Animal Crossing Fans Shouldn’t Sleep on This Isometric Soulslike Game

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I’ve really gotten hooked on No Rest for the Wicked recently. I started playing when the developers were showing off the new co-op update, and it totally grabbed me. The combat is challenging but fair, and the story is surprisingly easy to follow for a Soulslike – I’ve already lost tons of hours to it, even though it’s still in Early Access! But honestly, most of my time has been spent in this super cool side-game within No Rest for the Wicked. It’s basically like Animal Crossing, but built into an isometric Soulslike – they’ve taken everything great about that franchise and put a whole new spin on it.

If you’re unfamiliar with No Rest for the Wicked, you might be as surprised as I was to discover it has a relaxing, cozy side, especially if you enjoy games like Animal Crossing. Maybe you’re avoiding it because you’re not great at challenging “Soulslike” games, or perhaps you’re tired of that style of game altogether. But No Rest for the Wicked is different enough from typical Soulslikes that even players who aren’t skilled in the genre can enjoy its calmer aspects without a lot of frustration. In fact, you could easily play it just for the *Animal Crossinglike experience it offers.

No Rest for the Wicked Takes Animal Crossing to the Dark World of Isola Sacra

Relaxing and repetitive gameplay, similar to what you find in games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, has become increasingly popular. Now, even developers of games not traditionally considered ‘cozy’ are finding ways to include these elements. No Rest for the Wicked is a recent example, featuring a unique system where players help build and develop a settlement on the island of Isola Sacra. This settlement, called Sacrament, is key to the game’s gameplay, letting players collect materials, grow the town’s population, and ultimately create a thriving home.

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No Rest for the Wicked’s Animal Crossing-Like Features

  • SETTLEMENT RESTORATION — Contribute resources to restore the city of Sacrament and unlock merchant upgrades and new activities.
  • PLAYER HOUSING — Buy and decorate your own house where you can store loot and craft items.
  • CRAFTING AND FURNITURE — Use gathered resources to craft gear and furniture for your home.
  • FISHING AND FARMING — Participate in fishing and farming activities when not advancing the main story.
  • RESOURCE GATHERING — Explore the world to collect materials that feed into building projects and home improvements.

A key part of what makes No Rest for the Wicked appealing is the way you rebuild the town of Sacrament. Like in Animal Crossing, you’ll spend a lot of time collecting materials – chopping wood, mining for ore, and digging up resources. You then donate these materials to an NPC named Danos, who uses them to restore buildings and create new ones. While it doesn’t have the same bright and cheerful style as Animal Crossing, the gameplay is similarly satisfying, and watching Sacrament grow from ruins into a thriving city is incredibly rewarding.

Sacrament isn’t just a town filled with characters; players can actually purchase and customize their own homes there. There are several affordable options to choose from, each with a different layout and varying amounts of space. You can fill your home with crafted or purchased items like workshops, storage, beds, and decorations. While many games offer player housing, few combine it with the ability to build and develop an entire town like No Rest for the Wicked does—particularly within the action RPG and Souls-like genres.

A relaxing part of No Rest for the Wicked is rebuilding the town of Sacrament. This involves collecting resources, similar to the gameplay in Animal Crossing.

Beyond the similar feel to other games, No Rest for the Wicked offers relaxing side activities when you need a break from fighting and exploring its dark world. You can fish, which is a nice way to unwind and also provides food you can cook for health benefits. The fishing mechanic is the same as other gathering tasks in the game, but it’s still enjoyable. In a recent interview, the developers at Moon Studios also revealed that farming will be added to the game eventually, though they haven’t announced a release date yet.

No Rest for the Wicked’s Accessibility Makes It Easy to Play as a Cozy Game

If you enjoy relaxing games but aren’t used to or tired of challenging ‘Soulslike’ games, No Rest for the Wicked tries to be more welcoming. It still takes effort – more than a game like Stardew Valley, for example – but it’s designed to be less punishing than typical Soulslike titles, making it easier to pick up and play.

How No Rest for the Wicked Makes Its Soulslike Gameplay More Approachable

  • DIFFICULTY SETTINGS let you adjust how hard enemies hit and how much health they have.
  • SOFT DEATH PENALTY keeps enemies you’ve already killed dead when you respawn, reducing repeated combat frustration.
  • ISOMETRIC PERSPECTIVE gives clearer views of incoming threats compared with tight third-person camera angles.

No Rest for the Wicked is easier to get into thanks to its difficulty settings, which you choose when you start a new game. These settings, called “paths,” adjust how much health and damage enemies have. The “Path of the Chosen” is the standard difficulty, while “Path of the Torn” (Easy) makes enemies much weaker, reducing their health by 20% and their damage by 50%. For a greater challenge, “Path of the Unspoken” (Hard) increases enemy health and damage by 20% and 35% respectively, and also makes them harder to stun or interrupt. If you’re curious about the game’s town-building aspects but want a more relaxed experience, the easy difficulty setting is a great place to start.

Once you create a Realm in No Rest for the Wicked, you can’t change its difficulty. However, because you can use the same character in multiple Realms, players could create a separate, easier Realm if they prefer a more relaxed experience.

Unlike many challenging games, dying in No Rest for the Wicked isn’t overly punishing. Your equipment will wear down a bit, but you won’t lose progress or currency. Enemies remain defeated for a good period, and you can avoid the frustration of respawning far from where you fell. The main concerns are keeping your gear in good condition and using Whispers to save frequently, preventing a potentially inconvenient respawn location. Plus, the game’s overhead perspective gives you a wider view of combat, helping you strategize and gain an edge against enemies.

At first glance, No Rest for the Wicked seems like a typical, challenging action RPG. However, the more time you spend in the city of Sacrament, the more you’ll notice a surprisingly engaging system at its core. Beyond the dark, dangerous streets and tough boss battles lies a rewarding cycle of collecting resources, rebuilding structures, decorating, and watching a ruined town gradually flourish. If you enjoy checking on businesses, improving town squares, or simply arranging furniture after a difficult session, you’ll find that same satisfying rhythm here. While it exchanges bright and cheerful visuals for a darker, more somber aesthetic, the feeling of accomplishment is just as strong. If you’ve ever spent hours tending to an island or designing a perfect home in games like Animal Crossing, you’ll likely find something surprisingly familiar and enjoyable in No Rest for the Wicked.

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2026-02-24 02:35