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: A Wonderful Life (January 2023)
• North America: Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home (August 2024) and Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (June 2023)
• Europe: Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home (August 2024) and Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (June 2023)

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

New Harvest Moon Announced, a Summary of the Marv Game Showcase, and Some Indie Game Updates | Posted at 05:15 PM 31 May 2024

Happy Farm'n Friday! Oh boy, what a week, eigh? We're getting closer to traditional E3 time! Let's jump right in with this week's farm'n news.

New Harvest Moon Game

Natsume announced this week that the next entry in their farming series is Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home. Releasing on Android and iOS devices this August, the player is tasked with revitalizing their hometown of Alba. The player's "childhood friend" convinced them to return and help restore the dilapidated town. However, residents ("some familiar faces") aren't too keen to get help from a former neighbor who moved away to the city 10 years ago.

I hope the "childhood friend" is my best buddy, Doc, or perhaps a reimaged version of the silver sweetheart. Maybe this is the game where they're a marriage candidate? We'll have to see...

Recognizing that some fans may be wary of a game published on Android or iOS because of potential monetization, Natsume confirmed with me that this game does not contain microtransactions. HM:HSH will be a one-time purchase without added costs or download content.

With the release just a few months away, hopefully we'll get some images and pricing soon!

Marvelous Showcase 2024

This week also aired the second online Marvelous Game Showcase 2024 yesterday. This 30-minute video presentation showed us what the entertainment company has been working on in its consumer, mobile, and amusement (arcade) game segments. While the showcase was intended for its core audience in Japan, English-subtitled versions were simulcast via Marvelous' YouTube channels in Europe and North America. You can watch the show replay on YouTube.

Farmagia

The first game shown was a new, and strange, game formerly referred to as Project Magia. Marvelous aired the opening animation for Farmagia, using a fast-beat song about following your dreams yadda yadda, showing off a vague impression that the game is about planting and raising monsters to battle. The protagonist, named Ten, his little purple sidekick, and a slew of friends take their monsters and fight against bad guys and their companion monsters. Product Manager Takehiro Ishida notes that the game is about "people and monsters working together." We'll have to wait for more details on how the "farm" aspect of Farmagia comes into play.

Bokujou Monogatari

Series manager Nakano also appeared to show a new summary video of the upcoming and unnamed entry into the Story of Seasons series. Building off the graphics from Pioneers of Olive Town, the promotional segment previewed the work the development team has done to enhance the feeling of nature; I'm assuming this is Three Ring's doing since the third-party studio was the developer of PoOT. Though the animal styles are being recycled from the past mainline entry (remembering that, historically, Marv has made 2 games using the same graphic style), this new game has an open and peaceful environment with elevated areas for launching a wind glider.

Nakano explains the team has worked on enhancing the immersion of seasons in the game, such as storms and winter blizzards that will "immerse you in the experience of living on a farm." Usually, working outside on the farm during bad weather is taxing. In some versions, the player can't leave the farmhouse during stormy days. I also prefer to stay indoors during rotten weather. That's already kind of immersive.

The showcase did not touch on the multi-player version of BokuMono that was revealed during the 2023 Marvelous Game Showcase. That showcase aired concept artwork of various BokuMono protagonists farming and playing together without explaining how it will come together. Still in development as well I guess.

Nakano asks that we wait a bit longer for more details. Hopefully, we'll get more information on PoOT 2: The Revenge of Toot within the next few months.

Fluffy Cows

In the amusement (arcade) segment, Marv revealed that four new cow plushies will be produced by FANSCLUB for arcade centers in Japan. Available starting in July at participating arcades, the four Fluffy Cow designs are 18 cm long (~7 inches) and made of soft, fuzzy material.

Moonlight Peaks

Marvelous also gave a nod to indie games that the company will publish, including vampire-farming game Moonlight Peaks, scheduled to be released in 2026. You can try this game out now by checking out the free demo available on Steam:

• Moonlight Peaks | Steam Store

Project Dragon

The last portion of this year's showcase was an introduction to Rune Factory: Project Dragon, a spin-off from the main RF series. Director Shiro Maekawa (formerly Director of the BokuMono series) presented details about the latest game. Wearing his favorite Earthmate t-shirt, Maekawa explained that traditionally, the RF series features an Earthmate who connects to the world through farming. In Project Dragon, the protagonists do so by dancing. These dancers of the earth will use bows, drums, parasols, swords, talismans, and more to battle monsters as they save the world. Similarly to Nakano's request, Maekawa asks that we wait just a little bit longer for more details.

We know from the Marvelous' 2023-2024 Fiscal Year Report that the company plans to release two major games between October 2024 and March 2025: a new title and an existing-series title. This could be Farmagia and perhaps either the new BokuMono or Rune Factory: PD, but most likely not all three. The other new game under development, referred to as Project Life RPG, was not a part of the 2024 showcase.

Discounts on several Story of Seasons games are now available on the Nintendo Switch eShop in celebration of the digital event. These discounts end June 7 and are North America only (sorry, Europe and Oceania...):

• Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life - 50% off ($19.99)
• Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town - 60% off ($15.99)
• Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town - 50% off ($19.99)

Indie Updates

Artistic gardening and life sim game The Garden Path has an official release date of July 30, 2024, for Steam and Nintendo Switch. Originally crowdfunded back in August 2021, this game has players tending to a magical garden and befriending its unique vegetable-headed inhabitants. With the game running in real-time, developer Carrotcake envisions players visiting their game in short spurts to see how their plants are doing, harvest when ready, and then trade their produce with the garden residents. There is also fishing, quests, home design, local co-op play, and the lost history of the garden to discover.

A free demo is available on Steam until June 4:

• The Garden Path | Steam Store

A free demo is also now available for the blobby farming game Ova Magica. This is another crowdfunded game that is getting closer to its release! Huzzah! The demo for Ova will be available until June 17:

• Ova Magica | Steam Store

Cozy swap-gardening game Kamaeru will formally be released on June 8, 2024, on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and XBox. The game aims to entice frogs to return to a wetland sanctuary by placing decorative plants, crops, ponds, and objects in the gameplay space. Harvested crops can be processed (such as cooked) and sold in exchange for more decor. The frogs can be bred to create new designs, and there are over 500 frogs to document. Perfect for completionist-style farm fans!

• Kamaeru | Nintendo Store
• Kamaeru | Steam Store
• (I couldn't find a page for it on XBox, sorry!)

Cozy-Fest

Over on Steam, game publisher RokaPlay is showcasing several "cozy & family friendly" games, along with a few discounts on farming games. This publisher-promoted promotion (ha!) ends on June 6:

• A New Leaf: Memories (Early Access, 25% off)
• Dinkum (Early Access, 25% off)
• Everdream Valley (50% off)
• Pathless Woods (Early Access, 10% off)
• Spirit of the Island (40% off)

Until next time!

-Cher
(Come on, guys, it's time to unleash the romance of the Silver Fox upon the farming world...)

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