Forgotten Valley is a weird place. If you played the original Harvest Moon version back on the GameCube or PS2, you know exactly what I mean. It’s quiet. It’s melancholic. It’s basically a mid-life crisis simulator disguised as a cozy farming game. This Story of Seasons A Wonderful Life guide isn't going to tell you how to just plant turnips; it’s going to help you survive the crushing weight of time passing in a game that actually ends.
Most farming sims let you play forever. Not this one. You’ve got six chapters. You age. Your kid grows up. People... well, people leave. If you go into this thinking it’s Stardew Valley, you’re going to be broke, lonely, and wondering why your cow won't give you milk after three years.
The First Year Is a Sprints, Not a Marathon
Honestly, the biggest mistake people make is relaxing too much in Chapter 1. You have exactly one year to get married. If you don’t, it’s game over. Literally. You get a cutscene where you leave the valley because nobody loves you. It’s brutal.
You need to focus on your spouse immediately. Whether it’s Molly, Cecilia, Nami, or Lumina (or the bachelors if that's your vibe), give them gifts every single day. Most of them like flowers, which are free and grow everywhere. Nami is the "hard mode" spouse because she’s picky and hangs out in weird places like the forest or the Inner Inn.
Pro tip: Buy the brush from Van on the 3rd or 8th of Spring. It costs 1,000G. It seems expensive early on, but if you don't brush your cow, its affection won't rise, and the quality of your milk—your primary income—will stay at C rank forever.
Making Money Without Losing Your Mind
Money in the remake is a bit different than the original. In the old days, you could exploit the seed maker or sell goat milk for insane prices. Now, things are more balanced.
First off, get the fishing rod. It’s 500G from Van. Go to the upper part of the river near the waterfall. The fish there generally sell for more.
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Don't sleep on the Dig Site. Carter and Flora are there every day from 10 AM to 5 PM, except on Van’s days. Digging is boring. It’s tedious. But finding a Golden Object or a rare statue is a massive payday. Just remember that you can't sell these items to Van if he's not in town, so stockpile them in your shipping bin or storage box until the 3rd or 8th.
The Truth About Hybrid Crops
Vinnie is the weird three-headed plant that shows up in Takakura’s house in Chapter 2. Talk to him until he likes you. It takes a while. You’ll have to spam the "Talk" option until his friendship bar is high enough that he offers to mix seeds.
Hybrid crops are the real endgame.
- Meloncane: Melon + Sugarcane.
- Gretoma: Grape + Tomato.
- Berryber: Strawberry + Berry.
There are even "Tier 3" hybrids that look like lightbulbs or weird blue spheres. These sell for a fortune. But here’s the kicker: they only grow in the third field. You know, the big one that costs a staggering 60,000G. Save your pennies. Don't waste money on the pond early on unless you really want ducks. Ducks are cute, but they don't pay the bills.
Raising a Human Being (Who Doesn't Hate You)
This is the core of the game. Your child's personality is shaped by everything you do.
If you want an academic kid, take them to Daryl’s lab. Hang out with Carter at the Dig Site. If you want a musician, take them to Lumina’s house or Gustafa’s yurt.
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The struggle is that their natural inclinations (from their mother or father) often clash with what you want. If you marry Nami, that kid is going to be an artist or a traveler. Trying to force Nami’s kid to be a farmer is like trying to push a boulder uphill. You have to show them farming tools every day. Take them to the barn. Let them see you milk the cows.
By Chapter 3, they become a moody teenager. They will stay in their room. They will give you one-word answers. It’s scary how accurate it is. Just keep gifting them things they liked as a kid.
The Goat Situation and Animal Care
Let’s talk about the goat. In the original game, the goat was a scam. It gave milk for a year and then became a useless pet you couldn't sell. In the remake, you can finally sell the goat. You can also get it pregnant so it continues to lactate.
Buy the goat in Spring of Chapter 2. It’s 4,000G. It’s a solid investment now because goat milk sells for more than regular cow milk, and you can turn it into high-end cheese and yogurt once you get the processing room.
Sheep are secretly the best way to get rich. A sheep costs 3,000G. Golden Wool sells for 6,000G. If you have a full barn of sheep and you're brushing them regularly, you're basically printing money every few days when their wool grows back. It's much less work than milking cows twice a day and managing their stamina.
Managing Your Own Stamina and Hunger
You aren't a robot. You need to eat.
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In the original, you could basically starve and be fine. In the remake, if your stamina hits zero, you wake up in the clinic and lose time. Blueberries and wild plants are your best friends.
Cook everything. Even a "Failed Dish" is better than eating raw herbs. Once your cooking skill increases, you'll unlock salads and soups that replenish almost half your stamina bar. Herbal Soup (just one herb) is the easiest recipe to spam to level up your cooking skill early.
The End of the Journey
Without spoiling too much, the game does end.
Chapter 6 is the final stretch. You'll see the valley change. Characters like Nina are already gone by this point, and others have moved in. The "Heaven" chapter unlocks after the credits, allowing you to play forever in a sort of timeless state where nobody ages anymore, but the real emotional weight of the game comes from that final walk through the valley in Chapter 6.
Actionable Steps for a Perfect Playthrough
- Spring 1-5: Focus entirely on foraging and digging. Buy the Brush and Fishing Rod the first time Van visits.
- Summer/Fall 1: Gift your chosen spouse twice a day. If you see heart bubbles, you're on the right track.
- Winter 1: Save at least 10,000G. You'll need it for seeds and potentially the Goat come Spring.
- Chapter 2: Get Vinnie to like you immediately. Start mixing basic hybrids to sell to Van for higher prices than the shipping bin offers.
- Chapter 3-4: Prioritize the 60,000G field. It is the only way to grow the high-tier crops that make you a millionaire.
- Always: Check the notice board near the well. The requests from villagers often reward you with rare seeds or recipes that you can't get anywhere else.
The beauty of this game isn't in "beating" it. It’s in the slow, sometimes boring, often beautiful process of building a life. Don't rush the days. Watch the sunset. Talk to the weirdos in the forest. Just make sure you've got enough fodder in the silo before it starts snowing.