Rune Factory actually predates Stardew Valley quite significantly as a fantasy spinoff of Harvest Moon in its heyday. The original development studio actually closed in 2013 after developing RF4, which I still consider to be my favorite game in the farming genre. Its recent revival with RF5 can be attributed to the success of Stardew Valley, but it largely sticks to its own trappings which have more in common with RPGs like Atelier or roguelikes like Mystery Dungeon. The only discernable influence Stardew has had is the inclusion of same-sex marriage. In older games, you had to unlock appearance changing and swap your gender partway through.
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Re: Feature: How Stardew Valley Grew The Farm Sim While Harvest Moon Went To Seed
Rune Factory actually predates Stardew Valley quite significantly as a fantasy spinoff of Harvest Moon in its heyday. The original development studio actually closed in 2013 after developing RF4, which I still consider to be my favorite game in the farming genre. Its recent revival with RF5 can be attributed to the success of Stardew Valley, but it largely sticks to its own trappings which have more in common with RPGs like Atelier or roguelikes like Mystery Dungeon. The only discernable influence Stardew has had is the inclusion of same-sex marriage. In older games, you had to unlock appearance changing and swap your gender partway through.