HoYoverse announces closed beta for its new space-based cozy game, Petit Planet
It’s Animal Crossing, but in space.
Petit Planet, HoYoverse’s latest game, is about to open its first closed beta. Titled the “Coziness Test”, it’s an indication that the company is joining in on the trend of cozy games that’s been gaining popularity over the past few years.
Petit Planet is what HoYoverse calls a “Cosmic Life Sim”, which sees you creating, customising and taking care of your own planets, similar to Animal Crossing: New Horizons with its islands. There’ll be similar mechanics too, including fishing, farming, resource gathering and unlocking recipes for cooking.
Additionally, there’s another element called ‘Luca’, which represents your planet’s vitality and can be used to change the way your planet looks.
Like Animal Crossing, there are also animal NPCs called Neighbors who inhabit your planet. You’ll be able to build bonds with them, and invite more of them to settle in your world through an exploration mechanic called Starsea Voyages. These Neighbors can also connect their own ‘Planettes’ to your planet, and from the looks of the trailer it seems like, eventually, other players will be able to visit your planet, too.
Funnily enough, this is not HoYoverse’s first game where travelling through space is an essential element of the game (we have Honkai: Star Rail to thank for that). And it’s technically not the first time a HoYoverse game has allowed you to customise your own in-game space and invite other players to visit too, with Genshin Impact’s Serenitea Pot coming to mind.
Petit Planet’s closed beta will also feature a hub area called the Galactic Bazaar, where players will be able to congregate, chat and play co-op rhythm mini-games. The closed beta will begin on 7 November for PC and iOS, and prospective players can sign up now by completing a survey on HoYoverse’s website here. No final release date yet, though.