7 Best Story of Seasons Game: Farming Favorites in 2025

Choosing the best Story of Seasons game depends on what you want from farm life. Newcomers often struggle to pick a starting point. Longtime fans, meanwhile, want to know which modern remake still feels like classic Harvest Moon.

I’ve played nearly every major title across different platforms and compared pacing, town design, farming mechanics, and replay value. Some offer the charm and gameplay loop the series is known for. Others, not so much. Here’s my verdict on which ones truly stand out.

Our Top Picks for Story of Seasons Games

The games mentioned here stand above the rest for their brilliant design and gameplay. These top picks are must-plays if you want to experience the very best of Story of Seasons.

1. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (2019) – The best Story of Seasons game that closely resembles the original Harvest Moon formula, with a simple and balanced farming experience that will appeal to both newcomers and veterans.
2. Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town (2021) – An excellent Story of Seasons game that offers an extensive farm management system and lots of content without overwhelmingly complex mechanics, which makes it accessible for everyone.
3. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (2023) – A remake with new content and updated visuals, it’s unique among the best Story of Seasons games with its generational storytelling, where your character ages and you help shape your child’s future path.

If you want to compare these top picks to all the other games, take a look at the full list below.

7 Best Story of Seasons Game 2025: Your Farm Life Begins

You need to pick the right Story of Seasons game if you’re new to the series or coming from other farming simulation games like Stardew Valley. Learn more about the best Story of Seasons game that deserves a spot in your game library.

1. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town [Best Story of Seasons Game Overall

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is a remake of Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town and Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town, originally released for the Game Boy Advance.

Here, daily routines are smoother than ever. Stackable items, improved menus, and a barn bell make farm chores less tedious, while the ability to walk over crops improves field management. These adjustments keep the cozy pace of classic farming life sims intact without the small frustrations.

Relationships are another main draw. For the first time, you can pursue same-sex marriage. Combined with the returning and new characters, this allows for a more inclusive and flexible social experience.

The Farm Degree system tracks progress across activities like mining and fishing. This adds structure without breaking the relaxed rhythm that defines the series.

My Verdict: Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is a must-play Nintendo Switch game and the best Story of Seasons game that offers simple yet satisfying farming gameplay with nostalgic charm.

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2. Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town [Best for Farm Customization]

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town puts you in charge of overgrown land left by your grandfather. You clear fields, grow crops, and rebuild Olive Town while upgrading your home from a simple tent to a proper farmhouse.

The game lets you set your own pace. Seedling Mode offers a relaxed style, while Normal Mode keeps the classic challenge. Both options make it easy to enjoy the routine of farming sims.

Makers play a big part in the gameplay. You gather resources and rely on Makers to turn raw materials into items like lumber and seeds that are used for upgrades and town expansion.

Careful layout planning becomes essential as you multiply and upgrade your Makers, which turns farm management into a creative challenge. This gives you unmatched freedom to design a rural paradise while balancing other aspects of your daily life.

My Verdict: Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is one of the best farming games, notable for its freedom and large scope. If you’re looking for the best Story of Seasons game with large-scale farm management and plenty of content, this game is for you.

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3. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life [Best for Long-Term Progression]

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life retells the classic story in Forgotten Valley, where you inherit your late father’s farm and begin a new chapter surrounded by familiar faces and new friends.

This remake adds new events, recipes, dialogue, and a wider romance system, which refreshes the experience while keeping its core farming gameplay, where you find balance between tending crops and caring for animals.

Compared to other titles, this game is a true life simulation where time moves forward in meaningful ways. Seasons pass, your character ages, and the village transforms across decades. You’ll raise a child whose path in life shifts based on how you’ve played and the choices you make.

This long-term structure gives depth beyond the usual farming routine. Watching your family and neighbors grow older gives each year emotional weight.

My Verdict: Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is one of the top farming games on Switch, ideal for players who want a game that emphasizes family and legacy and rewards patience as much as planning.

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4. Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar [Best for Commerce Gameplay]

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is a remake of Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar, with upgraded visuals, new characters, and voice acting, which add new life to the original’s charm.

Set in Zephyr Town, this entry is built around trade and shifts focus from quiet farming to the thrill of selling what you’ve made. Each week builds toward the Saturday Bazaar, where you display goods and compete with other merchants for attention and profit.

