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
Paleo Pines Player's Choice Update, Dinkum 1st Anniversary, and Marv JP's Art Contest | Posted at 04:19 PM 24 April 2026
Happy Farm'n Friday! The forgotten potatoes from last year are doing very well this year with barely any effort. Since the garden bed the potatoes were abandoned in is rather shallow, I brought in some straw to try out that growing method. We already discovered from prior experiments that a potato harvest is greater when layering soil on top of the potato plants as they grow, rather than planting the spuds deep and then doing nothing at all until harvest. Plus, my garden-experienced uncle grows his potatoes this way, as I discovered a while ago, so I might as well give it a shot, too! Now we wait until harvest, which should be in a few months, given they sprouted so unexpectedly early.
I also want to give a shout-out to Mr. Fogu, who was kind enough to vacuum the loose straw out of Beep Beep's boot/trunk, as I did not bring a tarp with me to the feed store. It was my first time buying a small bale of straw; I had no idea it would go everywhere!
The tomato seed in the second cup sprouted this week, and it was another accidental double-seed sowing. So my planned 4 tomatoes are now 6 tomatoes, with two cups having two sprouts. Oops! At least my third attempt at sprouting zucchini has finally yielded seedlings, though I got a fresh bag of zucchini seeds as a backup.
Dinkum 1st Anniversary
To celebrate the one-year anniversary since farming, town building, and outback exploration game Dinkum's exit from its two-year Steam Early Access period, indie developer James B. has released a large Great Bite update to this survival life sim game.
This new island is ready for players to explore, with its steep cliffs and hidden secrets. Outback farmers can explore this new island to restore old lighthouses and unlock treasures (I'm assuming it is similar to fixing the radio towers in the base game). If they're thorough with their explorations, they may come across the hunter camp of random visitor Ted Selly, who has special workbenches to craft exclusive items. Additional features of this update include more decorations, clothing, critter display cases, and more. There is also a special event at John's shop where caught fish can be exchanged for event tickets.
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Dinkum was also released. Players on the original Nintendo Switch can upgrade their games to Nintendo Switch 2 via a free upgrade pass, though the Nintendo platform does not have the Great Bite content.
Dinkum is currently 20% off on Steam until April 29:
Paleo Pines Update
The community-funded content update for dino-riffic farming game Paleo Pines was released this week, unlocking the new Spinosaurus as a companion for the farm. The color varieties for this dino were also included in the update, which were voted on by Paleo Pines players.
Also included in this update is a new meteor shower, bringing fallen stars that can be crafted into Dreamstones for farm upgrades; the ability to find Apium growing in the wild; new color patterns for existing dinosaur friends (as designed by backers); and several themed decor sets.
This update was developed based on community feedback for the game, a player-first initiative that Italic Pig and Maximum Entertainment used to fund ongoing development of their dinosaur farm game. A second round of player-choice selections is planned.
Paleo Pines is a cozy farming game where players befriend dinosaurs that help with farm work. Who wouldn't want a T-rex watering their plants? The Steam version of the game is currently 75% off until April 27, with a free demo available:
BokuMono Art Contest
For farming fans in Japan, Marvelous JP announced today 30th BokuMono anniversary and 20th anniversary Rune Factory "memories" contests. Artistic farmers can submit entries in three categories: illustrations (drawings, paintings), photographs (cosplay, cake photos, etc.), and video/audio. Three winners from each category in the BokuMono contest will receive a Golden Watering Can trophy, while three winners from each category in the Rune Factory contest will receive a Golden Turnip trophy.
The contest rules have some interesting restrictions: no AI, no nudity, and no violence. Though the copyright is still kept by the original author, entering the contest gives Marvelous JP authorization to use the submitted media for promotional purposes. It is also Marvelous' discretion whether to attribute credit to the original artist. So even if an entry doesn't win, Marvelous JP has the authority to crop, distribute, screen, etc., an artist's contest entry however they want.
The contest submission period runs until June 30. If you're in Japan and want to learn more, check out the details on the official anniversary website:
Until next time
-Cher
(Ah yea, the Shishito Pepper seeds arrived today!)
| Next page >> |
 RSS |