Best Harvest Moon Games

Before Stardew Valley, there was Harvest Moon. The original console farming simulator was packed with weird charm, adorable graphics, and inexplicably addictive gameplay. These are the kind of games that no fan could possibly describe to a newcomer without making them sound mind-numbingly boring, yet they were shockingly far from it.

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There have been dozens of entries in the Harvest Moon (now known as Story of Seasons) series at this point, some of which are sterling classics, others that never quite achieved the magical bucolic zen state that the best of the best did. Stardew Valley may possibly have one-upped this series at its own game in many ways, but the best of the best is absolutely worth checking out.

10 Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns

Metacritic Score: 68

The Tale of Two Towns moves away from the standard storyline of the Harvest Moon franchise and goes pretty big trying something new. Rather than inheriting the family farm and being tasked with returning it to prominence among the local townsfolk, players assume the role of a farmer who has lost his memory and is now torn between two opposing towns, both of which offer their own perks.

This DS/3DS dual entry deserves a lot of credit for not only breaking from tradition but doing an admirable job at it. It also deserves a lot of credit for being the first to allow players to raise both brown and white alpacas.

9 Harvest Moon: Save The Homeland

Metacritic Score: 76

This PlayStation 2 entry came with some nice cel-shaded graphics that really complimented the gentle tone of the Harvest Moon franchise. It offered many of the same features as previous entries, but it had just two big twists: players are given only one year to save the family farm and they don’t get married.

These admittedly controversial tweaks to the original formula were no doubt divisive among fans, and it’s easy to understand why, but the game itself was one of the best Harvest Moon experiences regardless.

8 Story Of Seasons

Metacritic Score: 76

In 2014, the developers of the Harvest Moon games, Marvelous Inc., split with the franchise’s longtime American publisher, Natsume. Since Natsume owned the rights to the name Harvest Moon, they needed to change the name of any further cozy farmlife simulator titles they produced, and so Story of Seasons was born.

The first entry under the new name ranks among the series’ best. It offers all kinds of new elements, including the opportunity for players to own their own shop and a number of interesting animals to raise, including angora rabbits and camels.

7 Story Of Seasons: Friends Of Mineral Town

Metacritic Score: 77

The remake of Friends Of Mineral Town offers an updated 3D look and a whole bunch of tweaks and added elements to spice up an already stellar game. Not only are there added characters, events, and animals, but there’s a ton of new character customization, as well as the addition of same-sex marriages for some much-needed inclusivity.

It may not have quite reached the heights of the original, but the Story of Seasons version of Friends of Mineral Town no doubt offers an amazing farmlife experience. It’s fair to say that many fans may even prefer this to its Game Boy Advance predecessor.

6 Harvest Moon 64

Metacritic Score: 78

Some fans find the original 3D Harvest Moon to be a bit dated at this point, but there are certain instances when a game’s impact on its franchise is just too large for its aging to affect the way it’s ranked, and Harvest Moon 64 is one of those instances.

This game was the one that began to shine some light on this unusually charming farm simulator and spearhead what would become a 20+ game franchise. It took everything from the original and added a ton to it, offering more upgrades, more animals, more plants, more buildings…more everything!

5 A Wonderful Life (GCN)

Metacritic Score: 79

The leap to GameCube was an exciting prospect for fans of Harvest Moon. Juiced-up graphics, a bigger world, tons of items and upgrades, a chance to…grow old and die? Yes, this is the first title in the franchise that hasn’t locked the main character into their biological prime. Players get to continue on with their lives until they and everyone they know become old and gray and their children are adults.

There’s a lot to like in this game, and a lot to do. By the time one’s character is ready to move on to the great cropland in the sky, it genuinely does feel like an entire lifetime has passed. Just a fair warning: the age progression thing is great, but it’s also incredibly sad.

4 Harvest Moon: Back to Nature

Metacritic Score: 82

The Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons art style has evolved significantly over the years, and while there are many who prefer the more detailed updated look, there’s just something about the adorable simplicity of the older style that really suited the simple life aesthetic that the entire franchise is centered around. PlayStation’s Back to Nature may have been the pinnacle of that original feel.

This entry was a clear bridge between Harvest Moon 64 and Friends of Mineral Town, but it also had its own unique edge. For instance, familiar characters are present, but with updated characteristics and roles, and there are some original characters added in as well. A port was made for the PSP (Harvest Moon: Boy and Girl) which, as the title suggests, included the option to play as a girl. Both versions are great, but the PlayStation original is simply one of the best in the series.

3 Harvest Moon: Magical Melody

Metacritic Score: 83

The name may have led some fans to think that this was some sort of rhythm game offshoot, but Magical Melody was really just a new entry in the main franchise, and a great one at that. It does involve some musical aspects, which is a pretty fun little addition, but it is ultimately based on the original premise: save the family farm, get married, and become the toast of the town.

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Magical Melody offers an updated take on the original art design with some lively sprites that are almost caricatures of the simpler originals. One unique thing about this entry is that it gives players rivals to contend with in their pursuit of farming fame. It’s a simple tweak, but it adds a fair amount of spice to the familiar gameplay.

2 Harvest Moon

Metacritic Score: N/A

The original entry in this series is absolutely one of the finest, if only for its bold and unusual innovation. In an era where games like Contra III: The Alien Wars sent gamers on adrenaline-loaded death rides through screens full of evil screaming creatures and blinding explosions, Harvest Moon sent players into a serene world of tilling, watering, fostering friendships, and finding inner peace.

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The original Harvest Moon can seem a bit simple to gamers today, and that’s because it kind of is, but simplicity is a feature of this unique series, not a bug.

1 Harvest Moon: Friends Of Mineral Town/More Friends Of Mineral Town

Metacritic Score: 81

It may have started out on console, but the best Harvest Moon of them all wound up being a humble little handheld game. It makes sense in a way: the style and appeal of this franchise never required anything more than some pleasant visuals and a few buttons to be successfully pulled off.

This entry brought players into a quaint and colorful pixelated world that just absolutely nails both the aesthetic and the mood that a slice-of-life farm simulator should be going for. It offered a dizzying number of things to accomplish and even a second version in which anyone interested in becoming a female protagonist could start their life as one right there in beautiful Mineral Town. There are great things to say about many of the titles in this lovable franchise, but this one simply has more of those than all of them.

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