Developed by the man behind the Harvest Moon series, Hometown Story finds players returning to their small village to take over the shop they inherited from their recently deceased grandmother. Players create and customize their own character and then set about growing their shop by exploring the local wilderness for items to sell and by talking and trading with fellow townspeople and vendors. The village begins to thrive as gamers sell more items, and customers become friends who all have unique stories and needs, but players are free to pursue their own goals in any way they please.