New Steam Game is Like Animal Crossing, But With a Twist
A brand-new life simulation coming to Steam looks to take inspiration from games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing while featuring a plethora of beloved VTubers. Life simulation games have seen a major boom throughout the past decade, with a variety of hit releases popularizing the easygoing, laidback style of games like Stardew Valley. Animal Crossing: New Horizons took the world by storm in 2020, becoming one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch, and the genre has been a popular choice for many indie developers on platforms like Steam. Now, a new game is combining life simulation with a popular content creator group.
Since VTuber agency Hololive was founded in early 2017, the Japanese-based company has grown into one of the biggest names in the live-streaming space. Hololive has experienced rapid growth throughout the early 2020s, with content creators like Gawr Gura, Kiryu Coco, and others becoming some of the most widely beloved streamers on the internet. Hololive’s success has seen the company branch out worldwide, establishing divisions in Indonesia and China and launching an English-speaking group that has welcomed some of the agency’s most prolific talents. Now, fans of Hololive can join their favorite streamers in a brand-new life simulation indie game.
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New Steam Life Simulation Game Features Popular VTubers
Upcoming Steam game holoVillage: Our Cozy Days gives Hololive fans the chance to spend their daily lives alongside popular Hololive VTubers. The game, developed by Roboqlo and published by Hololive’s Holo Indie publishing group, takes inspiration from games like Animal Crossing, allowing players to farm, fish, and even open a shop in a rural village. The main draw of the game comes from the other villagers alongside the player, with players able to play as, and live alongside, popular VTubers like Mori Calliope, Shiori Novella, and Gawr Gura. The game’s early teaser trailers even suggest that HoloVillage will feature multiplayer gameplay, said to include some unique gameplay elements when teaming up with friends. HoloVillage is currently slated to release in 2026.
holoVillage‘s listing on Steam hints at a wide variety of different activities players will be able to experience within the game. Alongside the life simulation gameplay and Hololive villagers, holoVillage will feature combat gameplay and a dungeon for players to explore, with fans potentially able to recruit their VTuber neighbors to fight alongside them. Character customization is also heavily emphasized in holoVillage, with players said to be able to decorate and share their homes and in-game shops alongside a plethora of clothing options.
Hololive VTubers Are Appearing in More Games
The growth of the VTuber industry has often seen popular content creators featured in games, both their own and as cameos. Hololive’s previously-mentioned Holo Indie studio focuses heavily on publishing games centered around Hololive talents, with the VTuber agency contributing to titles like fighting game Idol Showdown and beat-em-up Holo X Break. One particular Hololive VTuber was even featured in Death Stranding 2 as a special cameo, with creator Hideo Kojima admittedly being a big fan of Japanese content creator Usada Pekora. Hololive English’s Mori Calliope also provided the ending theme to the Suicide Squad Isekai anime in early 2024.
holoVillage looks to be a comfy life simulation game that should appeal to both Hololive fans and cozy gamers in general. The rise of the life simulation genre has seen the genre experiment with a wide variety of themes, with different developers putting their own twists on the formula. Indie games like Drakantos and Fields of Mistria have brought the genre into more fantasy-inspired environments, while others like Roots of Pacha focus on different time periods. Many bigger developers have also looked to capitalize on the growing trend, with upcoming games like The Pokemon Company’s Pokemon Pokopia and HoYoverse’s Petit Planet providing their own take on Animal Crossing. holoVillage should be a cozy, enjoyable time for any life simulation fan, not just those who watch Hololive.