Harvester

Harvester

36 ratings
Fun Things to do in Harvester
By Landon Keyser
Harvester is a fun and messed up point-and-click adventure game from the 90’s. If you have never played it you are missing out. While there are many things in the game one can do during the course of the story – such a setting fire to a diner, and photocopying incriminating evidence – there are many fun, cute, messed up, and things one can do during the course of the game that you may have missed. This is all a list of OPTIONAL things one can do while playing the main story. For obvious reason, this guide will contain spoilers. In addition, this guide will continue to be a work in progress as I discover more things to do in the town of Harvest. If you would like to submit and idea, please feel free to leave a comment below.

This guide is dedicated to Aarno. <3
I miss seeing your work on the Harvester Show on Youtube and hope to see you make a glorious return.
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The pinup in Steve's room
When you examine the pinup poster over Steve's bed he will whistle.

Note: This can be done anytime Steve wakes up in his room.

“You always were a kidder, Steve!”
One of the most popular catchphrases in gaming. Almost every time you meet someone new for the first time in Harvest if you reference amnesia they will remark how no one believe you since ‘you always were a kidder, Steve!’ Eventually Steve even comments on how much of a catchphrase it has become.
Tell mom F*ck
Anytime when talking to mom if you type F*ck (non-censored), she'll have some funny/messed up dialogue.


Kill Mom
No real reason to do so since you will be executed if you do and it will be game over. Even when killed she'll still show up to your execution because she loves you and a mother's love knows no bounds.
Choose TV option when talking to Hank
You'll get to see a clip of a cowboy shooting an Indian, guts spilling out shortly after.

Ding the Living room Clock
Examine the clock above Hank and it will go Cuckoo!

Check Your Mailbox
There's nothing exciting in there, but you can still click it.
Learn the Family Business from Pat
One does not really need to talk to Pat at the Meat Plant much, aside from getting him to hand over the permission slip which dad will need to sign. After that it's just a case of clicking the item to Pat and he'll hand over some meat. Some of the dialogue options talk about the meat industry.

Examine Sheep in Barber Shop
Examine and determine for yourself whether it is alive or not.

Proofread your Lodge Application
Can be done anytime after you combine the pen and Lodge Application. Sadly, not much can be made out since the game runs on 90's graphics, but you can make out a little bit of Steve's writing.
Get Range Ryder's Autograph
At the TV station you can acquire his autograph. It's even made out to Steve, but it has no use.


Notes: Only possible before Day Five when the TV Station gets burned down.
Read the Grave Stones
Go to the graveyard and read some. They are pretty funny.
School Bomb Drill
Talk to the teacher about punishment to trigger the school bomb drill cutscene.





Show Photo of Whaley and Herrill Around Town
Showing this to the townspeople will get a few reactions. Edna will insist you do not show it to her daughter Karin. If you do she’ll warn you not to do so again or she’ll alert the sheriff.

The trick is to get this photo and after you're offered the bat in exchange for it, reject the offer and show the photo around town.

Steal the Deed to The TV Station
When you give Postman Boyle the gas can he'll give you a clue to why the Sentinel Station burned down. If you go the the TV Station and kill Mr. McKnight then click on his body you'll find a safe to the back of the room. After you unlock it, you'll find a deed o the TV Station, and guess whose name is on it along with Mr. McKnight...
Trade Picture of Teachers to Hank
On Day 2 after you get the picture of the teacher and principal in the closet, you can show it around town if you don't end up trading it for the bat. Showing it to Hank will prompt a very odd response from him, and your brother will offer to trade one of his action figures for it. You can do this since the item is non-essential, but the toy has no purpose. Hank even relents that you made a bad trade.

Acquire 'Get Out of Jail Free' Card
After getting the checkbook from the sheriff's desk, photocopy them at the general store and show him the copy. He'll offer you the Get out of Jail free card (essentially making him turn the other way once if you commit a crime) if you bring him the original copies. Do so, and tell him you might have other copies and he'll trade you his card.

Alternatively, if you've killed Mr. McKnight at the TV Station and claimed the deed it'll have Sheriff's Dwayne's name on it. If you make a copy of it you can blackmail him into giving you the get out of jail free card that way.



Note: Murder will void the 'Get out of jail free' card and you will be executed. You can only have one card at a time.
Steal Moynahan's Ledgers
One can be found on his desk at the hotel, the other in the chapel at the end of the room. Once you have both and show them around town, people will say they notice the names in both match, meaning Moynahan is up to no good and all the guests in his hotel also 'check in' to the mortuary. You can show them around to people in town, but they won't really care. If you show it to Sheriff Dwayne you'll be arrested.



