2016 Geek-A-Long: Harvest Moon

I’ve never played Harvest Moon before. At least, that’s what I thought when I called my little sister earlier this week:

ME: Remember when you thew a fit that we had to have a Harvest Moon square with the cute little cow on it?

ALENA: Yeah. I freaking love that game. Is it this week? I can’t wait to see it.

ME: Yeah. He’s adorable. Can you write the post? Megan-Anne’s never played the game before.

ALENA: Umm… Why can’t you write it?

ME: I’ve never played it before either.

ALENA: [laughs] Yes, you have. Rune Factory 4, is a spin-off of the series. And didn’t Dave get you Story of Seasons for your birthday?

ME: ….

ALENA: Yeah, that’s a Harvest Moon game too.

ME: I remember when you were a sweet little girl and you’d call me sissy and do whatever I said.

ALENA: [laughs some more]  

I googled it after I talked to her, and it turns out that the first three Rune Factory games were titled “Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon.” Yeah, this is me hanging my head in shame. I’ve brought shame upon my nerdy family.

Ahem, so here we go.

Harvest Moon is a farm simulation role-playing game. It’s more than just watching corn grow or milking cows. Although both of those things are included. The primary object is to repair and maintain a farm that has fallen into disrepair. You decide how to allocate your time between daily tasks such as raising livestock, farming, fishing, and foraging. In the evenings you interact with PC’s and romance the locals until you find the lad/lass of your dreams and get married. Truthfully, it’s a repetitive game that is best played right before bed. It’s almost meditative.

Rune Factory 4 has all of those elements with the addition of battling and taming monsters in dungeons. It’s a bit heavier on the RPG action and the townspeople are adorable. There is soooo much to do in the game. I’m embarrassed to admit how many hours I’ve sunk into the game, not including my second play through.

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Harvest Moon pattern here. Instructions for both knit and crochet are listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, don’t forget to tweet or instagram your squares at me @jac_attacking or Megan-Anne @Doctor_Llama with the hashtag #geekalong!

If you’re having trouble with double-sided knitting, we have a how-to video here and a tutorial on crochet here. Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here.

~ Jac
Alright, I admit it. I did multiple play through because I couldn’t decide who to marry: Vishnal,Dylas, or Leon.

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If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a donation to Child’s Play Charity. Here is a direct link to our donation page benefiting the charity. Please help us raise $1,000 this year! No contribution is too small. Wanna make your donation go even further? Louet Yarn is donating 50 cents for every skein of Louet Gems Worsted purchased this year to make a Geek-A-Long blanket. You can get Gems at your Local Yarn Store or through Louet’s website. Just remember to mention the GAL at check out.