History VideoGame / RuneFactory

* ''VideoGame/{{Rune Factory|1}}: A Fantasy Harvest Moon'' for the [[/index]]UsefulNotes/{{DS}}[[index]]

* ''VideoGame/RuneFactoryFrontier'', the series' debut on the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}, featuring the main cast of the original game

* [[index]]''VideoGame/RuneFactoryOceans'' (''Rune Factory: Tides Of Destiny'' in the US), the second title for the Wii and first for the UsefulNotes/{{PS3}}.
* ''VideoGame/RuneFactory4'', the series' debut on the [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS 3DS]]
** [[/index]]''Rune Factory 4 Special'', an UpdatedRerelease, and the first installment of the series on the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. Later ported to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne, and Microsoft Windows.[[index]]

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Dragons in Rune Factory universe are somewhat diverse. There are smaller ones that serve as regular, if high level, enemies. And there are the Native Dragons that are so powerful they're considered forces of nature capable of shaping and destroying the world if they wished so. [[spoiler:There are four of them and all of them serves as the FinalBoss from 1 to 4 respectively]]. ''VideoGame/RuneFactory5'' introduces ''Farm'' Dragons which are gigantic dragons that allow a few select people to grow crops in the terrain on their backs and [[spoiler:you also interact with two more Elder Dragons: Livia and Radea.]]
* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Played so straight in the first game that the human who was trained by a dwarf matches every last cliche. In ''3'', however, when you actually see a couple dwarves, you'd almost assume they were elves at first. Only one is into mining and forging, and the other gets offended by the short bearded man stereotype.

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: Despite the innoncent personalities of the main characters, the game gives you many chances for them to assert their "main character" status on the villagers.

* WaxOnWaxOff: Building up experience in mundane activities such as cooking, farming and even eating and chatting will eventually raise the character's combat-related stats.

* ChallengeRun: After finishing the main storyline, ''VideoGame/RuneFactory4'' and ''VideoGame/RuneFactory5'' allows the player to disable EXP and Skill EXP gain which can be enabled in a New Game file. So you can be permanently stuck in Level 1, severely limiting your HP and stat growth, or never learn any skills, which essentially disables the vast majority of item crafting. You can also enable both at the same time if you're feeling particularly masochist.

** Another example is in VideoGame/RuneFactory4'' and ''VideoGame/RuneFactory5''. You can invite your spouse and child to adventure with you and they can be as much of a badass as you are.

* ChallengeRun: After finishing the main storyline, ''Rune Factory 4'' and ''5'' allows the player to disable EXP and Skill EXP gain which can be enabled in a New Game file. So you can be permanently stuck in Level 1, severely limiting your HP and stat growth, or never learn any skills, which essentially disables the vast majority of item crafting. You can also enable both at the same time if you're feeling particularly masochist.

* ActionizedSequel: ''Rune Factory 1'', ''2'' and ''Frontier'' had a moderately paced real time combat, but ''VideoGame/RuneFactory3'' brought significant changes to its system turning ramping up the action making fights a lot faster compared to the first two games. Additionally ''Rune Factory 3'' was the first one where the postgame content focused heavily on combat.

* ChallengeRun: After finishing the main storyline, ''Rune Factory 4'' and ''5'' allows the player to disable EXP and Skill EXP gain which can be enabled in a New Game file. So you can be permanently stuck in Level 1, limiting your HP and stat growth, or never learn any skills, which essentially disables the vast majority of item crafting.

* ''VideoGame/RuneFactoryOceans'' (''Rune Factory: Tides Of Destiny'' in the US), the second title for the Wii and first for the UsefulNotes/{{PS3}}.

** Every now and then there's also some underlying political threats and things like assassination attempts and outright murder and even gaslighting happen in the games showing that even Norad and Sechs has its fair share of nasty and dangerous people.

*** Can be averted from ''Rune Factory 3'' onwards for villagers to form up a party with you. You can train and give them equipment that will make them live up to their reputation.

** ''1'' and ''2'' averts this for the player. Get your HP depleted in a dungeon and it's Game Over for you and this is the same with one very special area in ''4''.

* AbsurdlyHighLevelCap: ''VideoGame/RuneFactory3'' and ''VideoGame/RuneFactory4'' has some truly absurd level caps, enough to make ''Creator/NipponIchi'' games blush. ''Rune Factory 3'' level cap is '''10,000''' and ''Rune Factory 4'' is '''''50,000'''''.

* ActionizedSequel: The first two games had a moderately paced real time combat, but ''VideoGame/RuneFactory3'' brought significant changes to its system turning ramping up the action making fights a lot faster compared to the first two games, and ''Rune Factory 3'' was the first one where the postgame content focused heavily on combat.

