This page is not a full directory of every villager and their exact favourite gift; that kind of list exists elsewhere and it is easy to find if you want it. Instead, these are the habits that made friendships feel natural to me rather than like another chore on a checklist.
Talk to people, even briefly
Just saying hello to a villager once a day nudges your friendship with them a little, and it costs nothing. You do not need a plan or a route, just talk to whoever you happen to walk past on your way through town.
Learn preferences slowly, through trial and error
You will naturally start to notice which gifts make someone happy and which ones do not, simply by giving a few and watching their reaction. There is no need to memorise anyone's full favourites list before you start; guessing and adjusting is part of the fun.
Birthdays are worth remembering, loosely
A gift on someone's birthday is worth more friendship than the same gift on an ordinary day, so it is worth jotting down a birthday or two if you happen to see one on the calendar. But missing one is not a real setback, there is always next year.
It does not have to be an optimisation game
It is possible to plan gift routes and track every villager's heart level to the day, and some players enjoy that. I am not one of them. Friendship in this game works perfectly well as a background activity you top up when you feel like it, without ever turning it into a spreadsheet.
A Farm-Town Secret
This has nothing to do with friendship advice, but if you ever wander into Marnie's house early on, look closely at what's on the floor. Yes, those are Mayor Lewis's purple shorts. No, nobody talks about it.
