The latest Story of Seasons title, Story of Seasons: Doraemon, combines familiar farming with popular anime. When you and your friends, from the Doraemon anime, end up stranded in an unfamiliar town, you'll need to seek work and shelter. Playing as Noby, your job is to clean up and run a farm.
Over time your farm will expand and you’ll be able to keep livestock, decorate and upgrade your buildings and tools. You'll also explore more of the town and its surrounding area, uncovering a variety of things to collect and people to meet.
There’s so much to do that it can feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve put together this simple guide which will help you during your first few days on the farm.
Learning The Ropes
As you play through the first hour of the game you’ll begin to get to grips with the basics as the story guides you through each one. A tour of the town will introduce you to the townsfolk and their shops, as well as letting you know how to navigate both the area and the menus.
You’ll also be given a basic farming tutorial, in which you’ll learn how to plant, water, grow and harvest crops.
Don’t worry if you can’t remember everything. As you hover over items you can interact with, the game will display a prompt of which button you need to press.
Starting Your Farm
When you first start your farm, the priorities will be to clear the area and begin to plant and water crops. It takes a few days for crops to grow, but they need watering every day; when you’re starting out, we’d advise taking it slow.
Once fully grown, harvested crops can then be sold through your crate. This does take a while but there are other ways to make money alongside crops.
To start farming you’ll need to acquire some seeds. Luckily some of the townsfolk have pitched in to help out and you’ll be able to pick up some free turnip seeds from the general store, Knick Knacks.
Visiting Shops
The first thing you’ll notice about the stores in town is that they have different opening times. Check out the quick reference guide below to find out what time each store opens and what it sells.
Cuckoo House Chickens: Sells chickens and feed/accessories.
Opening Hours: Su/Mo/Tu/Th/Sa 9am – 3pm
Gouter Mawk Livestock: Sells cows, sheep and feed/accessories.
Opening Hours: Su/Mo/Tu/Th/Sa 9am - Noon, 1pm – 4pm
Knick Knacks General Store: Sells seeds, fertilizer, bug nets, other misc items.
Opening Hours: Su/Mo/Tu/We/Fr/Sa 3pm - 8pm
Cafe Delish: Sells meals, produce, cookware.
Opening Hours: Su/Tu/We/Th/Sa Noon – 4pm 6pm – 10pm
Anvil - Blacksmith: Sells tool upgrades, ore.
Opening Hours: Tu/We/Th/Fr/Sa 10am – Noon 2pm – 5pm
Hammer – Carpenter: Sells furniture, decorations, building upgrades.
Opening Hours: Su/Mo/We/Th/Fr 10 - Noon 4pm – 8pm
Tackle Shop: Sells bait.
Opening Hours: Su/Tu/Th/Sa 8 – Noon 2pm – 4pm
Regis’s Clinic: Sells slightly dodgy stamina potions, restores stamina.
Opening Hours: Mo/Tu/We/Fr 10am – Noon 2pm – 5pm Sa 10am – Noon
You will only be able to enter stores and interact with their owners during opening hours. Some interactions, such as those with livestock, will unlock as the game progresses.
Help From The Town
The townsfolk are (mostly) helpful and will offer advice as well as some gifts to get you started. They can also help you out if you are in trouble.
The mayor has left you some seeds at the general store. When you collect these, you can also pick up his forgotten package and deliver it to him for another (far more random) gift. You can also collect a chair from the lumberjack and a fishing rod from the tackle store. If you forget these, don’t worry - the store owners will come by your farm and let you know.
You also need to remember that farming uses energy. You can restore it by napping and sleeping, but if you deplete it completely you’ll end up in Regis’s Clinic. If you’d rather skip the trip, then make sure you frequently check your energy levels in the menu.
Next Steps
While you are waiting for your crops to grow, it’s a great idea to go and explore. Your farm is centrally located and the minimap will help you work out where you are as well as where everyone else is.
There are also signposts along paths and the name of the next area appears on the screen just before you cross into it. This will help you stay aware of how the areas link together. After a while, you’ll be able to easily find the places you’ll need to visit most often.
Different areas will offer new things to do. You can collect items to sell and once you have your fishing rod, you’ll also be able to catch different fish depending on the area you are in.
Your main goal in the early game should be to get to grips with the basics. You’ll be looking to build a routine for managing crops as well as finding other ways to generate an income. You’ll need money and materials to expand, so it’s worth remembering this.
Speaking to different shopkeepers will allow you to work out what upgrades, items or equipment you’d like to purchase next.
The main things to remember are making sure your backpack is empty before a collecting trip, taking time to replenish your energy with a nap, and watering your crops every day.
Once you’ve got the hang of these basics, you’ll be upgrading your farm in no time at all!