Best Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons Games
Image: Nintendo Life

We've given this list a big refurb to celebrate the release of Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar on Switch and Switch 2!

Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons has been a Nintendo stable since its 1996 debut on the SNES. And even if Stardew Valley (which was inspired by this very series) may have taken the crop coronet in recent years, the series remains ever-popular for its charm, its cosy vibes, and its addictive farming gameplay.

But what is the best Harvest Moon or Story of Seasons (known as Bokujō Monogatari in Japan) game? Well, thanks to you lovely lot, we've put together a list of every single game in the series(s) that's available on a Nintendo console. That includes spin-offs that include the Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons name, and we've only included games that were released on Nintendo systems and got an English release.

With that, let's have a look at all of the Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons games, as ranked by you...

Best Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons Games of All Time

41. Harvest Moon: Mad Dash (Switch)

Making a farming sim into a fun, relaxing puzzle game could work, but for Harvest Moon: Mad Dash, Natsume apparently forgot about the fun part.

The colour-matching game is painfully easy, and the fact that getting resources while avoiding lava and other dangerous obstacles means that this one is only good for some weed killer.

40. Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley (Switch eShop)

Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley is one of our lowest-reviewed 3DS games, and Harvest Moon games, and while the Switch 1 version may bring some visual updates and bundles all the DLC together, this is probably worth a skip — unless you get it bundled with Skytree Village for a good price.

The big problem here is that Natsume tried to implement new mechanics like terrain building and requests, but it all just falls flat, and doesn't really feel like a Harvest Moon game as a result. switch might be the best way to play this one, but there are many better options in this series.

39. Harvest Moon: Skytree Village (Switch eShop)

Making the jump from the 3DS, this lesser-loved Harvest Moon entry gets a bit of a new life on Switch. It's still only okay, but if you're hankering for a brand new farming game on the Switch, you could do a lot, lot worse.

Skytree Village on Switch bundled the compleet game with some brand new DLC and featured enhanced fishing mechanics, farm customisation, and brand new crops and animals. What lets this one down, however, is the lack of things to do in-town. If you have the 3DS version, there's no real reason to pick this up.

38. Puzzle de Harvest Moon (DS)

If there's a common theme among less-beloved Harvest Moon games, it's that they all go in a completely different directions. Puzzle de Harvest Moon, while an interesting mix of a puzzle game, strategy, and farming sim, completely misses the ball.

It fumbles right out of the gate with its tutorial, and unless you have friends, you have to cope with the terrible AI rivals. This is one crop that doesn't meet the standards of the rest of the franchise.

37. Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming (DS)

Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming is one of the better puzzle games in the Harvest Moon series, but even so, it falls short of other games for its lack of charm and innovation. It's also incredibly short, meaning once you're done playing through every puzzle the game has to offer, that's it.

Natsume has the potential to create a great Harvest Moon puzzle game, but it's was far off with Frantic Farming.

36. Harvest Moon: One World (Switch)

If you're looking for the next Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon: One World doesn't even come close. This game is a poor imitation of what the series once was, and it feels more like a rushed mobile release than a full-fledged Switch game.

These games have always been about chores, but this one feels like a chore to play. In our opinion, your money is better spent on something that respects you as a fan of the genre, and there are plenty of other games in this very series that will deliver on that.

35. Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Special Edition (Switch)

Despite being inspired by the original Harvest Moon, Light of Hope falls short of its namesake. Rather than standing as a beacon of light in the genre, it pales in comparison to Stardew Valley — which was released on the Switch just the year before this game came out.

Even within the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons franchise, it's a step back, simplifying many of the mechanics and shedding a lot of the charm in the process. You can do much better nowadays.

34. Harvest Moon: My Little Shop (WiiWare)

Harvest Moon: My Little Shop on WiiWare was really good at what it did. Unfortunately, what it did was bring the tedium of working in the food service industry right into your home.

Charming looks and an interesting time system couldn’t save a shallow experience that feels more work than play.

33. Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley (3DS)

The Lost Valley aims to reboot and reintroduce the series to a younger generation. Incorporating new elements such as fulfilling villagers' requests and the ability to alter the terrain, The Lost Valley has its aim set high but completely misses the mark. Most of the new features, while good on paper, are implemented poorly and add to the detriment of what could have been such a great game.

It's was bold move for Natsume to develop a game that strayed away from the series' conventions and tries new things, but the overall experience was lacking the polish and charm that the Harvest Moon name has come to represent.

32. Harvest Moon: Skytree Village (3DS)

When Harvest Moon: Skytree Village opens up, it shows some promise. However, it falls short of its sky-high ambitions due to some clumsy tutorials and a lack of actual things to do in the village. While the tile-based editing makes things a lot easier, Skytree Village's fields are empty, and with a short campaign that you can finish in under a year of in-game time, it leaves us longing for more in the post-game.

This entry was a step in the right direction for Nastume's take on the genre, but it's still a ways off the cream of the crop.

31. Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom (Switch)

Even though Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom doesn't offer much to separate itself from the first game, there's no denying it is a wholesome bundle of farming fun that still manages to carve out its own identity compared to other life and farming sims.

Outside of the cutscenes which drag on and then some, it never feels too repetitive — an issue a considerable number of farming sims face thanks to the crop-based tasks associated with the genre — and outside of navigation issues with the map, it's welcoming to both new players of the genre and still feels relatively fresh to those who are incredibly familiar with the Story of Seasons franchise.