In late August, HoYoverse revealed that it was working on a monster-collecting game much in the vein of Pokémon. Now, the Chinese entertainment brand expands its gaming empire even further with the reveal of Petit Planet, a “cosmic life sim” that will undoubtedly beget comparisons to farming franchises like Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing.
“Plan and build, plant and harvest, befriend quirky fuzzy neighbors and infuse your world with the magical essence of Luca,” reads Petit Planet’s official description. In the game’s two-minute reveal trailer we can see the protagonist capturing butterflies with a net, mining ore, laying down paths, and having tea with animal neighbors. There’s a fantastical element here that’s unique to the games that Petit Planet obviously pulls from, however. In the background, you can see things like blue trees growing mysterious orbs. Later on, the protagonist offers an orb to the tree only for it to absorb it, resulting in a bloom that colors the ground in front of the tree. The official website also notes that you can decorate the sky and coast, not just ordinary land.
The neighbors are based on real creatures, but their designs are more elaborate than anything you’d find in either Animal Crossing or Pokémon. Each character seems to have a specialty as well. There’s a cultivator who focuses on growing produce, a battle beetle trainer who might make use of the creatures we capture, a plushie designer, and a mystic scholar. There are parallels one could draw here — is the mystic scholar basically this game’s version of Celeste? — but there’s also plenty of creativity here too. Or at least I find the prospect of making plushies more exciting than making custom furniture.
Petit Planet’s scope does seem more expansive overall. The footage shows the player driving off into space as mini-planets hang in the distance. Each one of these worlds seems to house a specific character who the player will be able to befriend. Romance might even be in the mix, or at least there’s a moment when the player offers a flower to a flustered human. That human appears to be another actual person, not an NPC. The press release says that Petit Planet players can gather in a social hub to drink coffee together and celebrate festivals.
“Players may board their trusty vehicle with helpful Neighbors to take a Starsea Voyage, venturing into unknown Islets, discovering rare creatures, uncovering hidden recipes, and forging unexpected friendships across the galaxy,” the press release says. The state of the planets players visit is tied to your friendship level with its inhabitants. The closer you get to your neighbors, the more types of interactions you can have.
