PC gamers wanting an Animal Crossing fix might want to check out this free alternative on Steam that’s been met with positive reviews.
The Animal Crossing series is one of Nintendo’s most beloved properties, ever since it made its debut on the GameCube in 2001. Over the years, we’ve seen releases on just about every Nintendo platform, as well as a mobile spin-off.
So it’s fair to say that whenever a new game in the series arrives, it’s a huge event for Animal Crossing fans. However, that might not be the case for those who game exclusively on PC and might not own a Nintendo console. Thankfully, this free Steam game might provide that much-needed fix.
PC Gamers, Check Out This Animal Crossing Alternative
The Animal Crossing alternative in question is the free-to-play Heartopia, developed and published by the indie studio XD, available on both Steam and mobile devices.
“Welcome to Heartopia, a multiplayer life simulation game crafted for creativity, freedom, and peace,” reads the synopsis of the game on Steam. “Build your dream home, explore a wide range of hobbies, and forge warm connections with friends in a town full of endless possibilities.”
There’s no question that Heartopia is very Animal Crossing-inspired, with imitation being the highest form of flattery, and whatnot. I would say that, judging by the gameplay trailer at least, the level of customisation when it comes to creating buildings may exceed Nintendo’s series, at least.
Being a free–to-play game, you can expect microtransactions in Heartopia, but from what I can tell, those microtransactions are more associated with cosmetic items.
At the time of writing, Heartopia is rated as “Very Positive” from the Steam user reviews.
“Heartopia is SO addictive and SO adorable,” wrote Aggie. “Everything is pastel, cozy and feels like a little online safe space where your brain goes quiet for once.”
“Super adorable life sim with great graphics, lots of replayability, and fun to play with friends. I highly recommend it. Especially if you like games like Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon,” said
VanyelTabris.
“Super cute game and lots of fun to play. So many things to do each day. Reminds me of Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and Infinity Nikki all rolled into one,” exclaimed lady_angel2k.
There are some negative comments regarding its controls and apparent use of AI-generated images, so it might be worth keeping that in mind.
Heartopia is available on PC, Android and iOS.
This sounds like an exciting option for fans of Animal Crossing! It’s great to see more games like this becoming available, especially for free. Looking forward to hearing more about how it plays!