Notes: You can show Moynahan you have the Ledgers, but he won't be hostile until you show them around the town. There's no penalty for killing him. And you get a custscene of him falling on his own knife.
Kill the Wasp Woman
Visit the Abandoned House and talk to the wasp woman if you like. She doesn't contribute to the story much, and there's no penalty for killing her. She'll die after one hit, and during the cutscene you'll see her true form.



Note: Still not sure how one screams when their head has been removed, but hey this was the 90's.
Talk to Mr. Parsons About Aliens
You'll see a zoomed-in cutscene of the alien head mounted on the wall and Mr. Parsons will tell you about his alien-hunting tactics.

Peep on Stephanie
Upstairs in the Pottsam house you find the picture above the sink is crooked. If you move it aside you get a peep hole to Stephanie's room and can watch her put on/take off some clothes.



Notes: If you talk to her later, you can tell her about the peep hole. She will - understandably - not be cool with it.
Get Arrested/Executed
There's a few ways to get arrested:

*Show Sheriff Dwayne the ledgers you stole from Moynahan.
*Show Karin the Adult Magazine.
*Show Karin pic of teacher and principal.
*Use the wrong screwdriver when stealing the barber's pole from the barber's shop, or use it when the power is on.
*Use the screw driver on the bared window at your place before the security system is turned off.
*Try to steal from safe before killing McKnight and he catches you twice.
*Try to steal cloth from fire dept without distracting dog.
*Show Mrs. Pottsam the spinal cord (Day 6) (You will be executed)
*Steal the TV Station deed and show it to Deputy without making a copy.
*Show the Checkbook to Mr. McKnight.
*Kill someone related to the story (You will be executed)

Getting arrested once will result in you being taken to the station for processing, then home to be tucked in by the sheriff. Second time will result in a night in the slammer. On the third arrest, you will be strapped to an electric chair and killed, prompting a game over.



Notes: Murdering anyone besides Mr. Moynahan or the Wasp Woman, or showing Mrs. Pottsam Stephanie's spinal cord will result in instant death by electric chair. The guy at the meat processing plant will earn a warning or night in the slammer but not an execution.



Note: Might have been a bug or glitch but I killed the guy at the meat plant day one and picked up the meat from the table, upon leaving got arrested but no execution.
Have Sex with Stephanie
During Day 3 you'll have the chance to have sex with Stephanie, after it is clear the two of you are the only normal people in Harvest. Mr. Pottsam will be watching you through his peep hole.



Notes: You're able to start doing this day 3, and it is repeatable.
Talk to Dad about the 'Birds and the Bees'
During Day 3 when you finally meet your 'dad' he'll be in bed bandaged up in what looks like a bloody sex dungeon. While you really only need him to sign the permission slip for meat, but he'll offer to tell you what mommy and daddy do behind closed doors.






Notes: You can hear how its done during the day of Day 3 after you disabled the alarm and bars from the window. If you walk in at night, mom will turn to you and shoot you with a shotgun, killing you.
Watch Hank's Mental State Decline
On Day Three it will be very clear that Karin is missing and townsfolk will each have their own thing to say about it. Hank gives a very detailed story about how he is one twisted little brother.

Find Karin's Body (Alternative Playthrough)
This requires you to NOT dig up Karin on day three and let her freeze to death in the grave Mr. Pottsam put her in. Kind of a cold blooded way to get around the stage of Day 3, but you'll get the reward money from Edna either way. When the diner burns down, there will be an alternate dialogue from her regarding her unable to go on after her daughter's death.



Notes: Only available after Day 3 if you did NOT dig Karin out of the grave.
Get Caught by Mom
There's some things between family that are best left unseen. That being said. After night three if you try to go back into dad's room through the window, she'll be there in her dominatrix outfit and shot you in the head.


Notes: This scene can be bugged depending on your setup. This small screenshot is all I'm able to see of it, but it will lead to a game over screen.
Watch Little Sister Eat Bugs
From Day One you can go to mom and ask about your little sister. When you do you will likely see a clip of her eating a spider or being next to one she is about to eat.


Escape Jail
When you are arrested for the second time you will be sent to the slammer. But you'll have all your gear up to that point. Use the shovel (if you have it, lead pipe in jail cell if you don't.) Break the bed and use the sink to create a trap for the sheriff. Use the cup on the cell bars to get his attention and he'll get hit in the head loony tune style. He'll drop the keys and you can make your escape.




Notes: You can go up to Sheriff after escaping and he won't care that you just broke out of jail.
Confront Pottsam about Peephole
Once you've discovered the Peephole in the bathroom you can talk to Mr. Pottsam for some funny dialogue.

