In the 1970s and 1980s, when gaming began to grow increasingly popular with arcade games like Pac-Man and then Super Mario Bros. on the NES, little did anyone know at that time that one day a genre of video games currently identified as “cozy” would dominate the scene, defined by games that see players doing ordinary, everyday things like tending to a garden or conversing with fellow townsfolk. Today, the cozy game craze has stolen the spotlight with hit titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Stardew Valley, having grown to be almost just as popular as the currently most preferred video game genres. This is no accident, however, as the once-niche genre has been steadily infiltrating the mainstream for the last 25 years, following the humble release of Harvest Moon 64 on the Nintendo 64.
Once little more than an enigma, Harvest Moon 64 is one of the primary reasons the cozy genre of video games has reached the state of popularity it maintains today. When it was released, information about it was scarce, with its marketing taking a very minimal approach. However, it nonetheless quickly rose to cult-classic status, becoming one of those games that would be ever-absent on video-store shelves, as gamers devoted countless hours to exploring its fairly unfamiliar premise. Now, Harvest Moon 64 is often cited as a pioneer for modern farm life simulators, inspiring some of today’s most prominent titles in the cozy gaming space.
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25 Years Ago, Harvest Moon 64 Laid the Groundwork for the Cozy Genre
Harvest Moon 64 Brought the Cozy Farm Sim to Life in an Unprecedented Way
Despite its undeniable influence, Harvest Moon 64 wasn’t the first game of its kind. In fact, Harvest Moon 64 is technically the third game in the longstanding Story of Seasons series, although it wasn’t formally branded with that name until 2014. Nevertheless, this ultimately means that Harvest Moon 64, regardless of how inspirational it has been, didn’t introduce the farm life sim to gaming, but innovated and improved upon the formula of its predecessors enough that many of today’s cozy game developers, like Stardew Valley‘s Eric Barone, generally don’t look beyond the third entry in the series when citing their influences.
The vast majority of staple systems present in today’s cozy farm life games does date back to Harvest Moon 64, which introduced things like rival marriages, more intricate NPC schedules, seasonal festivals, a real-time day-night cycle that actually impacted NPC behavior, and more thoroughly developed fishing and mining mechanics. Harvest Moon 64 was also the first 3D Harvest Moon game, which brougth it and the entire genre to life in an unprecedented way.
Once little more than an enigma, Harvest Moon 64 is one of the primary reasons the cozy genre of video games has reached the state of popularity it maintains today.
As far as Harvest Moon 64‘s best features go, many of these are still present in cozy farm life games today, including its often overused premise. In Harvest Moon 64, players inherit and restore a neglected farm, just as they do in Stardew Valley and other games like it. Beyond crops, players can raise and care for livestock, including feeding and protecting them from bad weather. The game features a vibrant village with various characters, each with unique personalities and schedules. Players can also build relationships with characters and even pursue marriage with them.
Each season in Harvest Moon 64 brings unique festivals and events, offering mini-games and opportunities to strengthen bonds with villagers. The game also incorporates a day-night cycle and seasonal changes, requiring players to manage their time and resources effectively. Finally, players can engage in side activities like fishing and mining, providing alternate sources of income and breaks from the more demanding farming tasks. There’s a reason today’s cozy games include all of these elements and more, and a major part of that reason is Harvest Moon 64.
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Many of Today’s Cozy Games Owe Their Popularity to Harvest Moon 64
Harvest Moon 64 may now be 25 years old, but its spirit is still alive and well in today’s best cozy farm life games. Revisiting Harvest Moon 64 today and attempting to play it long-term would likely require looking at it through some incredibly thick nostalgia glasses, especially in light of games like Stardew Valley, which was intentionally designed to encompass everything the Story of Seasons franchise has been attempting to do for the last few decades. Even so, Harvest Moon 64 is timeless in the sense that its influence can still be felt today, whether consciously or unknowingly, when players boot up a cozy farm life sim.
Obviously, the aforementioned Stardew Valley was heavily inspired, not just by the Story of Seasons franchise in general, but specifically by the developer’s love for Harvest Moon 64 and other games like it. Another cozy game, Fields of Mistria, is described as a “spiritual successor” to Harvest Moon, and it’s likely those inspirations are heavily rooted in everything Harvest Moon 64 cemented in the industry. More recent games influenced by Harvest Moon 64 include My Time at Portia, its sequel, My Time at Sandrock, and the upcoming third entry, My Time at Evershine.
These cozy games and more show the indelible impact that Harvest Moon 64 left on the cozy farm life genre and the gaming industry in general, with many developers still citing it as one of their primary influences.
In many ways, Harvest Moon 64 serves as the quiet cornerstone of the cozy game genre. Its innovations, from dynamic social systems to intricate seasonal mechanics, laid the groundwork for what would become a thriving style of gameplay. While the genre has evolved and expanded with modern titles like Stardew Valley and My Time at Portia, the spirit of Harvest Moon 64 remains undeniably present. Its legacy is not merely one of nostalgia but of foundation — setting a standard for how games can provide both entertainment and a sense of calm, connection, and community. Even after 25 years, Harvest Moon 64‘s influence continues to inspire developers and captivate players, proving that sometimes the most lasting stories are the ones that allow people to slow down and simply enjoy life.
Harvest Moon 64
- Franchise
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Harvest Moon
- Released
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February 5, 1999
- Developer(s)
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Marvelous
- ESRB
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e