Virtual farming in the Story of Season game series has been a way of escape for many since the release of the first game in 1996, however, picking which game to invest in can be intimidating for those looking to get started decades later. The Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon games are slice-of-life simulations that focus on raising crops, livestock, and relationships in sleepy towns far from the stresses of big cities. Players can befriend the local townsfolk, reinvigorate failing economies, and eventually marry one of the many marriage candidates present in the games. However, some games are more enjoyable than others due to specific mechanics or freedoms not present in every title.
The Story of Seasons games were once known as the Harvest Moon series. However, in 2012, developer Marvelous and publisher Natsume split, with Natsume keeping the game's title and Marvelous rebranding the mechanics and gameplay loved by fans to Story of Seasons. While the older games have kept their originally naming, recent remakes like Story of Season: Friends of Mineral Town have been adjusted to include the change. The transition has also created some confusion, as Natsume continues to make similar farming titles with different visuals, gameplay, and storylines under the original Harvest Moon name.
Below is a ranking of all Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons games developed by Marvelous that were released in the US. The ranking focuses on the accessibility, gameplay, mechanics, and overall playability of each title. Rerelease games like Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town and Harvest Moon: Another Wonderful Life won't be included, and instead focus on the original releases. The games in the Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons franchise have covered many consoles, but a large number aren't easily available to players currently, due to the inaccessibility of outdated consoles.
#22 - Harvest Moon 2 GBA
Harvest Moon 2 GBC was released in North America in 2000 for the Game Boy Color, and for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 2014. The second title in the Story of Seasons series for Game Boy devices is ranked low due to limited gameplay and aged graphics. While the title added a few new things to gameplay, like the ability to raise sheep and build a Greenhouse, it is more fun as a nostalgic collector's item than a game many would want to sink time into playing. Especially with so many other titles available on the 3DS' eShop.
#21 - Harvest Moon GB
Released in North America for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color in 1998 and the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 2013, Harvest Moon GB was the second Story of Seasons title to release for the series. The "classic" farm simulation formula is used here, with the player inheriting a farmstead from a deceased grandfather. While fun to play, the step from a home console to a handheld platform limited gameplay and makes it slow and grindy compared to more modern titles in the series. Like many older, experimental games from the Game Boy era, it didn't age well.
#20 - Harvest Moon 64
Harvest Moon 64 was released in North America for the Nintendo 64 in 1999 and the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 2017. It's a funny combination of classic N64 graphics and clunky gameplay. The visuals, which are more recognizable as classic Story of Seasons art styles, are a combination of 2D textures and 3D models.
Players have more freedom to move around, go about their daily lives, and enjoy the inherited farm storyline that had become a staple of gameplay. However, glitches and buggy visuals make the game difficult to enjoy on modern consoles like the 3DS. Limited gameplay also makes daily routines repetitive and bland.
#19 - Harvest Moon 3 GBC
Harvest Moon 3 GBC was released in North America for the Game Boy Color in 2001 and the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Consol in 2014. Players can select between the characters Pete and Sara, both of which have a specialty. When playing as Pete, players will focus on raising crops and doing fieldwork, while Sara is geared towards rearing livestock. While this gives the game replayability, the gender roles also lock players out of content that is a staple of the simulation genre of gaming. Additionally, the heavily-gendered gameplay has aged poorly in the more diverse and inclusive simulation gaming community.
#18 - Harvest Moon
Released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1997 and the Nintendo Virtual Console in 2008, this was the original Harvest Moon experience. Setting out as a young man on a small farm, players engage in classic farming mechanics. What is particularly appealing about the first game of the series, outside of nostalgia, is the graphics that are similar to Stardew Valley. Because of this, the dated gameplay can be less frustrating to many players, despite its limitations. It is also a popular simulation game for those who prefer the retro mechanics of older releases.
#17 - Harvest Moon DS/Cute
Harvest Moon DS was released for the Nintendo DS in 2006 and Harvest Moon DS: Cute was released for the Nintendo DS in 2008. While the games didn't release together, they are technically the same game with minimal changes. The primary being in the first game, the player can only select a boy, and in the second, which has been labeled "cute" in an attempt to appeal to a female audience, players can only select girl protagonists. Like other gender-segregated games in the series, Harvest Moon DS and Harvest Moon DS: Cute rank low for a lack of inclusion that impacts gameplay, or overtly uses gender as a sales point when not needed.
#16 - Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning
Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012. The game introduced many of the concepts that would become popular during the transition in branding from Harvest Moon to Story of Seasons. The updated graphics of the 3DS gave players a bright world, cute animal models, and more sandbox-style gameplay.
However, the game suffers from growing pains in mechanics, with exploration and farming elements held back to keep it more closely resembling older titles in the series. At this time, players were starting to branch out to open-world exploration like Minecraft, and the series hadn't implemented many of these popular mechanics. Because of this, Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning felt underwhelming.
#15 - Harvest Moon DS: Island Of Happiness
Harvest Moon DS: Island of Happiness was released for the Nintendo DS in 2008. It suffers from particularly poor graphics, with character sprites, environments, and models all feeling rushed and awkward. However, the game puts a spin on otherwise unchanged gameplay, taking players to a far-away island to farm in a tropical paradise after a shipwreck. This change of narration gives the Story of Seasons formula a pleasant twist and is a fun adventure for fans of games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, thanks to its similar setting.
#14 - Harvest Moon: The Tale Of Two Towns
Released in 2011 for the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo 3DS, Harvest Moon DS: The Tale Of Two Towns puts another new spin on the Story of Seasons gameplay, with an ongoing competition between two primary towns in the story. Players compete regularly in cooking competitions while also maintaining their farmstead, raising livestock, and building romantic relationships with NPCs. While the graphics don't hold up to other Story of Seasons games for the 3DS, the cooking focus can be a great option for those who enjoy using what they farm.
#13 - Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar
Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar was released for the Nintendo DS in 2010, and offers players a refreshing twist to gameplay similar to the cooking mechanics of The Tale of Two Towns. Instead of dumping crops and animal products in a shipping bin to earn profits, players work their farms to provide merchandise for the weekly bazaar. This concept, which is later seen in the form of sales carts in Story of Seasons (3DS), helps flesh out the ways players can utilize resources and adds a level of shop management to the game that fans of shop-keeping simulation titles will enjoy.