Harvest Moon 3 GBC takes place on an island, which has some mountainous regions, a grassland , a small village, and the farm where a lot of the game takes place. There are no shops to buy things like tools, crops, and animals; every Monday and Thursday a ferry is available to take the character to the mainland, where all of the shops reside. This is unusual for a Harvest Moon game, as most allow players to buy things whenever they desire.
Growing crops and raising livestock are among the prime tasks in Harvest Moon 3 GBC. But, as with many other HM games, the player has the opportunity to marry his/her partner, and even have a baby. There are some differences between playing as the male or female character; the girl starts out with a free cow and a brush, but cannot upgrade tools, when the boy character can. The male also has more stamina than the female. Also when the player marries as the girl, the game ends, but as a boy, the game continues.