The Ushi No Tane websites specialize in information, FAQs, and guides about the Nintendo console versions of the Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons, and Legend of the River King video games. These game genres are created and published in Japan by Marvelous (JP). In other regions, you'll find Natsume, XSeed Games/Marvelous (USA), Marvelous (EU), and Rising Star involved in the series' release.
The latest version of the mainstream farming series that have been released in various regions of the world are:
- Japan: Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (August 2025)
- North America: Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home Special Edition (October 2025) and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (August 2025)
- Europe: Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home Special Edition (October 2025) and Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (August 2025)
The latest version of River King, in all regions of the world, is River King: Mystic Valley (JP 2007, NA 2008, EU 2009).
Since 2000, Ushi no Tane has been run by a grouchy old lady who happens to be fond of video game agriculture along with two feline helpers: Intern Captain Bootu and Intern Hondo Mewnaka. The website is not officially affiliated, sponsored, endorsed, or employed by the developers of Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons, or River King. This is simply a fan site.
Latest Farming Video Game News
My Time in Moonlight Peaks, Wada's Fishing Game, BM/RF Anniversary Fair, Farming Camp Date, and Other Indie Updates | Posted at 04:36 PM 17 July 2026
Happy Farm'n Friday! I am officially throwing in the towel on this year's attempt at watermelons. Despite the warning I wrote to myself not to start them too early, the seedlings have definitely puttered out. They don't look healthy, and the weather hasn't been very warm this year. This week, we even had an overnight thunderstorm roll through. Better luck next year, perhaps!
Moonlight Peaks
As noted, Moonlight Peaks was published by XSeed Games on the 9th of this month. Developed by Little Chicken Game Company, the game has you revitalizing the abandoned Dracula homestead outside the town of Moonlight Peaks. Grow weird and spooky crops, collect milk from a cow with demon wings, hang out with werewolves, and even play a game of cards with Death, though he has a pretty strong deck to pull from and is hard to beat. The Moon Goddess is an even stronger card player, if you can believe it.
I have made it through mid-Fall playing as Dracula's rebellious spawn, and so far, it is pretty cute and enjoyable. I've found 62 vampsters, 70 soul blobs, and just unlocked the collection museum.
Each creature clan in the game has members with unique personalities, from the frightened normy Winston to the ego-absorbed warlock Noel, and getting to know them helps reveal how human-like they actually are. Raising friendship is as simple as chatting and giving gifts, eventually earning the ability to give hugs and go on dates as your relationship increases.
Raising friendships also unlocks cut scenes, which can be detected by viewing the world map and looking for the sparkles that indicate where a scene can be triggered. These can involve interesting backstories about the townsfolk, introduce new characters, or lead to story developments. Some tales can be rather interesting, such as when I opted to party with Orlock and company all night and ended up sleeping through a ceremony I was supposed to attend the next morning. Oops!
Crop-wise, you have a standard watering can, but some crops can only grow when watered with a magical watering can, while others require both a special herb bed and the watering spell. So mornings are spent watering crops the regular way, then casting the watering spell to cover the rest. The downside is that crops don't sell for much money (e.g., a red lava pepper sells for a measly 8 coins). To make it worth the work, you have to process the raw materials, either by using the various machines or by cooking the crops in the kitchen after discovering the applicable recipe. With all the post-processing required to turn a profit, it feels a bit like Pioneers of Olive Town: a machine for this, a machine for that, gotta turn sugarcane into sugar in one processor and then make it into jam in another, and so on. Many goods require a two-step manufacturing process that needs to be managed.
While there are festivals to participate in, the few I've experienced so far have felt a bit dull. The springtime Lovage Festival had a place to submit a dish for the potluck, but nothing came of it afterward. During the summer Moonlight Ball, the residents talked beforehand about dressing up and competing to be judged the best dressed. I bought a new dress and shoes for the occasion and showed up looking marvelous, only to see everyone wearing the same clothes they wear every day. Kind of like making your best effort while everyone else simply phones it in. I still received a Moonlight Crown for being the most fashionable, but Mina should not have been my co-winner while wearing her standard frock. Seriously, girl, you didn't even change your shirt… Plus, the only thing to do at the festival was talk to the attendees. The fall Master Soup festival was also simple. The game gave you all the ingredients for the cooking contest, told you if you picked the wrong combination, and then gave you more chances to make the meal. How could anyone lose the contest with that?
The farm animals are rather unique, but the best aspect is that they can wear hats. I've been hoping for customizable hats or collars for a long time, as farm animals typically all look the same (it is a bit easier in Grand Bazaar with the different colors). Now it is easy to distinguish one same-colored animal from another just by tossing a cool bowler or Santa cap on the creature.
Other than the minor annoyance of the maker machines, the lack of stamina (I'm assuming upgrades come later), and the drab festivals so far, the game is still a fun experience. And with a museum collect-a-thon to complete, I expect it'll take a while to earn all of the game's achievements.
Fish'n!
