HoYoverse has been releasing some of the highest quality free-to-play games on the market, so it’s always a blast seeing what they release next, especially given what we’re used to seeing from them. We have Genshin, which focuses on elemental reactions and action combat, Honkai: Star Rail that focuses on the teambuilding aspect and strategy of a turn-based RPG, and Zenless Zone Zero, which is an incredibly stylish character action game. Plus, recently we saw Honkai: Anima Nexus get revealed, which appears to be some sort of creature collecting auto chess game. Naturally, what’s next in the vast sea of genres for HoYo to come along and absolutely crush?
This morning, we saw the reveal of Petit Planet from HoYoverse. This game is being dubbed a “cosmic life simulation game” that invites players to partake on a new journey fueled by idyllic and adventurous lifestyles. It’s a cozy life simulation game with that flair and charm that HoYoverse games always flourish with, so you know you’re getting something that looks gorgeous and has an absolute monolith of content. Petit Planet is driven by its slogan “Weave Your Dreams Beneath the Stars”, and blends the joys of creation, discovery, and community to truly transform the universe into something for everyone to enjoy and shape.
In Petit Planet, players are given the goal of nurturing a planet of their own and gradually forming an entire galaxy via connecting with other planets all over the starry sky. The journey begins on the home planet, where your new fuzzy Neighbors can connect their home planets to join you. As your bonds deepen and your planets flourish, the planet’s vitality “Luca” will shape each planet with varying landscapes, each of which brimming with life and energy.
Of course, being a life sim cozy game, Petit Planet blends everyday life with joyful and relaxing things to do, such as farming, fishing, mining, cooking, crafting, and combing beaches for treasure. You’ll find yourself lost in the moment while harvesting exotic crops, discovering diverse ecosystems, and spending time with your adorable Neighbors. Of course, it’s not just your typical daylife, so feel free to unleash your creativity! Stylize your character with an outfit of your own, design and organize interiors of all kinds, build lovely outdoor spaces with uniquely themed furniture, and with the planetary energy of Luca, even the sky, grasslands, and beaches can be transformed into something new.
Brighten the stars of your galaxy through connections with your traveling Neighbors, each with their own personality, story, and dreams to unfold as you play and deepen your bonds with them. As your planet grows and evolves, so will the friendships that permeate it. Naturally, connections you form in Petit Planet aren’t confined to your own planet. Take a trip on your trusty vehicle with helpful Neighbors to take a Starsea Voyage, venturing into all sorts of unknown islets to discover rare creatures, uncover hidden recipes, and so much more. Beyond even exploration there lies the Galactic Bazaar, an ever-bustling social hub where conversations and new friends can be had and made over coffee, festival events light up the starry sky, and lasting connections can form.
Petit Planet boasts 3D cartoony and stylized art to really give you that sense of coziness you love from the life sim genre, and this marks HoYoverse’s first step into life sim games. Currently, it’s confirmed you can play on PC and mobile, with other platforms currently in development. Presumably these are going to be PlayStation and Xbox, but time will reveal more details later. The “Closed Beta Coziness Test” is also open for player registration on the official website, planet.hoyoverse.com. A number of players will be selected from the registered applicants. For further details, they recommend you follow @PetitPlanetGame on Facebook and X.
Keep an eye on Petit Planet, I think HoYoverse is cooking up something supremely special here.