8. Story of Seasons (3DS)

Story of Seasons may rightfully belong in the Harvest Moon family, but it's a strong enough entry to stand on its own. Taking familiar gameplay elements such as farming and the romance system, this title uses the framework that came before it and expands on that in many positive directions. It may not be the most polished game, with its finicky frame rate and an underwhelming 3D display, but the charming characters and satisfying gameplay make this a game worth any Harvest Moon fan's time. If you're looking to start a relaxing new virtual life full of charm and charisma, look no further than Story of Seasons.

7. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (Switch)

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town offers up a perfectly satisfying and simple take on the farm sim genre. Heartwarming character interactions, easy-to-grasp farming mechanics, and a nice variety of side activities prove to make this release a potent and worthwhile entry in this long-running series. Though its roots as a handheld game occasionally resurface and there’s not a ton of new content added for this remake, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town more than stands enough on its own as a quality game that deserves a spot in your Switch library. If you’re looking for something to fill that post-Animal Crossing hole in your life, or are just simply a fan of the farm sim genre in general, don’t miss out on this one.

6. Harvest Moon: Magical Melody (GCN)

Almost 20 years after its release, Harvest Moon: Magical Melody truly captures the essence of a fantastic Harvest Moon game. It manages to replicate the feel of the classics while making some considerable gameplay improvements, and even though there are lots of new mechanics, it doesn't take too long to slip into that familiar rhythm of farming and friendship. You'll need to put in the work in order to get the results, but Magical Melody is just that — magical. A great farming sim and Harvest Moon game. Oh, and you can have multiple horses, too.

5. Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility (Wii)

Tree of Tranquility repeats too many past mistakes, with little advantage taken of the Wii’s capabilities other than a few motion controls and minigames.

However, the addictive gameplay of past titles is still there. The series really needed a complete overhaul to its presentation to complement the tried-and-true, rock-solid gameplay structure. However, if this was somehow your first Harvest Moon game, it wasn't a bad place to start.

4. Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns (3DS)

Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is a relaxing yet surprisingly deep farm game. Though it takes some time to pick up speed right out of the gate, once it establishes a rhythm, it's hard to put down. An in-game day passes by so quickly in real-time, you'll find yourself going for just one more day, and this naturally makes the game a good fit for quick bursts of play on the go.

When you take a look at all the content on offer (three distinct towns, dozens of unique NPCs, multiplayer options, and more than enough farming chores for one day), you have a game that offers an incredible amount of bang for your buck. For the 20th anniversary of Harvest Moon, fans couldn't have asked for a better gift, even if legal matters meant that it wasn't — officially — part of the celebrations.

3. Harvest Moon 64 (N64)

As with most entries in this farm sim series, let its gentle cycle of farm work and soil-based simulation seep into you and Harvest Moon 64 has the potential to suck hours and days from your life.

It's hardly a technical tour-de-force, but tending livestock, sewing seeds, harvesting your crops and striking up a relationship doesn't require massive hardware horsepower, and the series' 64-bit entry is as engrossing as any.

2. Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town (GBA)

What's better than some friends? More friends, of course! Silly title aside, Harvest Moon: More Friends of Mineral Town may be very quaint by modern standards but it has the same charm as its predecessor with just a bit of icing added on the cake. Those who have already played the original Friends of Mineral Town wouldn't be missing much by passing on this version, although this one does enable you to play as a female and take on a new set of potential mates.

For those who have yet to play or own either title, however, More Friends of Mineral Town has the edge with more suitors and the ability to increase funds quicker by flogging them to travelling merchant Won. When all's been tilled and it's time to bring the chickens home to roost, it's hard to go wrong with either of the classic Harvest Moon experiences — this one just has a tad more.

Actually, maybe it was a good title after all.

1. Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town (GBA)

Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town might be available on Switch (carrying the Story of Seasons branding in the West nowadays), but the GBA version is still a good pick-up for cultivating types who enjoy that core Harvest Moon portable gameplay with 16-bit style visuals.

Additional fun and secrets outside land-working are present, but the game isn't overwhelmed with the twists or gimmicks we've seen introduced in more recent entries to 'keep things fresh'.

This remains a great jumping in point for anyone new to the series — it's undeniably lacking in some areas by modern standards, but it's still got charm to spare.

That's every Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons game ranked by you. Has the cream of the crop risen to the top? Or is there a wonky game that you just love and think deserves to be higher? Have your say in the comments, and don't forget, you can score the games out of ten if you haven't already.