Give Mr. Pottsam Meat
Starting day three when you need to steal the bolt of cloth from the fire department you'll be required to get your dad signature for some meat from the plant. You can approach Mr. Pottsam and offer to give him the meat. He'll say some nice things about you, but won't do anything for you or progress the game. And you'll be required to go back to the meat plant and ask for a piece, and get your dad's signature again. Despite Mr. Pottsam being really into meat I was really hoping this would do something.


You can also tease him and say you have it but not give it to him.

Talk to Range Ryder about TV Violence
If you choose the TV Violence option when talking to Range Ryder at the TV Station, he'll have a funny thing to say about it, and it'll lead to a funny cutscene.




Notes: This is repeatable.

Show Dwayne's Dirty Secret to The Town
If you have the checkbook from Sheriff Dwayne's office you can show it to Range Ryder and he'll put it on the air. Some folks will regard this as an act of theft but not turn you in. Mom will scold you. Others will say it is interesting

Watch Postmaster Boyle Burn the TV Station Down
Day Five, once at the bake sale a woman will run in screaming the TV station is on fire. Head over there to see Boyle with the gas can running away.


Note: Can only be seen if you head over right away.
Die In A Fire
After lighting the diner on fire, if you walk back in you will die.

Watch Sister's Eyes Pop Out
For me this played the day after the bake sale when I asked mom why she was so scared. She said something about communists and then your sister started crying. When you look down her eyes pop out and bugs start flying out. Mom just pops them right back in.

Participate in 'Blood Drive' Ending
On the night of Day Six if you head home and go to bed, you'll be woken up by Sheriff Dwayne and walked outside to have your head cut off by the Sergeant at Arms while your mom watches. Fun times. Leads to an instant game over.


Notes: Only watchable on Day 6 if you head back home after dark.
Nuclear Armageddon Ending
Talk to Colonel Buster Monroe at the Missile Base for some good fun. There's actually a number of ways he can set off the nuclear missiles if you're not careful with his words.

Show Moynahan’s Pictures Around Town
When you need to get the glue from Moynahan for the day five mission it’ll will require you to take a picture of a corpse in the back of the mortuary chapel. Showing this picture around town will get you some reactions and comments from the town folk. Mrs. Pottsam will pretty much ignore it, the Sheriff will take it away – citing the picture as evidence. Hank is even willing to trade an action figure for it.


Note: Moynahan won’t be happy when you go around blabbing to the town, but unlike the deal with his ledgers he will not become hostile. Good thing you can kill him and get away with it.
Make Jimmy Angry
Jimmy is your local paperboy and everyone remarks how he gets upset when you don’t leave the paper out for him every morning. If you fail enough time he’ll actually pull a gun and shoot you dead. His rate of fire is high, and there’s no way to walk up and just kill him since his shots also push you back. Killing him will also result in you getting executed, so just leave the paper out for him and spare yourself the annoyance.
Read Edna’s Suicide Note
After the diner gets burned down if you go back the next morning you’ll find she’s hung herself and left a note. Depending on if you save Karin or not, she’ll be hanging beside her mom while the Sheriff tearfully eats a final plate in front of them.
Meet Range Ryder Post Tv-Station
If you go back to the TV station on day 6 you’ll find a burnt version of Range Ryder asking for change.
Catch up on Town Gossip
Petty much after completing a task or when other in game events take place (the diner burning down, the TV station burning down, the Tucker gettign scratched, the firefighters losing their cloth, Karin going missing, etc.) people in the town will remark on how great/terrible the current state of they think. Some of the commentaries are actually pretty funny.

Shoot up the Police Station
Because why not? There's few games out there that will let you do so without getting arrested and/or shot to death. The NPCs will casually go about their business while you empty all bullets at nothing in particular.
People Watch
While most characters can be interacted with, have some dialogue or part of the story, there are some background characters who do not. I counted three - one at the police station, general store, and post office. If you don't count the long line of people playing Indians at the TV station.

They do vanish after a certain time has passed in the game.

Cat Counting
Outside the meat plant and inside are cats. I counted 16, 17 if you count the one on the table with its guts spilling out.

Exiting Level 1 Methods - Fireplace or Fountain (Lodge Level 1)
While in the Lodge on level 1 you will have two methods to exit.

1) Getting the weed killer and using it on the monster plant, grabbing the key from the fountain, using the key on the column , entering room and killing monster before climbing rope and entering level 2 through the art gallery. (I find this method used most often.)



Or


2) Grabbing the glass from the kitchen, filling it with water from the sink in the same place you pick up the weed killer, going back to the fireplace room, dousing the fire with water, removing the fire logs and grate (there will be a spider you need to kill), entering the room with a wasp and killing it, using the logs on the metal plate on the floor to spring the trap so you don't get your head cut off then exiting into Cain's room on level 2.


