I unlocked this quest early on, I didn’t complete it until the very end. When you’re ready to go through with it, head to the ‘Saying Goodbye’ heading below for details on what happens.

Keeping Him Happy

Stanley’s a good boy, and he deserves to be as happy as possible whilst on your ship. Therefore, it’s your job to make his environment as pleasant as possible. Below are all the actions that increase or decrease happiness for Stanley.

  • (+3) – Enjoyed listening to Gustav’s fiddle/ Enjoyed listening to Atul’s flute. Stanley loves music and will be thrilled to hear either of them play. This will happen organically as long as Stanley is on the ship at the same time as Gustav or Atul.
  • (+2) – Has a nice house/ Has eaten his favorite meal/ Was recently hugged. Having a nice house is a passive mood influencer that happens after you upgrade his home to Stanley’s Playroom. To do this, you need to give him the following as part of the Big Boy’s Room quest – 1 Linen Fabric and 1 Tchotchke. As with any young boy, Stanley loves eating, and giving him his favorite food (French Fries) will cheer him right up. You can also hug him once a day, which is awesome as Stanley gives the best hugs.
  • (-1) – Feels bullied by Mickey. Unfortunately, this will always happen as long as Bruce and Mickey are on the ship at the same time as Stanley, and he’s not the only one who has this negative modifier. It’s the main reason that I rushed through Bruce and Mickey’s quests to get them off my ship as soon as possible. Nobody bullies Stanley and gets away with it!
  • (-2) – Sad you sold one of his pictures. From time to time, Stanley will give you adorable pictures that he’s drawn of you or the other spirits. These have a value of 1 Glim and can be sold to shops. If you do sell one, he’ll be understandably devastated. After all, what monster would sell a handmade drawing that a child gave you?
  • (-3) – Is starving. As the Spiritfarer, you’re responsible for keeping all the spirits on your ship well-fed, and that includes children! Stanley needs to eat once a day, so make sure you’re conscientious about feeding him.

If Stanley is happy, he’ll give you random items. These are usually just odd bits of rubbish, but he’ll also sometimes give you drawings he’s made especially for you. If you can make Stanley’s mood ‘Ecstatic’, he will follow you around wherever you go on the ship. It’s extremely cute, and a real perk for making him happy.

Stanley's drawings
I received loads of these drawings over the course of the game, I love to collect them.

His Favourite Foods

Keeping spirits fed is an important part of being the Spiritfarer. Stanley, like all the other spirits, has specific foods that he enjoys, as well as some that he utterly refuses to eat. He will eat anything other than his dislikes, but if you want to improve his mood, you’ll need to feed him either his favorite food or something from his likes.

  • Favorite Food: French Fries. Stanley loves these more than anything else in the world. He’s also under the delusion that they’re difficult to make, and always praises you on your cooking skills. To make them, you’ll need to combine the following two ingredients in the Kitchen. The first is Oil (any kind will work, obtained by crushing Olives or Sunflower Seeds in the Crusher). The second is a Potato, which can be planted in your Garden from Potato Seeds (bought in Oxbury for 110 Glims).
  • Likes (Dessert): Stanley will enjoy any item that falls under the Dessert heading. The easiest one to make is Candy, which is a one-ingredient dish made by cooking any sweetener, such as Sugar or Honey. However, he won’t eat foods that also fall under his disliked categories, such as Poached Fruit.
  • Likes (Breakfast): Stanley’s likes are remarkably similar to my own, as I too enjoy breakfast foods and desserts more than pretty much anything else. Stanley will gladly eat any dishes that fall under the Breakfast heading. An easy one to make is Eggs Sunny Side Up, which simply requires you to cook an Egg in the Kitchen.
  • Dislikes (Fruits, Veggies, and Stimulants): This kind of pickiness is to be expected from a little boy. He’s not keen on healthy stuff and will flat-out refuse to eat it. The exception to this is Fruit Candy, for some reason. He’ll happily munch away on that, even though there are other fruit-based desserts that he won’t touch. He also won’t accept Stimulants such as Coffee. The reasoning he gives here is that his mum never let him drink them when he was alive. She told him that they make him too rowdy, and so even though she’s not around on the ship, he still doesn’t disobey her.
I don’t blame Stanley for having these as his favorite, French fires are really yummy!

Saying Goodbye

Fair warning – saying goodbye to Stanley will break your heart. I’m talking brutally shattering your heart into a million pieces. Several of the Spiritfarer characters made me tear up a little, and Alice made me cry, but Stanley had me absolutely bawling my eyes out.

When you’re ready to let him go, take your ship to the Everdoor (0,0 on the map). Stanley’s little red exclamation mark will pop up above his head, and he’ll ask if you’re ready to take him. Agree, and then head on down to the rowboat. You’ll both start your journey towards the Everdoor, and a cutscene will trigger.

