Every Harvest Moon Game, Ranked Worst To Best

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Virtual farming in the Harvest Moon and 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.

Related: Changes Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town Still Needs

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