Story Of Seasons: Pioneers Of Olive Town has sprouted on Steam
For those itching for a Stardew fix
Every Story Of Seasons game starts the same way, with a young person fleeing the big city for a more relaxing and simple life. Good luck to them, sez I, but personally I find takeaway delivery services much more relaxing and simple than growing my own beets.
Story Of Seasons: Pioneers Of Olive Town repeats the myth, though I admit its pastoral greens and funny hats make a strong argument for country living. It's out on Steam now.
Here's a Steam launch trailer:
Pioneers Of Olive Town launched on Switch earlier this year, and if you've ever played a Story Of Seasons game before you know what to expect. You move to a town that has fallen into disrepair, take over a relative's farm, and begin the process of planting and tending to crops while flirting with the townsfolk and renovating infrastructure. It's cute and charming and the endless todos lull you into a trance of mock productivity.
If this all sounds familiar from a different game, that's probably because Story Of Seasons is the ancestral inspiration for farming juggernaut Stardew Valley. Story Of Seasons (previously known as Harvest Moon in the west - and Harvest Moon is now its own separate series; look, don't ask) is the older relative's home that Stardew Valley moved into and renovated.
But it has its own distinct charms and Olive Town has been well received, with reviews suggesting the PC version fixes the framerate issues experienced on Nintendo's handheld. You can pick it up from Steam now for £31.49/€36.
If Story Of Seasons comes a cropper, however, check out our list of the best farming games for the seed of an idea of what else to play.