Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 75 | 68 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 79% | 73 | 695 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 72 | 14 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 78% | 73 | 2 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 6 reviews sampled · 5 total reviews in window · weighted 4 up / 1.1 down · computed 18m ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (56)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 70
“STORY OF SEASONS: A Wonderful Life is a laid-back game. You play as a farmer whose goal is to take care of your crops, animals, and family. To be honest, though, what I enjoyed most was creating my avatar and choosing my life partner. Taking care of chicks is great, but when you’re doing the same thing over and over again for days on end, it gets exhausting and tedious. Plus, the fact that it looks good doesn’t make up for the clunky controls or the repetitive music loop. As a remake, the game didn’t live up to the expectations set by its predecessor, but it’s satisfying enough for any fan of life simulation games.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life retains the charm and the pleasant tedium of the original while bringing enough features up-to-date that it's not a total chore to play. Fans of later farming/life-sims might find it too slow and too dull, but we encourage you to embrace the slow-and-dullness to find a surprisingly fulfilling and earnest game underneath. After all, this game is the granddaddy of Stardew Valley, and it's not too hard to see the family resemblance.Just, uh, use a guide. Trust us.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Returning to A Wonderful Life after 19 years is a comforting, warmly nostalgic experience. The colorful characters and climactic moments in Forgotten Valley stand the test of time, even if the mechanics and gameplay possibilities compare unfavorably to modern takes on the farming/life simulation model.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The new events, tools, fish, and more added in the remake make the game feel new, even to veteran players like me who played the original to death. For newcomers, the fresh additions will only lead to a great gameplay experience, and I’m honestly jealous of those getting to feel the joy of A Wonderful Life for the very first time.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Marvelous Inc. recreated a great remake of the 20-year-old Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life. While there are some things that make it feel outdated, there are also plenty of quality-of-life changes that make this a worthwhile farming game.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Story of Seasons is a good game for relaxing. There's plenty to do and discover, but given the length of the game, these various tasks can become monotonous and repetitive. The game has an addictive feel to it, and the hours spent playing are hard to miss. Still, I would have preferred more events and interactions to develop relationships with the inhabitants. If you like games like Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley or even FarmVille, you'll have a great time in Forgotten Valley.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“I think it's a very good production because it has a basic goal of starting a family and owning your farm to manage this family. However, if we look at today's alternative games, it doesn't offer a different perspective and innovation. Especially for gamers who are sick of the genre, it is a production that can get bored quickly because they will not see innovation after a while.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life streamlines old elements of the most unique entry in the franchise and offers improvements to a game with plenty of focus on not just farming but also on family.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Personally, I have enjoyed my time in Forgotten Valley and the experience of building a little family. While years can feel like they crawl by slowly, the progression you get to see as kids around the village get older and new people arrive in the valley is nice and satisfying to experience. I look forward to spending a lot more of my time in this sleepy little village.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“I’ve got to tell you, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life feels like a game that arrived right when I needed it most. This is a game about redefining what matters to you. First, it’s about settling into a new community and forming bonds with your new neighbors. One of them being romantic. Then it’s about supporting your growing family both emotionally and via working hard on the farm. As time passes, you get to see how that influences things. It’s like you are building a life while farming, rather than working a farm and taking “you” time to be social when you can.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a farm sim that just doesn't feel like it's breaking too much new ground.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Improving old features, alongside introducing new ones, results in a delightful reimagining of a classic farming simulator.”
read full review ↗
Gaming Professors
Nintendo Life
VGChartz
Prima Games
PC Invasion
Geeks & Com
Atarita
Capsule Computers
NintendoWorldReport
Siliconera
SVG
Eurogamer…and 44 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Version 1.0.1Sep 14, 2023