V20200820 | Story Of Seasons Friends Of Mineral Town

If you are playing a pirated copy or a vanilla launch disc of the Switch version, you are missing out. Here is what v20200820 fixed and added—specifically how it changed the feel of the game.

STORY OF SEASONS: Friends of Mineral Town (SoS:FoMT) is a faithful, almost reverent remake of the 2003 Game Boy Advance classic Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town. The v20200820 patch, released a month after the PC launch, irons out most of the initial technical wrinkles. The result is a cozy, uncomplicated farming experience. However, "faithful" also means it retains dated mechanics and a thin narrative that may feel shallow compared to modern giants like Stardew Valley or Rune Factory 4 Special.

A minor but infuriating bug pre-v20200820 caused the dialogue bubbles to sometimes hang on screen during festivals. You’d win the horse race, and the text box would stay frozen for five seconds. This patch terminated that bug with extreme prejudice.

Don't waste money on potatoes initially.

1. The Core Loop is Addictive & Relaxing
If you’ve ever enjoyed waking up, watering crops, petting cows, and mining for ore, this delivers. Days are short (about 15 minutes real-time), which keeps the loop snappy. The v20200820 version runs smoothly at 60fps on PC, with faster loading times than the Switch version. No combat, no world-ending threats—just pure agrarian zen. STORY OF SEASONS Friends of Mineral Town v20200820

2. The "New" Additions (for veterans)

3. Visual Overhaul – Cute but Divided
The 2.5D art style replaces the original pixel art. Environments are bright, colorful, and clean. Character portraits have been redrawn with a softer, chibi-adjacent aesthetic. Some purists dislike it, but it’s pleasant enough. The v20200820 patch fixed a few shadow glitches and camera stutters that plagued launch.

4. Events are Still Heartwarming
The heart events (cutscenes with marriage candidates) retain their awkward, sweet, occasionally bizarre humor (looking at you, “Goddess’s Wine” event). They feel like small-town vignettes.

Absolutely—but only v20200820 or later. If you are playing a pirated copy or

Do not go back to the 1.0 launch version. The v20200820 patch represents the moment SOS:FOMT stopped being a "remake" and started being the definitive version.

If you have never played a farming sim before, this is the perfect gateway. It is simpler than Stardew Valley (no combat, no monster hunting). It is cozier than Rune Factory. It is just you, a patch of turnips, and the slow ticking of the clock.

Final Verdict: 9/10

Pro Tip: If you are installing the game today, right-click it in Steam > Properties > Betas. Ensure you are on the "Default" branch (which is v20200820 or newer). The game is stable, modded, and ready for your hundred-hour farm. A minor but infuriating bug pre-v20200820 caused the

Now, if you’ll excuse me, the sprites need gathering, and Karen is waiting at the vineyard.

Happy Farming.

What was your experience with v20200820? Did you notice the mouse lag fix? Let me know in the comments below!