Few cozy games have captured quite the same level of fan devotion as Animal Crossing. This game attracts seasoned cozy gamers along with people who’ve otherwise barely touched a video game in their lives with its relaxed gaming mechanics, collectibles, and iconic characters that players love – and sometimes love to hate. But a new game currently in development just might be coming for Animal Crossing‘s crown.
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As much as people love Animal Crossing, the franchise hasn’t given its fans much in the way of new content to love in recent years. It’s been four years since the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and many players are eagerly awaiting a new mainstream game release. There’s only so many new islands to start before gathering bells gets a bit stale, after all.
The franchise did recently give players something slightly different to enjoy in the form of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. The live service game has officially shut down, but a paid version of the mobile app is now available to fill the gap, and it even includes a few new surprises for longtime fans to enjoy. But for many longing for that good old 2020 Animal Crossing: New Horizons feeling, this isn’t nearly enough. And that’s where new games are trying to step into the space.
In a recent leak reported by Insider Gaming, Ubisoft has a new cozy social sim in development. The project’s code name is Alterra, and it will allegedly have an Animal Crossing-style gameplay loop. That means social elements that let players visit one another’s home base alongside plenty of colorful NPCs that players can grow to love. Certainly, these are the main attractions of Animal Crossing for many, and a good part of what made New Horizons such a staple of the pandemic lockdown era, when those virtual islands visits were the most socialization many had access to.
The leak also includes images of the in-game characters, and this is where the Animal Crossing resemblance fades a bit. According to reports, these creatures, called Matterlings, will look a bit like the popular Funko Pop! figures with large heads and cartoonish features.
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This upcoming rival to Animal Crossing is also said to be a voxel-based game, meaning it will likely have a more malleable in-game environment than many recent entries into the cozy genre. Without game footage available just yet, it’s hard to say exactly what this may look like, but references to Minecraft-style building mechanics have already been made. Given the popularity of both games, a hybrid version of the two is certainly an idea to try out.
As this is still early information, the game that will eventually emerge from Project Alterra is likely a few years away. There’s plenty of time for Animal Crossing to announce its next main series game and reclaim the crown, but even so, it sounds like this new project has an eye on that fanbase and hopes to improve upon the building and decorating elements of the game to draw in new fans, as well.