No guns, no saving the world, no nonsense: Why Harvest Moon’s style is better when it’s indie

In the stampede of blockbusters like Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, and the Big Red and Blue Plumber near the holidays, it’s easy to overlook the little guys underfoot. But not everyone wants to load a gun or create bloodshed, and sometimes saving the world is too much hassle.

That’s what life-simulations like Harvest Moon — and Wayward Prophet’s free indie game World’s Dawn — are there for.