As you slowly row him on his way, Stanley will talk about his tragic life. It’s so cleverly written from the perspective of a child, making it feel so genuine and sincere. He speaks about how much he hates it when other people are mean. But then goes on to share a piece of wisdom his dad told him about how people aren’t really mean, but their intentions don’t always match their actions. A lot of what Stanley talks about is clearly stuff he recalls from his parents.

everdoor
Visiting the Everdoor is always a solemn experience.

The hardest part for me is when Stanley is worried his mum will be disappointed in him. He says how he tried to fight to stay there for her, but that he couldn’t win. Even in his final moments, he’s afraid of letting his mum down, and that speaks to how wonderfully selfless his character is. He even uses his last words to ask Stella to take care of Jacob, his pet beetle.

Right before he goes through the door, Stanley confesses that he’s afraid. He says how he wants to be brave like a superhero, and it made me feel so helpless watching that sweet innocent boy battling with his fear. Thankfully, the game lets Stella give him one last hug before he passes on for good. A constellation of Stanley’s mushroom head appears in the sky, and it will remain there for the rest of the game.

Spirit Flower

Stanley’s spirit flower is a fly agaric mushroom (also known as amanita muscaria). His is the only fungi out of all the spirit flowers, and it makes sense with his appearance. This is a type of plant which has hallucinogenic properties but is poisonous to eat.

Interestingly, they’re typically covered in white spots, whereas Stanley’s head is primarily red, with white spots only on the very top. However, the fly agaric mushroom is sensitive, and the white spots can be washed away easily by heavy rain. Therefore the lack of white spots on Stanley’s head could represent all the negative experiences that he had to go through in his life.

The mushroom is sometimes taken as a recreational drug (although it’s recommended not to do this due to its poisonous properties). Having it in the game as Stanley’s flower could represent an escape from reality. Stanley suffered so much throughout his life, and his time on the boat was an escape for him, a chance to live a real childhood for a while.

The Tragic Story of Stanley

Spiritfarer Stanley
Stanley had such a gentle, inquisitive mind, and he deserved better.

All the spirits in the game have their own stories, and it’s easily the best part of Spiritfarer. Often, the stories are moving and heartbreaking, and that’s especially true with Stanley. Although other spirits were taken before their time (such as Summer who died of cancer), Stanley is the only child we encounter. There’s something monumentally tragic about a child dying, and the game doesn’t sugarcoat this.

All the spirits in the game represent real patients who Stella took care of back when she worked in a hospital. Stanley was an 8-year-old boy who Stella met, and he left a lasting impression on her. He was smart and witty, and he had a sweet personality despite his awful circumstances. He was afflicted with a fatal disease (the exact one is never mentioned) and there was no way to cure him. Eventually, he passed away from it.

It’s implied several times throughout Stella’s conversations with Stanley that his mother was abusive. She’s often referred to as shouting at him and belittling him, and Stanley even describes her as ‘mean’. It’s probable that she was just struggling to cope with her emotions due to having a dying son, but it’s still awful that Stanley had to go through that. Thankfully, it appears that his father was kind and gentle, and Stanley shares several positive anecdotes about his father.

FAQs

Question: How do you get Stanley in Spiritfarer?

Answer: You need to fish up and plant the Mysterious Seed after letting go of three spirits.

Question: Was Stanley’s mom abusive in Spiritfarer?

Answer: It’s never revealed whether she actually hit Stanley, but there are several instances where he describes verbal abuse. Stanley doesn’t seem to realise that this isn’t normal maternal behavior, however, and blames himself a lot.

Question: What food does Stanley want in Spiritfarer?

Answer: Stanley’s favorite food is French Fries, but he also likes anything that comes under the Dessert or Breakfast headings.

Conclusion

As you can see, Stanley is a nuanced character who offers some joy and wonder amongst other more solemn spirits. The game writers never shy away from conveying his childlike nature, and it adds so much depth to Spiritfarer. I hope that this article has helped you appreciate what Stanley has to offer, and will help you navigate your interactions with him.

His quests are mostly simple to complete, although it may take time to get certain materials needed for progression. I love how well they fit with his personality, and hopefully, you’ll be able to enjoy their pleasant simplicity. Dr Splash’s Strange Experiments and A Play In One Act are my favorite ones, but you may have different preferences.

Try and keep Stanley happy throughout his time on your ship. That way, even after you take him through the Everdoor, you’ll have accumulated plenty of his drawings as gifts, and you can keep them to remember him by.

Sail into the Heartfelt Adventure of Spiritfarer Deluxe | GOG

Embark on an emotional journey of compassion and friendship in "Spiritfarer Digital Deluxe Edition," where you'll guide spirits to their final resting place aboard your mystical boat. With its stunning hand-drawn art style and heartfelt storytelling, immerse yourself in a unique blend of management simulation and heartfelt exploration.

Check Price Buy at GOG
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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