Pareesa Afreen 
Sep 27, 2025
Despite being the unquestioned champion of the cosy gaming world for years, Animal Crossing may be facing, on paper at least, something that resembles competition. Two new life-sim titles are set for release, Petit Planet and Animula Nook, both targeting squarely the territory that Nintendo has occupied for decades.
Superficially, these aren’t just cheap knock-offs. Petit Planet is from HoYoverse, the company that brought Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. Tencent Game is backing Animula Nook, which has an interesting premise that is more creative than its title suggests. Their trailers show off bright and inviting worlds, fun characters, and cosy worlds fit for exploring.
However, there is a major caveat. Both of these titles are expected to be released as free-to-play games. For fans of Animal Crossing, this may send a red flag.
One reason why Animal Crossing has such an enduring sense of magic to it is the self-contained and fictional economy. You may spend months paying off Tom Nook’s loans or be caught up in looking for rare insects, but it always feels like part of a whimsical, stress-free world.
Free-to-play will likely disrupt that leisurely pace with mechanics based on daily challenges, login streaks, and microtransaction delocking.
Even premium cosy games like Disney Dreamlight Valley and Hello Kitty Island Adventure sometimes feel artificially padded with progression systems. Adding gacha mechanics or season passes into the mix could make Petit Planet and Animula Nook feel more like a part-time job than a cosy escape.
