Upcoming farming and life simulation game Coral Island is shaping up to be perfect for fans of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. First announced in 2021, Coral Island includes many features of classic farming games, and expands upon many of those elements to put its own unique twist on the genre. Although no firm release date has been set for the game, more in-game details continue to be shared by developer Stairway Games that further emphasize its appeal for simulation game fans.
Coral Island began on Kickstarter, and met its initial funding goal in only 36 hours. After that goal was met, the developers continued to add stretch goals that would add more features to the game, such as a Merfolk underwater village and the ability to travel to other islands. At a recent showcase, Humble Games announced it would take on the role of publisher for the game, providing funding that will allow the game to grow even more. Much like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Coral Island takes place on a remote island full of creatures and interesting characters. Players can build friendships with their neighbors, and some characters can even be romanced, similar to the marriage system of Stardew Valley. Players can customize their home and character, catch bugs and fish, plant crops and fruit trees, clean up the island, and much more that will sound familiar to Animal Crossing fans.
A new developer update posted to the Stairway Games website has outlined more details about the upcoming game, giving an overview of several features. A unique feature of the game will be weekly television shows, reminiscent of Animal Crossing's TV Easter eggs, but further expanded upon. Two shows were shown in the post: Mooqbang, where a cow tries different foods on air, and Game of Cones, a cooking competition show, both of which will have weekly episodes. The post revealed player clothing and customization options will be quite extensive, showcasing many pieces of clothing, accessories, and facial hair that will be available, and teasing more to come. All clothing and hair options will be available to all body types. The mechanic of clearing trash from the island's reef has been finalized, with the developers opting for a vacuum-like system called the Vaquatic. A new Alpha version of the game will be available to Kickstarter backers beginning May 9th at 11:59 PM PST.
It seems that almost every detail revealed about Coral Island makes the game seem even more appealing for fans of the farming and life simulation genre. Some elements expand on what players love about New Horizons, such as the immense 75 varieties of crops compared to Animal Crossing's six options. Beloved features like creature catching and design opportunities, combined with unique new aspects like underwater exploration, mining, and an appealing art style make this game perfect for fans of the genre to experience something new while maintaining what drew them to the genre in the first place.
It's still unclear when Coral Island will release - with the game currently receiving Alpha updates, progress is clearly happening, albeit slowly. Many New Horizons fans have been playing the game for over 2 years, and have begun to experience burnout and the desire to experience something new, and Coral Island could easily fit the bill. With no sequel for Animal Crossing: New Horizons likely to happen any time soon, Coral Island will be the perfect substitute for many players.
Source: Stairway Games
