Petit Planet's delightfully cosy galactic take on Animal Crossing is the closest we'll ever get to the life sim on PC

During my 60 minutes with Petit Planet at Gamescom, I was impressed by this 60 minutes of time that the game had on me quite like others. Developed by Hoyoverse, the game aims to attract fans of Animal Crossing by setting its cosy life sim into space. Everything from text boxes to character animations to audio jingles felt familiar, but somehow I loved it.

The game takes the traditionally peaceful vibes of land and sea and brings them into galactic pastures. After creating my human character and being greeted by a pink bunny, I was offered two planets to choose from—a forest and a desert. I chose the forest, but the potential for additional starter options may be on the horizon. I was able to engage in traditional life sim activities such as catching fish, collecting bugs, and shaking trees for fruit.

As I progressed, the game's landscape expanded to include a beach, accessible after collecting enough bugs. The game's landscape can also be filled with new areas and villagers, allowing players to create their perfect galactic paradise. With the ability to rotate the placement and orientation of houses, players have more freedom than in traditional Animal Crossing.

While details on the game's gacha system remains unclear, the demo made it clear that Petit Planet is a strong contender for life sim lovers on PC.