Story of Seasons, the franchise formerly known as Harvest Moon, has long been a single-player experience, where players farm, fish, and rear animals in quiet, idyllic worlds. That’s set to change in future, with a newly-announced Story of Seasons sequel designed to support multiplayer sessions with friends.
During a recent game showcase, the Marvelous team announced two new Story of Seasons adventures. The first is a traditional farming simulator where players will farm crops, explore a sweeping world, and get to know their local town through classic gameplay.
The second game is described as ‘a Story of Seasons you can play with everyone’. While exact details of this adventure were not announced, it’s clear Marvelous has major plans for this new, multiplayer-focused title.
‘We’ve heard our fans loud and clear, and they want to play Story of Seasons together with all their friends,’ game director Hikaru Nakano said during the company’s game showcase. ‘The concept of playing Story of Seasons together is a bold one, and a direction we haven’t taken with the series until now.’
Despite this lack of experience, there are plenty of reasons to keep an eye on the project.
Read: Video games are the new art therapy
The ability to fish, farm, and rear animals with friends is likely to attract a whole new audience to this beloved franchise, particularly given the growing popularity of the multiplayer farming genre.
Stardew Valley achieved new life and longevity when it introduced multiplayer capabilities. Animal Crossing: New Horizons brought the entire world together with its multiplayer, town-hopping functionality – which even spawned a real life chat show.
While the farming simulator genre is perfect for relaxing and spending time alone, there’s also plenty of potential in allowing players to take on cosy activities together, while building a thriving farmstead.
Read: Rune Factory 6 has been announced, alongside Project Dragon
At this stage, Marvelous appears to be in the early stages of development for its two announced Story of Seasons games. While it has promised modern sensibilities, refreshed graphics, and wider worlds to explore, we’ll have to stay patient to see what’s in store.
For now, fans of the franchise can look forward to the upcoming western release of Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life on 27 June 2023, and stay tuned for more details about the two new games coming in future.
