I’m Finally Entering the HoYoverse, and I Blame Animal Crossing

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You won’t believe it, but I’ve never actually played any games from HoYoverse. While everyone was obsessed with Genshin Impact, I was lost in Animal Crossing: New Horizons and enjoying story-driven games like The Last of Us 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Then, when Honkai: Star Rail came out, I was busy battling demons in Diablo 4. Now, in 2025, I’m starting to feel like I’ve missed the boat!

I often feel overwhelmed starting games that have been around for a while and have a lot of existing content – it’s why I had to make a real effort to get into Destiny 2 before its latest expansion, and why I’m only now considering giving Fallout 76 another try. This fear of falling behind is why I’ve avoided games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. I admire HoYoverse’s ability to create immersive games with compelling characters, but I’ve also seen friends become completely absorbed by them, dedicating all their time and money to those games. As someone who enjoys playing a variety of titles, I worry about the commitment required to catch up on current HoYoverse games. Luckily, Petit Planet seems like a good entry point, as I can start fresh with a HoYoverse title and it also offers something my gaming collection has been missing: a relaxing, life-simulation game similar to Animal Crossing.

Petit Planet is HoYoverse Animal Crossing, and That’s Just What I Need Right Now

I don’t usually follow HoYoverse games, but I recently discovered Petit Planet while looking for something to play instead of Animal Crossing. Since a new Animal Crossing game probably won’t come out until around 2027—given the long wait between New Leaf and New Horizons—I’ve been trying out different alternatives to keep me entertained. I’ve found a few decent games, but none have really felt like the perfect fit. Hello Kitty: Island Adventure was enjoyable at first, but I got tired of the constant restrictions. Dinkum is cute, but I wasn’t impressed with the decorating options. And although Animula Nook looks promising, it’s still a ways off from being released.

I was really surprised while looking up Animal Crossing on Google Trends. Instead of seeing searches about the game I expected, the top result was for Petit Planet. I checked out the trailer for it, and it blew me away! First, it’s a very different style than anything I’ve seen from its developer, HoYoverse. Second, the way you can decorate your home looks even better than in Animal Crossing. If I didn’t write about video games, I’d probably be an interior designer! In cozy games like Farm Together, Palia, and Minecraft, I always focus on decorating the inside of buildings while my partner handles the outside. Petit Planet looks like it will let me really indulge that passion. The trailer shows off tons of furniture, themes, and collectables, and it looks amazing.

Currently, there’s no set release date for Petit Planet, but a limited beta test, playfully named the “coziness test,” starts soon. Players selected after completing a survey will get to try the game on PC or mobile devices starting November 7th.

Home Decoration is the Tip of the Iceberg For Petit Planet

I love decorating in cozy games, but I also enjoy a variety of other activities. Luckily, Petit Planet offers a little bit of everything, including all the features you’d expect from a relaxing game in this style, thanks to its creators at HoYoverse.

  • Mining
  • Cooking
  • Planting/Farming
  • Crafting
  • Shopping
  • Fishing (my second favorite cozy game activity)
  • Exploration via a “Starsea Voyage” mechanic. Perhaps this will work like Animal Crossing’s Mystery Islands?
  • A social hub called Galactic Bazaar where you can meet new players

After watching the trailer for Petit Planet, it looks like playing with friends will be a big part of the game. The trailer shows players hanging out together, using emotes, and even having a dance party, hinting at mini-games. There will also be animal characters to interact with – so far, we’ve met four: Yungao the farming fox, Isaki the beetle trainer, Medowlyn the sheep who makes plushies, and Frostia the scholar (who seems a bit like Blathers from Animal Crossing!). It’s not yet clear if new animal characters will move in like villagers do in Animal Crossing.

As soon as I saw the trailer for Petit Planet, with its tiny planets, it instantly reminded me of LittleBigPlanet, which I absolutely adore! It honestly feels like a game made just for me. And if I fall in love with this, it might finally give me the confidence to try out some of HoYoverse’s other, bigger games!

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2025-10-26 23:36