* ArtifactTitle: A "rune factory" is a strategic plot of grown crops in a long dungeon from which one can easily grab some rune orbs to recover RP. This was important to both the plot and gameplay in the first game, but changes to the farming and RP mechanics (for starters, rune orbs are generated on harvest rather than the moment the grown crop appears on-screen) have made this both less viable and less necessary in later installments.

* BlueBlood: The De Sainte-Coquille family can be found all over Norad, living near farming communities to eat food that is made with the freshest ingredients. They can easily be picked out of a crowd, as the head of the family will be a {{Gonk}} and their daughter(s) will have blue/purple hair. There are exceptions to these criteria; such as Porcoline who runs his own restaurant and has taken an elf under his wing, Beatrix who is the mayor of an island town, and Palmo who works as an architect.

* MarketBasedTitle: The "A Fantasy Harvest Moon" subtitle was only used on the [[VideoGame/RuneFactory1 first game]] in Japan. Natsume added it to all the DS games in the US.

* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Dragons in Rune Factory universe are somewhat diverse. There are smaller ones that serve as regular, if high level, enemies. And there are the Native Dragons that are so powerful they're considered forces of nature capable of shaping and destroying the world if they wished so. [[spoiler:There are four of them and all of them serves as the FinalBoss from 1 to 4 respectively]]. ''VideoGame/RuneFactory5'' introduces ''Farm'' Dragons which are gigantic dragons that allow a few select people to grow crops in the terain on their backs.
* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Played so straight in the first game that the human who was trained by a dwarf matches every last cliche. In 3, however, when you actually see a couple dwarves, you'd almost assume they were elves at first. Only one is into mining and forging, and the other gets offended by the short bearded man stereotype.

* CrapSaccharineWorld: While the tone of ''Rune Factory'' games have always been lighthearted, the story always involves greater forces that threaten the world. Be it the [[VideoGame/RuneFactory2 Native Dragons]], or [[VideoGame/RuneFactory1 insane]] [[VideoGame/RuneFactoryFrontier power]] [[VideoGame/RuneFactory4 hungry]] [[VideoGame/RuneFactoryOceans humans]], or [[VideoGame/RuneFactory5 even a corrupting evil just waiting for a change to slip into the world and wreak havoc]]. Any time the Sechs Empire gets involved the game always makes a point to remember the Kingdom of Norad is at constant threat of war with them.

* CrapSaccharineWorld: While the tone of ''Rune Factory'' games have always been lighthearted, the story always involves greater forces that threaten the world. Be it the [[VideoGame/RuneFactory2 Native Dragons]], or [[VideoGame/RuneFactory1 insane]] [[VideoGame/RuneFactoryFrontier power]] [[VideoGame/RuneFactory4 hungry]] [[VideoGame/RuneFactoryOceans humans]], or [[VideoGame/RuneFactory5 even forces of evil just waiting for a change to slip and wreak havoc in the world]]. Any time the Sechs Empire gets involved the game always makes a point to remember the Kingdom of Norad is at constant threat of war with them.

* CrapSaccharineWorld: While the tone of ''Rune Factory'' games have always been lighthearted, the story always involves greater forces that threaten the world. Be it the [[VideoGame/RuneFactory2 Native Dragons]], or [[VideoGame/RuneFactory1 power]] [[VideoGame/RuneFactoryFrontier hungry]] [[VideoGame/RuneFactoryOceans humans]], or [[VideoGame/RuneFactory5 even forces of evil just waiting for a change to slip and wreak havoc in the world]]. Any time the Sechs Empire gets involved the game always makes a point to remember the Kingdom of Norad is at constant threat of war with them.

* ActionizedSequel: ''VideoGame/RuneFactory3'' has a much faster combat system compared to the first two games and is the first game where the postgame content focuses heavily on combat.

** At least one BigEater, usually the de Saint-Coquille. The size usually does(n't) match the appetite.

** A {{Gonk}} de Sainte-Coquille member with daughters having blue or purple hair[[note]]Although 4 and 5 broke this trend as both games features "adopted" daughter (Margaret) and son (Ryker).[[/note]].
** One BigEater. The size usually does(n't) match the appetite.
** Dragons, more specifically Elder/Native/Holy/Divine Dragons. [[spoiler:It's not until ''VideoGame/RuneFactory4'' you can interact with truly benevolent ones.]]

