I was scrolling through X (Twitter) the other day when a post caught my eye. If you have been searching for animal crossing like games on steam, I found exactly what you need. It showed a video with the bright, cozy look of Animal Crossing, mixed with a beautiful art style that reminded me of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. That project is the Humblets game, an upcoming PC title explicitly designed for one to four players
There is a fun trend on X right now where indie developers pitch their games by saying: “We are making [Big Game], except [Our Unique Twist].”
The team behind Humblets joined in by quote-tweeting another cool indie game (which was pitched as Stardew Valley but with bugs). Their own pitch was simple and perfect: “We’re making Animal Crossing, except you sleep in a tent and explore an open world with your friends! ⛺”
A Massive Upgrade for Open-World Games
If you play a lot of Animal Crossing, you probably know the feeling of “island fever.” You build a great house and a beautiful town, but you are ultimately tethered to one map and cannot really travel anywhere new.
Humblets fixes this by letting you and up to three friends explore a huge, randomly generated open world. You aren’t just taking a quick flight to visit a friend’s small town. Instead, you are discovering entirely new places side-by-side.
Because the world creates itself as you walk, you cannot rely on memorized maps. The developers promise that “no two adventures are ever the same,” meaning there is always a fresh forest or valley waiting to be found.
Best of all, the game removes all the stressful survival mechanics. There are no depleting hunger meters that will kill your character, and no angry monsters waiting in the dark to ruin your night. Everything is built entirely around having “pure cozy adventuring at your own pace”.
Ditching Swords for Trading Cards
Most open-world games make you fight enemies with swords or magic, but this title is different. Humblets completely removes this kind of violence. Instead, you solve problems and get past “goofy creatures” using a fun, magical game of cards.
You don’t just start with a basic deck, either. You find rare cards hidden throughout the world as rewards for exploring. You can even upgrade your favorite cards at your crafting table using raw materials you gather on your journey.
A Pet That Actually Helps You
Getting a pet in this game is also very unique. Instead of just picking one from a menu, you take a fun personality quiz that algorithmically matches you with your perfect animal companion.
Best of all, your new friend actually helps you play! While you are busy exploring or looking at the scenery, your pet runs around automatically collecting nearby resources for you. It completely removes the boring grind of picking up every little rock or stick yourself, so you can just focus on having fun.
Support Berry Bite: Wishlist Humblets Now
Humblets is being created by Berry Bite, a small but incredibly passionate two-person development team based in Dublin. Making a game with this much heart and ambition takes a lot of time, which is why supporting indie developers early on is so important.
If you are as excited about this cozy, open-world adventure as I am, head over to the official Humblets Steam page and hit that Wishlist button! You can also help bring this beautiful world to life by checking out their upcoming Kickstarter campaign.
Wishlisting a game costs absolutely nothing, but it makes a massive difference for small teams trying to get their games noticed. Go show the Humblets game some love and hit that Wishlist button!