This market system transforms daily work into a deeper economic loop. With each sale, you help shape the town’s growth as new shops and upgrades become available.

Wind also plays a big part here. It boosts windmills that refine your raw crops and animal products. It also lets you glide to travel across town faster, which can sometimes make you feel like you’re playing an exciting adventure game with more freedom of movement.

My Verdict: Among the Story of Seasons games ranked on this list, Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is the perfect fit if you want more emphasis on commerce with greater control over how you shape your success through selling.

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5. Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns [Best for Content Variety]

Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns expands the horizons by letting you travel between three towns: Westown, Tsuyukusa, and Lulukoko. With its large cast, it boasts one of the deepest and richest character interactions and relationship events in the Story of Seasons franchise.

Each town looks and feels different with distinct cultures, shops, and crops. You balance farming, part-time jobs, and errands while improving each town’s rank. The process feels rewarding as you unlock new items and upgrades to help you grow your farm.

Like the Rune Factory series (also from Marvelous), this entry is a simulation game with mechanics normally featured in some of the best RPG titles. This includes character customization and a more detailed tool upgrading system, which adds another layer to the gameplay.

My Verdict: If you’re looking for the best Story of Seasons game that includes a bigger world with multiple towns and much more relationship content, check out Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns.

What do players say?

6. Doraemon Story of Seasons [A Memorable Anime Crossover]

In Doraemon Story of Seasons, you play as Nobita, who is rebuilding a quiet farm in the land of Natura while working alongside Doraemon and friends.

It’s a uniquely charming game that integrates Doraemon’s gadgets into the gameplay. Farming and raising animals still form the heart of your daily routine. But gadgets like the Weather Cards and Anywhere Door make them smoother and more fun.

The game’s lovely art style and soft music are also notable. Together, they create a tranquil mood that highlights nature instead of competition. Each day moves at an easy rhythm that’s both calming and satisfying.

My Verdict: Doraemon Story of Seasons is a delightful simulation game with Doraemon charm, quality visuals, and clever gadgets that turn everyday tasks into small joys. If you want something a bit different with a light touch of fantasy, you’ll love this game.

What do players say?

7. Story of Seasons [Fresh Start for the Franchise]

Story of Seasons marks a new beginning for the series. It’s the first game announced after the series was rebranded from the original Harvest Moon name.

The Trade Depot system is the heart of the experience here. You sell goods to different countries, each with unique requests and prices that push you to plan shipments carefully and manage your supply for maximum profit.

You’ll unlock new vendors and better opportunities as you increase your town’s trade status. This creates a steady sense of progression. Stamina and tool limits also keep your daily routine structured and require you to think ahead instead of rushing tasks.

My Verdict: Story of Seasons is an evolution of classic Harvest Moon games. It’s not as polished and modern as the other Story of Seasons games ranked here, but its core gameplay still holds up well.

What do players say?

My Overall Verdict

Here, you’ll find a short list of recommendations if you’re looking to start with a specific title that matches your gaming preferences and experience.

Best starting point for Story of Seasons today?

• For beginners → Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town. Includes modern features, a relaxed pace, and an easy difficulty setting (Seedling Mode), which make it very accessible to beginners in the farming simulation genre.
• For RPG enthusiasts → Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns. Described as a farming simulation and RPG combo, with multiple towns to explore and several elements typically seen in the RPG genre.
• For classic Harvest Moon fans → Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. A faithful remake that feels closest to the original Harvest Moon formula in terms of gameplay loop, presentation, and scope.

FAQs

What is the best Story of Seasons game?

The best Story of Seasons game is Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. A remake combining two Harvest Moon titles, it successfully blends updated visuals and modern features with the core gameplay and nostalgic charm of the originals.

What is the best-selling Story of Seasons game?

The best-selling Story of Seasons game is Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, with more than 1 million copies sold worldwide, both physical and digital.

What is the most recent Story of Seasons game?

Released worldwide on August 27, 2025, the most recent Story of Seasons game is Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar, a remake of Harvest Moon DS: Grand Bazaar.

Why is it not called Harvest Moon anymore?

The reason it’s not called Harvest Moon anymore is that Natsume kept the Harvest Moon trademark when Marvelous switched distributors for North America, so Marvelous rebranded the franchise as Story of Seasons. Only titles under the new name were considered for this best Story of Seasons game list.