When I first received an email about Animula Nook, I immediately sent it to CGM’s Dayna Eileen—as is our protocol for anything cute. But it wasn’t simply its cuteness that caught my attention, but a genuine sense of imagination running underneath it. It’s kind of an accepted truth that if a game is Animal Crossing adjacent, chances are I’m going to want to play it. However, so many games that I’ve tried recently have been good, but have faltered for being a little too close to their inspiration.
For my money, any Animal Crossing-like game is going to not only stand out but succeed in the all-important field of creativity. It’s one thing to have your own unique environments or biomes, but if you give me the same axe, watering can and bug net, and make all my neighbours anthropomorphic animals, I’m gonna wonder why I’m not just playing the best version of that which already exists.
Which is exactly why Animula Nook interested me, since it was pitched as a... Read more