New Cozy Game Is Basically Animal Crossing: New Horizons if It Were Halloween All Year Long

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Games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Stardew Valley have become incredibly popular recently, leaving many players searching for their next relaxing game. Luckily, developers are consistently releasing new “cozy” titles, and the market is now full of them because they consistently attract and keep players engaged for long periods. Fans of this genre are usually excited about new releases, which gives JSquared Games’ upcoming life simulation game, My Lil Afterlife, a strong starting point before it even comes out.

What really sets My Lil Afterlife apart is its strong resemblance to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but permanently set in a Halloween-like atmosphere. It takes the relaxing, comforting gameplay of that style of game, incorporates elements from New Horizons, and then layers it all with a spooky, yet charming, vibe. My Lil Afterlife is clearly designed to give Animal Crossing fans a completely new experience that goes beyond what seasonal events in New Horizons can provide.

My Lil Afterlife Puts Players in Charge of an Animal Crossing-Like Afterlife

In My Lil Afterlife, you step into the role of afterlife manager after the Grim Reaper goes a little power-crazy and isolates himself. The game is built around a simple, fun idea that’s unique enough to feel like a loving tribute to Animal Crossing rather than a straight copy. It does this by adding new features and systems you wouldn’t find in Animal Crossing, and by choosing a retro art style and soundtrack. While it still shares similarities with Animal Crossing, My Lil Afterlife offers a fresh and distinct experience.

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My Lil Afterlife’s Features at a Glance

  • RULE THE AFTERLIFE: Become the new ruler of your own supernatural realm and build it up as you see fit.
  • SUMMON SPOOKY FRIENDS: Summon spooky residents to live in your otherworldly domain and interact with them.
  • CUSTOMIZE AND DECORATE: Decorate your realm with items you can craft, find, buy, or unlock.
  • FURNITURE AND CLOTHING: Collect new furniture pieces to decorate with and fresh clothing items to wear.
  • MYSTERIES AND COMBAT: Unravel afterlife secrets by taking on the Reaper’s Tower with spells and combat mechanics.
  • FISHING SYSTEM: Cast your rod at several coastline spots to fish up resources like stinky fish, bones, and essence.
  • PETS AND BLIND BOXES: Find elemental-themed pets and companions through randomly dropping blind boxes.

My Lil Afterlife Adopts Several of Animal Crossing’s Most Iconic Features

The game My Lil Afterlife truly feels like Animal Crossing when you start building a community and managing your afterlife settlement. As the new leader, you can attract a diverse group of spirits to live there, similar to how you invite characters to your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game promises a wide variety of spirits, from wise old skeletons to playful sasquatches, making each afterlife feel unique.

The similarities to Animal Crossing continue with the ability to fully customize and decorate the afterlife. Players can buy, craft, or find items while exploring the Reaper’s Tower and then place them anywhere to create their ideal world. The game features decorations like graves, corn mazes, and jack-o’-lanterns, and promises even more options – you can design a peaceful park or a classic American diner, for example. Because of this focus on customization, there’s likely a huge variety of decorative items available.

In My Lil Afterlife, you step into the role of managing the afterlife after the Grim Reaper loses control and isolates himself in his tower.

As a big fan of cozy games, I’ve noticed that My Lil Afterlife really leans into the fashion aspect of Animal Crossing, which makes sense considering the whole afterlife vibe. You can customize your character with tons of clothes and accessories – hats, sunglasses, the works! But you’ll need to be friendly with the right characters in the game to actually buy those cool items. And just like in Animal Crossing, you can even go fishing! It’s a nice little touch and a way to gather resources if you’re willing to spend some time by the sea.

My Lil Afterlife Distinguishes Itself With Combat and Companions

While My Lil Afterlife shares some similarities with Animal Crossing, it stands out thanks to its combat and the ability to have companions. Players can explore the Reaper’s Tower to find useful items like crafting materials and decorations, but they’ll have to battle the Reaper’s minions to get them. Although the game description focuses on spells for defense, players can also use swords.

While not explicitly mentioned, My Lil Afterlife probably includes a variety of other weapons and ways to fight.

Finally, My Lil Afterlife lets you collect adorable pets and companions, adding a lot of personality and charm to your game. A recent update even added a dedicated equipment slot just for them! You can find these companions in special elemental boxes earned by playing the game. They’re not just for looks – pets add another fun collecting element to the gameplay, enhancing the game’s cozy and whimsical feel and giving you more ways to customize your afterlife world and really make it your own.

My Lil Afterlife feels like a fresh take on the cozy life sim genre, building on the enjoyable settlement gameplay of games like Animal Crossing. It combines that familiar feeling with a unique, slightly spooky world. You can build a community, customize everything to your liking, relax with activities like fishing and decorating, collect adorable pets, and even enjoy a bit of combat and mystery to keep things interesting. It offers a comforting yet new experience, and with a planned release in 2026, My Lil Afterlife has the potential to become the next big obsession for fans of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

The game My Lil Afterlife will be released on Steam in 2026. You can play a demo version right now on the game’s Steam page.

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2026-02-19 04:05