The game ends after two and a half years when Jack's parents return (after the third summer), and you will be scored on the life you led during the time they were away. The game scores you in three different ways. The first is on how much of the ranch is covered and developed. This is called the Development Rate. The second is on Jack's happiness, which is a measure of how "satisfying" his life is. This is referred to as the Happiness score. The third is on how well Jack manages the ranch and all other aspects of farm life. This is referred to as the Ranch Master score. These scores are loosely independent. For example, it possible to receive a high Happiness score but low Ranch Master score, and vice versa. In general, the game encourages you to balance as many activities as you can for the best score. In addition to these scores, there are numerous endings to this game, each depending on how you played during your time on the ranch. The exact scoring calculations can be found in the appendix, but you will need to excel at all the following categories to receive the best ending and score.
GENERAL GOALS ============= - Save a lot of money - Get married - Have children - Upgrade your house - Grow and sell all four types of crops - Raise as many cows and chickens as possible - Brush and talk to all cows to increase their affection - Develop as much of the farm as possible (with fence, crops, or grass) - Develop strong relationships with the five single girls in town