Gameplay Mode

As the game starts, you arrive at Chestnut town somewhat as a tourist greeted by a harvest sprite guarding an abandoned farm. After this chance encounter, you will take it upon yourself the task of reviving the farm and of helping people get their Memories back. In order to do this, you will have to talk to other people and, more importantly, bring the farm back to life by planting and harvesting crops.

As those are the two most important tasks that players have to deal with, the game presents two basic gameplay modes for the players: Talk mode and Farm Mode. In the previous Harvest Moon games, there is not much of a need to have two distinct modes for the player to be able to perform actions such as talking or farming simultaneously.

Perhaps the main difference this time is the medium in which the game is delivered. Before, players interact with townsfolk with a mere press of a button and then toggle through the different farming Tools with a combination of buttons. But since this game is prepared set up for mobile devices, the absence of numerous buttons on the device is perhaps the sole reason why the developers thought about creating two game modes in which the player can use throughout the game.

To switch modes, the player will have to tap on the icon located in the lower left corner of the screen.

The Talk Mode (as represented by a dialog box) is the mode you must pick if you will be engaging with fellow Chestnut residents. Talking to people is very important in this game since it helps your character learn the schedule each store has. Another benefit of talking to other people is the chance of getting free items or free seeds. Later on in the game, you will have the option to marry someone and the only way you could build your relationship with that particular character is if you will be successful in talking to them and learning what their likes and dislikes.

Then there is the Farm mode. It is the mode of gameplay used when you will have to perform some of the most important tasks in the game like everything farming-related, fishing, and even Mining. To activate this mode, you will just have to tap on the icon on the lower left corner of the screen and make sure that the active one is the icon with a sickle and a hoe.

For farming tasks, the Farm mode will allow you to start picking up weeds, tilling the land with your hoe, planting the seeds, watering the plants, and even harvesting the crops. Then when it comes to fishing, this mode of gameplay allows the player to cast his/her fishing rod in a lake or river to catch some fish. There is also the Mining mode wherein you will have to use the Farm mode to be able to dig through the mine, pick up some ores, and find your way through the mine to find the ladder that will lead you to a deeper level in the dungeon.

Tip: When in Farm Mode, you won’t have to switch or equip Tools by selecting your bag and then selecting the tool or equipment you’d like to use. All you have to do is tap the place or item on the field and then the correct action will be carried out (for example, if you’ve just finished planting the seeds, the next appropriate action would be to water the crop).

Another function that you can also perform with the Farm mode on, is the ability to take care of your animals (through caressing and feeding them) and the chance to give an item as a gift to a friend or a bachelor/bachelorette.