harvest-moon game sourced
Harvest Moon
An early farming sim for the Super Famicom in which the player has two and a half years to restore an inherited farm through daily crop watering, livestock care, and courting one of five eligible women.
core loop
clear land and plant seasonal crops -> water daily and tend livestock -> ship produce for money -> buy animals, seeds, and upgrades -> build relationships and attend festivals -> marry and raise a child before the father's evaluation
design notes
Director Yasuhiro Wada started the project with three principles (no fighting, uniqueness, and tactile real-time action), and a team of 8 to 10 people at Pack-In-Soft scaled it back to fit SNES limits. The farm rules are forgiving but daily: unwatered crops stop growing instead of dying, chickens need only feed but can die if left outside, and cows must be fed, talked to, brushed, and milked or they sicken. Play is bounded by a two-and-a-half-year term that ends with the father's evaluation of the farm and family, which makes marriage and a child goals alongside crops and livestock.
relations
8 stored edgesAnimal husbandry
Chickens must be fed and kept indoors or they can die; cows need daily feed, talking, brushing, and milking, and fall sick or die if neglected.
Crop cultivation
Crops need water every day; a missed day halts growth rather than killing the plant, and each crop belongs to a season.
Daily action budget
A stamina pool limits work each day; power berries found around the map raise it.
Day-night cycle
After dark only the bar stays open, so shopping and visits must fit daylight.
Romance and family
Five eligible women can be courted; marriage and a child count toward the final evaluation.
Scenario objectives
After two and a half years the father evaluates the farm, family, and relationships.