A new indie game on PC is looking to recreate some of the simple joys of the iconic Animal Crossing franchise. Hokko Life brings players into a charming village with a mix of residents, human and otherwise, and features activities like crafting, fishing, home design and bug catching.
It doesn't take long to see that Hokko Life's aesthetic and cozy vibe is taking influences from the long-running Nintendo franchise, but warm-hearted games like Animal Crossing aren't a common sight in popular gaming. The project's resemblance to a modernized take on the early installments of the series is impressive, especially since it's all being made by one developer: Robert Tatnell, a former team member at Lionhead Studios and Ninja Theory.
Tatnell hasn't confirmed a release date for Hokko Life, but plans to put the game into early access on Steam sometime in 2020, with a full release in the first half of next year. Fans of Stardew Valley might also find a lot to like here; the farm simulation title resonated with fans of the Harvest Moon franchise that were clamoring for a new take on its genre, and was also a one-man passion project for much of its development cycle.
Hokko Life isn't the first game in 2020 to bring PC players its own spin on a Nintendo's classic. Creature collecting RPG Temtem made waves by combining Pokemon's familiar mechanics with the shared world of an MMO, and fans piled in strongly enough to break the game's servers at launch. Mixing in recognizable gameplay with new elements here and there could be enough for games like Hokko Life and Temtem to create their own niches alongside the franchises that originally inspired them.
Animal Crossing fans are already looking forward to the release of the latest title in the series, New Horizons. The Switch game is set to bring the beloved franchise back with the first new installment in eight years, following 2012's New Leaf and several spinoff games. Anticipation for the new game is high, but reports that New Horizons's save data will be console locked have worried some players.
Hokko Life will be released on Steam in early access in 2020.