The secret notes in Stardew Valley’s A Winter Mystery quest are all fascinating in their own ways, but perhaps the most mysterious and controversial is Secret Note 11.
Secret Note 11 doesn’t fit the pattern of any of the other notes; it’s just an image with no puzzle or clue to solve. Yet, this note has sparked debate in the community for years.
Here’s what you need to know about Secret Note 11 in Stardew Valley.
How to find Secret Note 11
Secret Note 11 is one of 25 Secret Notes that the player can find as a part of the A Winter Mystery quest.
This quest begins with the player seeing a shadowy figure who flees. If they follow, they then find Krobus, who gives them a magnifying glass when he’s caught hiding in a bush.
This glass allows you to read a series of notes hidden around the valley.
These notes can be found in a variety of places, including giant crops, artifact spots, and resource clumps, as well as by doing various activities like fishing, combat, and chopping down trees.
For a more detailed breakdown of note finding, you can check here.
What is Secret Note 11?
While the rest of the Secret Notes contain lists of favorite items or pictures of puzzles for the player to complete, Secret Note 11 is simply a photograph.
Secret Note 11 is an image with faded colors, showing a woman holding a little girl’s hand.
The woman is waving at the camera and is surrounded by various animals. It looks as if they are standing outside of Marnie’s home in Cindersnap Forest.
What to do with Secret Note 11?
On a mechanical level, there is nothing that the player can do with Secret Note 11.
Unlike the other notes, there does not seem to be a direct clue hidden in Secret Note 11. There is no puzzle to solve or hints to items that certain characters may like.
Read more: Secret Note 20 Walkthrough and Solution
Secret Note 11 Player Theories
While some players believe that the image in Secret Note 11 is that of Jaz and a younger version of Marnie, others believe that it’s actually Jaz’s mother, who is, according to Jaz, deceased.
There are also some outlier theories that suggest that Jaz is either Shane’s daughter, though illegitimate, which is why he doesn’t claim her as more than his “goddaughter,” or that she is Marnie and Lewis’s daughter from their hidden affair.
Neither of these theories has much in-game evidence, however.
There has been no official explanation for the note from ConcernedApe, and with the announcement that 1.5 was the final large update to Stardew Valley, it is becoming increasingly unlikely that there will be an official answer at all.
Read more: 20 Best Stardew Valley Farm Layouts