Not farming related, but Yasuhiro Wada's TOYBOX studio, in collaboration with publisher Imagineer Co. Ltd., announced a new fishing game for Nintendo Switch in Japan last week. Boku to Tsuri Nikki (lit. My Fishing Diary) puts the player in the role of a young man who sets out to break the curse of the "Ayakashi" and restore balance to the world.
The game is a mix of slow-paced exploration and strategy-based freshwater fishing. According to an article in Weekly Famitsu (No. 1954), each of the 8 fishing areas has a unique king fish (oh ho ho...) along with other, smaller fish to catch. Gain experience by catching fish and upgrading equipment, then finally take on the king, which, when caught, unlocks additional fishing locations.
Along with a charming story and a nature-themed environment, there are over 100 fish to catalog. Gotta catch 'em all! My Fishing Diary has an October 8 release date, with no known information about an English localization.
I'll be keeping an eye on this one, for sure…
BokuMono/RF Anniversary Fair
Beginning August 1, participating Animate retail stores in Japan will celebrate the anniversaries of the farming series: the 30th for Bokujou Monogatari and the 20th for Rune Factory. For every 2200円 spent on qualifying Bokujou Monogatari and Rune Factory merchandise (video games, books, miscellaneous goods, stationery, etc.), farmers will receive a bonus postcard featuring the design timeline of the standard black-and-white cow (Bokujou Monogatari) and Wooly (Rune Factory).
Additionally, Animate will be selling various items such as small keychains featuring the series' box art (including one from the N64 game), acrylic standees, tote bags, an essential oil diffuser, desk plushies, and a pretty nifty metal milk jug water bottle.
The in-store café will also be selling graphic lattes (Gratte) with toppers printed with Bokujou Monogatari and Rune Factory characters. If you're not into coffee, there are other drink options such as tea, orange juice, hot chocolate, and more. The printed discs will also be available on iced cookies for 605円 each.
Lastly, there will be a digital gallery at the Animate flagship location in Ikebukuro under its Gallery DNA label. This art exhibit will explore the history of both game series.
This anniversary event is scheduled to end on August 23. Check it out if you're in the area!
Farming Camp Update
SOEDESCO has opened a play test for its upcoming farmer training game, Farming Camp. From today (July 17) until August 2, interested farmers can click the Request Access button on the game's Steam Store page to apply to participate in the play test, with limited slots available. Developer Inner Fire Studios is looking for players to report bugs and provide feedback before the game is officially released on September 24 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Steam/PC, and Xbox Series X|S.
Because this is a play test and NOT a demo, SOEDESCO asks that farmers not share screen shots and videos of their gameplay experiences with the public.
Other Indie Updates
Planetary farming game Farlands was released yesterday for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Steam/PC, and Xbox One. This pixel-based game from JanduSoft and Spanish video game commentator Eric Rodríguez puts players in charge of a desolate planet to cultivate into a farm of their own. Clear the land, plant some crops, and take care of strange alien livestock. Ah, so peaceful.
Not entirely. The whole solar system is under threat from an evil mining corporation; hence why the farm'n planet was dirt cheap. Help the residents of the nearby planet Terbin fight against the world-consuming capitalist organization by showcasing the diversity of the solar system: plants, rocks, treasures, and other wonders waiting to be discovered. Explore other planets to gather resources, catch fish and bugs, and uncover even more hidden treasures. Plus, maybe find a little romance with one of the locals from Terbin.
Farlands costs $17.99 and is discounted 30% off until July 30 on Steam, 20% off on PSN/XBox until July 29, and 20% off until August 13 on the Nintendo eShop.
I had planned for Farlands to be my next non-HM/SOS farm'n game adventure, but then Moonlight Peaks came out. So it will be my next-next farm'n adventure. Then probably Cornucopia after that.
Oh but Fields of Mistria comes out soon too… so many games… /whimper
The third part of the player-choice Kickstarter expansion campaign for Paleo Pines was released on Monday. This final update from the crowdfunding campaign includes an ultimate tracker to search for specific dinosaur color combinations, increased saddlebag inventory, small dinos that can automatically forage for wild items and collect dino poop for composters, and new crops to plant. It also adds several quality-of-life improvements, such as an inventory sort function. A full list of content updates is available on the Steam Store page, along with a free demo if you want to give the game a whirl.
Idle farming game Petunia's Purgatory from Dead Possum Games is now available to purchase on Steam. Similar to Rusty's Retirement (currently 40% off until July 23), but with a macabre twist, this game plays in the foreground while you do other PC activities, such as typing a blog update. The goal is to plant creepy crops and make sacrifices to please the Elder God living in the farm's barn. If players don't keep things balanced between sanity and insanity, Petunia's mind can begin to slip, causing effects that escape the farm window and create visual chaos across the rest of the desktop.
Players can use farm helpers to manage some of the chores while they work on the productivity tasks they're supposed to be doing. Because we'd all rather be working than playing farming games, right? /s
Petunia's Purgatory is priced at $7, with a 2-week launch discount of 20% off until July 30.
Until next time
-Cher
(Mr.Fogu keeps hinting about how he wants to visit Oogie Boogie soon….)
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