Time to Relax - 9 Titles to Play if You're Tired

1. Publisher: XSEED Games
2. Platforms: PC, PS4, XOne, Switch
3. Relaxation factor: 10/10

Do you know the Harvest Moon series? It is one of the first, incredibly popular farm simulators. The first version was released for the SNES and Game Boy way back in the 90s, and subsequent editions of the idyllic farm life are still getting published.

Why am I mentioning Harvest Moon when it's going to be about Story of Seasons? Better strap in, because there's some industry drama ahead. The Harvest Moon series, developed by Marvelous in Japan, has been translated into English and published in the West by Natsume. The cooperation was long-term and fruitful, but it did not last forever. When the two companies split, Natsume retained the rights to the English name Harvest Moon and began releasing its own game cycle, completely unrelated to the original – this is how the contemporary installment, Harvest Moon: One World, for Nintendo Switch, was created.

Meanwhile, Marvelous did not change the direction of development. They are still stubbornly releasing new, not much different versions of the same game, once known as Harvest Moon, and now, after losing the rights to the name, as Story of Seasons. So why do I recall this game when it is a reheated chop? Because it's an amazingly good reheated chop that hits nostalgic notes and brings back memories of a few-pixel games for the Game Boy, and which at the same time has evolved so that it doesn't stand out from modern games.

If you fancy a simple, classic farm simulator, without the need to maintain fifteen relationships with your neighbors, decorate two houses, cook a million dishes and use a pile of other decorations – Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is the game for you. It is actually a remake of the old Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, which, apart from introducing the necessary adjustments so that the game does not stand out from today's productions, has hardly changed from the original. It has all the seeming of the simplest, iconic games from the Harvest Moon series, but in a completely modern, charming visual setting and very fluid, updated gameplay. There are countless farm simulators on the market and everyone will find one for themselves, with additional options and extensions that will appeal to them. However, there's only one simplest, most relaxing simulator out there, and it is Harvest Moon. I mean Story of Seasons...

1. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town in our encyclopedia