Based On The Closed Beta HoYoverse's Petit Planet Definitely Scratches That Cozy Itch

Closed Beta testing for HoYoverse’s upcoming cozy cosmit life sim game, Petit Planet, has been underway for about two days now. While officially it started yesterday, as with most HoYo games, things kicked off later on the day before for those of us in the West. As a fan of games like Animal Crossing and a consistent player of a large portion of the HoYoverse library of games, I was pretty excited when this game was revealed. (I was also interested to see how the company known for the Honkai universe of games would go about creating a game that doesn’t cause its players emotional damage.)

So, when I was invited to take part in what the Petit Planet team has dubbed the “Coziness Test”, I had to say yes. (It also didn’t hurt that the test followed the end of HSR’s Amphoreus storyline. Something a bit more relaxing is perfect right about now.) At this point, I’ve spent several hours in the game, and while it’s still in development and things may change from what I’m seeing now, I have to say it’s what I would expect from a village-building game – only on a cosmic scale. That’s a good thing, by the way. To put it another way, it’s pure vibes.

Much like Animal Crossing, Petit Planet features anthropomorphic animals who, one by one, move to the player’s planet. With the exception of the first three characters, who are all representatives of “Loomi Co.”, the corporation in charge of settling these worlds, players will meet their neighbors during their travels through the Starsea to explore and gather resources. The three initial characters, Mobai, Glenn, and Esassani, serve as guides for the player and as custodian, shopkeeper, and chauffeur, respectively. Although, it seems Esassani seems to do more hanging out than anything once the player procures their own car to travel with.

When the new characters met during exploring move to the player’s planet, they bring their own tiny worlds with them. The player becomes responsible for upgrading these places, known as Planettes. Upgrading each neighbor’s Planette earns the player a series of rewards. To complete these upgrades, players will need a supply of small fuzzy mystical spirits known as Archiboos. These creatures, which look a bit like they might be related to dust bunnies or soot sprites, only in a range of colours, are obtained by doing all the things you’d normally do in game – gathering, fishing, collecting bugs, crafting things, etc. There are five types in total, and each is obtained via a different activity. Each neighbor requires a different mix of Archiboos to level their Planette.

Of course, the game features the standard friend-making activities, like helping neighbors with their houses, giving them gifts, and talking to them. Players can also improve their standing with neighbors and earn gifts by taking them on trips through the Starsea. The good news is that while on the journey, each neighbor will help with collecting items. So they’re not just along for the ride.

So, if we’re comparing Petit Planet to Animal Crossing, what’s really different? Obviously, the Planette system mentioned above. What I would consider the other significant differences would be how the planet is evolved using an element known as Luca to nurture and grow it. Players earn Luca by completing various tasks and then use it to “water” the Luca Arbor. As this unique tree grows, it changes the terrain of the planet. It also grows spots for places to place special seeds earned from players that change the appearance of not just the planet but the sky around it.

The other big unique feature is the game’s Galactic Bazaar. Petit Planet is a multiplayer online game, and like Animal Crossing, players can visit each other’s spaces. But they don’t have to go to each other’s planets to meet up. The game has a social hub where players can go and take part in different social activities like hanging out around a bonfire, dance competitions, raffles, or hanging out in a coffee shop.

Another interesting difference is that while, narratively speaking, it is a company that is facilitating our new planetary homestead, the vibe isn’t quite the same as dealing with Animal Crossing’s Tom Nook. There is no loan to take out and pay back. Instead, the game gives two options. You either just save up the money needed for upgrades and pay in one go when you’re ready. Or, you can throw money at it as you have it, and when there’s enough in there, the house is yours – after a wait until the next day for it to be built. I’ve tried both ways and found that for me, the latter works pretty well, because it keeps me from spending the money on random things.

Visually speaking, the game is stylized and very pretty. It’s also cute and warm – pretty much everything you could want from a cozy game on that front. However, there’s not a lot in the way of character customization at the start. Instead, players unlock more as the game progresses.

As mentioned above, right now, we’re still in closed beta testing. So, there’s a constant reminder in-game that things could change. That said, the game feels pretty good now. So it will be interesting to see how it feels after player feedback and the like. Also worth noting is that at this point, we’re not seeing a monetization system. I can make a few guesses as to what it might include, but I’d rather wait and see.