Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a wonderful game for those looking for escapism, allowing players to live out the dream of escaping city life and trying their hand at living life on a farm. But alongside farm life in Forgotten Valley, players can also speak to the eight romanceable NPCs to try their hand at wooing them, including four men and four women. Regardless of their gender, players are free to give gifts to raise their affection levels.
It could be hard to decide which of the four bachelors to pursue, as they all have different but enticing personalities. However, there are some that stand out from the others as being more palatable options.
4 Rock
Rock might just be the most laid-back character in the entire game, bereft of the responsibilities laden on other characters, including the player. He finds ways to avoid working at all, though he does tend to keep an eye on his parents Lou and Tei who run the Lei-Over Inn to see if they are struggling to keep up with the workload. However, even if his parents are struggling, Rock is more likely to delegate the task to another rather than get his hands dirty. While he may be lazy, Rock is not without redeeming qualities. He's an excitable character who is always ready to chill out with the player.
Those wishing to relax alongside Rock for the rest of their lives can grind out his affection by making regular changes to their appearance via the farm house mirror, or gifting him season-specific Flowers, Gold Coins, Clay Figurines, and Herbal Soup. Players can usually find him out and about in the forest around 1pm, and he usually won't leave until 5:30. He has a fairly late schedule to match his laid-back lifestyle.
3 Matthew
From first impressions, Matthew can seem somewhat aggressive and anti-social, with a perpetual scowl on his face and a penchant for pushing other people away. However, there is more to his character than what people see on the surface, as he is battling with some internal struggles. With low self-esteem and health issues that bring his mood down, Matthew has more than enough reason to be a little sour. He made his move to the country in the hopes it would help his health recover, but the journey has been long and is still ongoing.
If players want to see the soft side that Matthew's hard exterior hides, they can usually find him in Vesta's home or working on the fields as he does take his work rather seriously. In order to gain his affection, players should gift him Health Potions to aid his poor health, hearty meals such as Curry or Herbal Soup, or food items like Milk and Apples, often commenting on how delicious the latter are.
2 Gordy
Gordy prides himself as an artist. He is often found sculpting shapes out of the metal when he's not deep in thought, seeking his next spark of inspiration to help him craft his next masterpiece. This can make Gordy somewhat withdrawn, as he is a man of few words when he is looking for that creative strike of inspiration, but who wouldn't want to date an artist? They are usually the kindest, most sensitive souls, and Gordy is no different. He will eventually warm up to the player if they practice a bit of patience.
When he's not in various parts of the valley such as the beach, he is mostly likely hard at work at his workshop. Players can raise Gordy's affection by gifting him Milk, Wild Flowers, and Ores gathered from excavation parts. However, Gordy is definitely one of the hardest townsfolk to give gifts to. Players are unable to do it when he has his arms folded, and must wait for them to unfold which can sometimes take as long as 20 minutes. But, their patience will be rewarded with one fantastic romance route.
1 Gustafa
Free-spirited and rather romantic, Gustafa is bound to steal the hearts of many gamers. He is almost as laid back as Rock, but he has found passions to occupy his time, such as playing songs on his guitar. And even better, he has a whole menagerie of other, more exotic instruments at his home. He pursues arts and culture very seriously, and may even write a romantic love songs about anyone who catches his eyes, to give players further incentive to pursue his route.
As a lover of nature, Gustafa can often be found playing instruments in the great outdoors, such as outside his home or the inn, or in the forest should players wish to find him to develop a bond with him. Along with gifts such as Milk, Wild Flowers, Peaches, and White Crystal, he also loves a special item called Bluramu, which can be crafted in Chapter 2 by combining a Peach and Blue Trick Flower. Players can also raise his affection levels by altering their looks each day through the farmhouse mirror, changing either their hairstyle, hair color, or their outfit.