Notes: Method two is fairly new to me, and once you enter the room with the wasp and what looks like a giant fire pillar if you try to exit without placing the fire logs on the metal plate you will get your head cut off from the trap.
Use Flail on Mr. Cain (Lodge Level 2)
Before going into the room with Mr. Cain, head to the room with the Dolphin statues and pick up the hooked flail. You can then use this on Mr. Cain and rip his eyes right out, making him killable in only one hit.



Notes: I've read on forums that this only works if your targeting his eyes when you attack him, so if you're trying to go for the cutscene you might want to save before going in the room. I got it on the first try.

This method will not work if you entered level 2 through Cain's room as you will not have the hooked flail beforehand.
Explore the Art Gallery (Lodge Level 2)
I mean... it is an art gallery. Although most things can be examined and you can read the details a few cannot.

Kill Librarian (Lodge Level 2)
On the first level of the lodge you'll find a random librarian sitting in an empty room. She'll ask for a book found on Mr. Cain's corpse and give a vague hint about something you could've found out on your own.

After she gave her riddle, I axed her.


Note: If you bring back the book you get for killing Cain she'll tell you where to get the key (killing the chess master)

Chessmaster Choices (Lodge Level 2)
In the lodge when you find the chessmaster you'll have two ways to best him.

1. First, follow the video sequence to beating him at his own game.


2. Second, you can choose to not face him and instead fight an animated chess piece that comes to life and attacks. It should die if you keep spamming the attack button.

Pay the Prostitute for Sex (Lodge Level 3)

In the room with the two prostitutes, chose to have sex with them. You get a little clip of one of them on their knees.

Notes: But they carry something that will kill you soon if you do have sex with them, so make sure you save beforehand.


If you chose to pay for sex then you will catch the disease and need to move quick, go past the dark exotic woman and enter the room of pain there the guy is strapped to the table getting tortured. The vaccine is on the ground. A Right click on it while in your inventory will stop you from dying by the disease.

Give the Dark Exotic Woman a Mirror (Lodge Level 3)
While it is optional to just walk up and kill her since she isn't that hard of an enemy to face, if you picked up the mirror in the room with the prostitutes you can give her the mirror and she'll claw her face up, letting you walk right by her. Or walk up to her and kill her.



Notes: You'll find her on Floor 3 of The Lodge.
Update Log
6/27/21 Guide Posted

9/26/21
Updated Prostitute section
Added Exiting Level 1 Methods - Fireplace or Fountain

4/24/2022
Added Give Mr. Pottsam Meat

8/11/2022
Added Shoot up the Police Station
Added Kill Mom

8/14/2022
Update Basic Update/Spelling
Added People Watch Added
---Redacted Section---
Added Trade Picture to Hank
Added Learn Family Business From Pat
Added Cat Counting
Added Watch Hank's Mental State Decline

10/27/2022
Added Read the Grave Stones
Added Check your mailbox
Added Proofread your Lodge Application
Added Steal the Deed to The TV Station

11/7/2022
Added Die in A Fire
8 Comments
Xiaopang 4 Jan @ 12:22pm 
This is a really great guide! Would be cool to include some cutscenes on Youtube for those that missed them, but otherwise a great list! A lot of effort went into this. Thank you very much :)

One more hint: Apart from the pic of the teachers in the broom closet, you can also give the picture you make of the dead hobo to Hank. You can copy both pictures first and give him the copies. This allows you to not just get both action figures, but you still get to show the originals around town.
wahfooa 16 Dec, 2023 @ 6:38am 
you can type "gimp" into buster monroes dialogue box for instant death as well
Landon Keyser  [author] 24 Jun, 2023 @ 10:27am 
@YukoValis check out the Harvester Show on YouTube. Aarno shares a lot of the development and behind the scenes material.
YukoValis 24 Jun, 2023 @ 10:23am 
I would love for someone to dig into the game files and find out everything you can say to someone.
smegbug2 3 Jan, 2023 @ 6:25pm 
Tell "Mom" the word Dominatrix for a small little conversation.
Landon Keyser  [author] 14 Jul, 2022 @ 7:32pm 
@Sancuino Thank you! I love finding hidden Easter eggs in this game. If you ever find anything I missed feel free to let me know and I’ll include it and give you a shout out :)
Sancuino 14 Jul, 2022 @ 6:14pm 
That's a super interesting guide with ton of stuff I didn't think of, thanks !
Aarch64 30 Jun, 2021 @ 7:10am 
Thanks for the post! there's a lot of content in this game for me to unpack (: