You’ve probably felt that pang of guilt. Standing in front of Morris, the smug manager of the Pelican Town JojaMart, while he waves a Joja Co. Membership form in your face. It costs 5,000g. If you sign it, the Junimos leave the Community Center. The building turns into a cold, sterile warehouse. Most players treat this like the "evil" playthrough. But honestly, if we’re talking about efficiency and the mechanical reality of the Stardew Valley Joja Mart bundle—or rather, the Joja Community Development Form—the corporate route is arguably the superior way to play the game.
It's a hot take. I know.
The Community Center is the soul of Stardew. It’s what ConcernedApe (Eric Barone) clearly wants you to do. You forage, you fish, you wait for a specific rainstorm in Fall just to catch a Walleye. But then there’s the Joja path. No waiting. No RNG. Just cold, hard gold.
How the Joja Route Actually Works
Once you buy that 5,000g membership, the world changes. The "bundles" as you know them are dead. Instead of hunting for a Gold Star Pumpkin or a Fire Quartz, you walk into the back of JojaMart and talk to Morris. He gives you a list of "Development Projects." These are the exact same rewards you get from the Community Center: the Minecarts, the Bridge Repair, the Bus Repair, the Greenhouse, and the Glittering Boulder.
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The difference is the currency.
To fix the Greenhouse via the Community Center, you need the Pantry bundles. That means Crops, Animal products, and Artisan goods. It takes at least two seasons, usually more if you forget to plant a specific fruit tree. With the Stardew Valley Joja Mart bundle approach, you just pay 35,000g. If you’re a pro at fishing or you’ve got a massive field of blueberries in your first Summer, you can have that Greenhouse unlocked before the first leaf of Fall hits the ground.
The Price of Progress
Let's look at the actual costs. Morris isn't cheap, but he's predictable.
The Minecarts will set you back 15,000g. The Panning (Glittering Boulder) is 20,000g. The Bridge to the Quarry is 25,000g. The Greenhouse is 35,000g, and the Bus Repair—the big one—is 40,000g. Totaling it all up, you’re looking at 135,000g plus the initial 5,000g membership fee.
140,000g total.
That sounds like a lot to a new player. It really does. But seasoned farmers know that money in Stardew Valley is a snowball. By the time you hit mid-Summer, a well-managed farm produces thousands of gold per day. You aren't beholden to the traveling cart lady’s RNG. You don't have to check the wiki to see if a Sturgeon is available in the mountain lake during a specific time of day. You just farm. You sell. You pay Morris.
Why People Hate It (and Why They’re Sorta Wrong)
The biggest argument against the Joja route is the narrative. You’re playing a game about escaping corporate life, only to bring the corporation with you to the countryside. It feels wrong. Pierre’s shop loses its Wednesday closure, which is nice, but JojaMart stays open late, which is even nicer.
However, there is a massive gameplay advantage people overlook: The Auto-Petter.
If you go the Community Center route, the only way to get an Auto-Petter (which keeps your animals happy without you clicking them every day) is by finding them in Treasure Rooms in the Skull Cavern. The drop rate is abysmal. I’ve gone fifty floors deep and found nothing but red bombs and seeds. If you finish the Stardew Valley Joja Mart bundle list, JojaMart starts selling Auto-Petters for 50,000g each.
For a late-game farm with four Deluxe Barns full of Pigs, that is a godsend. It saves you hours of in-game time.
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The Movie Theater Twist
The "hidden" bundle still exists for Joja players, just in a different form. After you finish the development form, the old warehouse (the former Community Center) can be turned into a Movie Theater. For Joja loyalists, this costs 500,000g. It’s a massive sink, but it’s straightforward.
If you went the "good" route, you have to complete the Missing Bundle, which requires some of the rarest items in the game, like a Prismatic Shard or a Void Salmon. Morris just wants a check.
Is It Faster for Speedrunning?
Absolutely. Speedrunners almost exclusively use the Joja path for "All Bundles" equivalent categories because gold is a controllable variable. Luck isn't. You can't "skill" your way into a Red Cabbage appearing at the Traveling Cart in Year 1 if you didn't check the "Guarantee Year 1 Completable" box in the advanced settings. But you can definitely skill your way into 140,000g.
What You Actually Lose
It’s not all sunshine and low prices. When you go Joja, you lose the friendship rewards. Completing Community Center bundles gives you massive friendship boosts with the townspeople. The Bulletin Board bundle alone gives you 500 points with almost everyone.
You also lose the "hero" moment. There’s no cutscene where the town comes together to kick Morris out of town. Instead, Pierre just kind of stays grumpy, and JojaMart becomes the hub of the town’s economy.
The Verdict on the Stardew Valley Joja Mart Bundle
If this is your first time playing Stardew Valley, do not do the Joja route. You’ll miss the variety of the game. The Community Center forces you to engage with every mechanic—mining, combat, fishing, and cooking. It makes you a better player.
But if you are on your third or fourth farm? If you’re trying to build a hyper-efficient ancient fruit wine empire? The Stardew Valley Joja Mart bundle path is the way to go. It clears the "chore" list faster and gives you access to the best automation tools in the game without relying on the cruel whims of the Skull Cavern’s RNG.
Actionable Strategy for a Joja Run
If you decide to sell your soul, do it efficiently.
First, focus entirely on the Mines and high-value crops like Kale or Potatoes in Spring. Don't waste time on a variety of seeds. Reach level 80 in the mines as fast as possible to get gold ore.
Second, ignore the social aspect for the first season. Use that energy for watering and mining.
Third, buy the Greenhouse project first. This allows you to start growing high-value, multi-harvest crops regardless of the season, which then funds the rest of the projects in weeks rather than months.
Fourth, once the projects are done, save every penny for Auto-Petters. They are the true end-game reward for the Joja path and will save you more time than any other item in the game.
Ultimately, the choice between the Community Center and JojaMart defines your playstyle. One is a scavenger hunt; the other is a business simulation. Both are valid, but only one lets you buy your way to the top.