Harvest Moon Games in Order: The Twist Most Fans Miss

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The classic era before 2014

The first Harvest Moon launched on the Super Nintendo in Japan in 1996 and in North America in 1997. It was the Western name for Bokujō Monogatari, a farming series made by the company now called Marvelous. Natsume localized and published those games outside Japan for almost two decades.

Well-known classic entries include Harvest Moon 64, Back to Nature, Friends of Mineral Town, and A Wonderful Life. The DS and Wii years added titles such as Harvest Moon DS, Tree of Tranquility, and Grand Bazaar. Harvest Moon: A New Beginning on 3DS in 2013 was among the last classic-series games released under the Harvest Moon name.

Why the series split in 2014

In 2014, Marvelous moved Western publishing to its own label, XSEED Games. Natsume kept the Harvest Moon trademark, so the original series continued in the West as Story of Seasons. Natsume then began releasing new games of its own under the Harvest Moon name.

This is why a modern Harvest Moon game and an old Harvest Moon game can feel unrelated. The newer Harvest Moon titles come from a different development team and have no direct link to Bokujō Monogatari. Wikipedia notes that the arrangement has confused fans and even news outlets.

Natsume’s Harvest Moon games in order

The Lost Valley launched on 3DS in 2014, followed by Seeds of Memories on mobile in early 2016 and Skytree Village on 3DS later that year. Light of Hope arrived on PC in 2017 and on Switch and PS4 in 2018. The spin-off Mad Dash followed in 2019.

Harvest Moon: One World launched in 2021, and The Winds of Anthos followed in 2023 on Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Home Sweet Home began on mobile in 2024 and reached consoles and PC in 2025. Echoes of Teradea launched worldwide on October 15, 2026, and is the newest Harvest Moon game.

Which Harvest Moon game should you play?

Echoes of Teradea is the easiest recommendation for most new players because it is current, widely available, and builds on the open-world design of The Winds of Anthos. Launch reviews praise its exploration and animal companions while noting familiar visuals. Switch 2 owners should read about performance before buying that edition.

If you want the classic feel of Harvest Moon 64 or Back to Nature, look at Story of Seasons instead. Friends of Mineral Town returned as a modern remake, and Grand Bazaar came back as a remake in 2025. Those games carry the original series forward under its new name.

How to tell the two series apart

Check the publisher before you buy. Games published by Natsume under the Harvest Moon name belong to the newer series, while Marvelous or XSEED games carry the Story of Seasons name. Some older store listings and retailers still mix the two, which adds to the confusion.

Searches for Harvest Moon games often surface both series side by side. Neither label is a mark of quality on its own, and each has loyal fans. Pick based on the systems you want, whether that is classic village life or an exploration-heavy farm adventure.

Sources & further reading

This guide combines the corroborated information in our collected research. Store prices and requirements reflect the inspected material; check the current official listing before purchasing. Preview observations and player impressions are identified where they are used.

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