** A happy-go-lucky {{Cloudcuckoolander}}.

* VileVillainSaccharineShow: ''Rune Factory'' is known for its light-hearted ambinace and characters, but has some truly despicable villains with [[VideoGame/RuneFactory1 Emperor]] [[VideoGame/RuneFactory4 Ethelberd]] being one of the bigger examples.

** Dragons, more specifically Native/Holy/Divine Dragons. [[spoiler:It's not until ''VideoGame/RuneFactory4'' you can interact with truly benevolent ones.]]

** Non-human, usually elvish and dwarven characters. ''VideoGame/RuneFactory3'' has half-monsters and a mermaid too. ''VideoGame/RuneFactory5'' adds a halfing, a succubus and were-animals to the mix.

** One BigEater. The size usually doesn't match the appetite.
** Non-human, usually elvish and dwarven characters. ''VideoGame/Rune Factory 3'' has half-monsters and a mermaid too. ''VideoGame/Rune Factory 5'' adds a halfing, a succubus and were-animals to the mix.

* VileVillainSaccharineShow: ''Rune Factory'' is known for its light-hearted ambinace and characters, but has some truly despicable villain with [[VideoGame/RuneFactory1 Emperor]] [[VideoGame/RuneFactory4 Ethelberd]] being one of the bigger examples.

** In the [[VideoGame/RuneFactory3 second game]], Kyle can steal a bride on her wedding day if their LP is high enough with him.

** ''Rune Factory Frontier,'' ''Rune Factory 3,'' and ''Rune Factory 4'' allow you to cheat on your significant other/spouse and take another marriage candidate out on a date. The spouse/significant other's response vary from hurt to anger. Though, in the case of 4, you can actually make a ''Harem'' by dating and confessing to the other marriage candidates. Making this more downplayed compared to the previous games.

** [[VideoGame/RuneFactory5 Rigbarth]] keeps this old tradition. Martin and Cecil's parents are away and Cecil mentions they've been gone traveling ever since he was little. Lucy and Julian's dad is an archeologist and spends a lot of time away from home, something Simone dryly notes too. In Hina's case it's heavily implied her father passed away and she lives only with her mother, Misasagi. Priscilla and Elsje parents are nowhere to be seen either.

** [[VideoGamne/RuneFactory4 Selphia]] practically [[IncrediblyLamePun adopts]] this as a ''theme'': literally the only character in the entire game whose parents are both intact and present is the player character's child. Everyone else is either raised in a single-parent household or HappilyAdopted.

** [[VideoGamne/RuneFactory5 Rigbarth]] keeps this old tradition. Martin and Cecil's parents are away and Cecil mentions they've been gone traveling ever since he was little. Lucy and Julian's dad is an archeologist and spends a lot of time away from home, something Simone dryly notes too. In Hina's case it's heavily implied her father passed away and she lives only with her mother, Misasagi. Priscilla and Elsje parents are nowhere to be seen either.

** [[VideoGamne/Rune Factory4 Selphia]] practically [[IncrediblyLamePun adopts]] this as a ''theme'': literally the only character in the entire game whose parents are both intact and present is the player character's child. Everyone else is either raised in a single-parent household or HappilyAdopted.

** [[VideoGamne/Rune Factory4 Rigbarth]] keeps this old tradition. Martin and Cecil's parents are away and Cecil mentions they've been gone traveling ever since he was little. Lucy and Julian's dad is an archeologist and spends a lot of time away from home, something Simone dryly notes too. In Hina's case it's heavily implied her father passed away and she lives only with her mother, Misasagi. Priscilla and Elsje parents are nowhere to be seen either.

* DubNameChange: The aristocratic family name was changed from Viviaaju to de Sainte-Coquille.

* InterspeciesRomance: Every game in the series (so far) has had at least one elf (or half-elf) marriage candidate. ''Rune Factory 3'' throws in a mermaid, a horned humanoid and a half-monster (and the half-monster protagonist makes EVERY pairing this trope.) ''Rune Factory 4'' includes several bachelors who were originally monsters, and retained several monster features since becoming human.

* OnlySaneMan: The main characters are often very down-to-earth people who have to deal with a quirky cast of people living in wherever they end up at and this does not go unoticed by them. Micah of ''VideoGame/RuneFactory3'' in particular seems the most confused by the largely strange townsfolk of Sharance.

** ''Rune Factory 4'' practically [[IncrediblyLamePun adopts]] this as a ''theme'': literally the only character in the entire game whose parents are both intact and present is the player character's child. Everyone else is either raised in a single-parent household or HappilyAdopted.

* DeadpanSnarker: Almost every hero(ine) in almost all games have dialogue options to answer or comment on something another character says and some of the options vary from sarcastic to outright mean.