We’ve all played a Harvest Moon Switch game or one of its many predecessors on DS and even older consoles. Known for its round cows and incredibly wholesome vibes, the franchise started in 1996 on the SNES and is the epitome of slow-paced farming games – there’ll be no gigantic machinery-filled farms here, thank you very much.
It’s no secret that Harvest Moon is one of the best farm games of all time. Heck, it even went on to inspire our favorites. If you need a hand starting your new life on a ranch, we’ve got a guide on Stardew Valley farm layouts that can give you a lay of the land.
Here is every Harvest Moon game on Switch.
All Harvest Moon games on Switch
Here’s a handy summary of each Harvest Moon game in the Nintendo Switch’s catalog.
Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos
Perhaps the best Harvest Moon Switch game is Winds of Anthos. This is a good entry into the series with handy features like automatically picking the tool you need for you, a variety of mounts, pets, and an open world with plenty of forageables.
The art style in Winds of Anthos is a little different from previous entries but goes to show that the team is embracing change and trying new things with the future of the Harvest Moon franchise.
Harvest Moon: The Light of Hope Special Edition
Released to celebrate 20 years of the Harvest Moon franchise is the Light of Hope’s Special Edition. Now, this game has its charm, but it didn’t get a fantastic reception. This is also Natsume’s first Harvest Moon game on its own, without Marvelous behind it – more on that in a little bit. Some players reported getting stuck, having to deal with crashes, and a general lack of things you’d expect to be in the game, such as an in-game calendar.
The main story has you move to a seaside town where the lighthouse is in dire need of repair – which, of course, falls to you. If you find the game for a few of your local currency, it’s still worth picking up for a few hours of playtime.
Harvest Moon: One World
It seems that Harvest Moon games in recent years just don’t have the charm of the original games, and One World is, unfortunately, no different.
Limits on the number of animals you can keep, very similar and one-dimensional NPCs, and the lack of useful fast travel in a very large map doesn’t quite do it for most players, but if you enjoy slower and simpler farming games, One World might be for you. There’s unfortunately no same-sex marriage here due to Natsume facing ‘COVID-related complications’ and not adding the feature…
Harvest Moon: Mad Dash
Bet you didn’t think there’d be a multiplayer party game on this list, did you? Well, there is one – Mad Dash is a couch co-op game with suitably farm-themed levels where you and your friends can battle it out by placing peppers or touting tomatoes. You can play it solo, too.
It’s a fun little game, but it’s not a “Harvest Moon game” in the sense that it isn’t a simulator and has no story to follow. You can still fish, albeit in mini-game form.
What’s the difference between Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons games?
So, we all know Harvest Moon as the long-running OG of farming games. But what is Story of Seasons, and is it the same thing? Yes and no. Think of it like a branching timeline.
Harvest Moon’s original publisher outside of Japan is Natsume, while the game’s developer was (and still is) Marvelous. In 2014, Marvelous passed publishing of the series onto its own division – XSeed Games. The issue was that Natsume still held the rights to the Harvest Moon name, so the newer games by XSeed are known as Story of Seasons – though they carry on in the same vein. There are games with the Harvest Moon title from the last few years, too, that are by Natsume.
Basically, the Story of Seasons games are Harvest Moon games, but with a different title and slightly different content. Since 2014, the community has been a little confused, and rightly so.
All Story of Seasons games on Switch
So, which Story of Seasons games are there on Switch? Let’s take a look.
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
You may have heard of this one already – it’s a remake of the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 game of the same name. A Wonderful Life follows the classic story of a youthful soul taking over the grandfather’s farm, though there’s more focus on relationships than turnips here.
We’ve got a Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life review showing how it runs on Switch, and we recommend you pick up the game if you want a blast from the past.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, or POOT for short, caught our attention with the excellent amount of adorable critters – namely ferrets, which you don’t see very often. POOT provides another wholesome and satisfying entry into the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons catalog.
It’s not just about animals, though. You can, of course, marry a sweetheart and make friends while building up your flourishing farm. We also have a Pioneers of Olive Town review if you’re interested.
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town
You’ll notice a theme here – Friends of Mineral Town is another wholesome and cute entry, where life is slow and farming is key. Friends of Mineral Town does exactly what it sets out to do, and it perfectly encompasses the Harvest Moon vibes with its farming, mining, social climbing, and even horse racing.
The game does have a more chibi style for its characters, though, so bear this in mind if you’re not a fan of bobble-headed farmers.
Doraemon Story of Seasons and Doraemon Story of Seasons: Friends of the Great Kingdom
I’m putting these two entries together as they’re quite similar and are both spin-offs from the main Story of Seasons line. Both games by Marvelous (in partnership with Bandai Namco) allow us to become farmers in a different way than we’re used to. Doraemon, the big blue robotic cat from the anime of the same name, travels with Nobita – his human companion – to become a rural dweller and run a farm.
They’re both good and fun games but don’t revolutionize the farming genre. However, if you want to frolic in fields and pick up eggs and apples, they’re definitely for you.
Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons
Just like Harvest Moon: Mad Dash, Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons isn’t your average farm sim, despite holding the SOS name. It’s a Picross puzzle game with levels themed around – you guessed it – farms, barns, chickens, and veggies.
There will always be room for puzzle games, so Piczle Cross’ crossover entry went down very well at release. Perhaps you need a break from watering crops and tending cows – well, why not try some Story of Seasons-flavored puzzles?
There you have it – every Harvest Moon game on Switch and every Story of Seasons entry for good measure. Perhaps there’s a new Nintendo Switch game that’s caught your eye? If not, we can recommend some excellent fishing games, ocean games, and hidden object games for you to try.