Petit Planet is an upcoming life simulation title by HoYoverse where players are tasked with the revival of an empty planet from scratch. Read our review of its Stardrift Test to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
Everything We Know About Petit Planet
Petit Planet Plot
There is not one definitive and structured narrative for Petit Planet; instead, it takes on a write-your-own-story kind of direction. Players, known as Planet Tenders, are tasked with nurturing a planet from the ground up.
Given the emphasis on connections between players and Neighbors, as well as the social multiplayer systems, the game seems to prioritize shared experiences over a fixed plot. Storytelling may largely come from how each player develops their planet, cultivates friendships, and participates in interplanetary events.
Petit Planet Gameplay
Petit Planet is a life-simulation and world-management game that features a range of core activities typical of the life simulation genre. Players are tasked as a Planet Tender, where they can engage in farming, fishing, mining, cooking, crafting, and beachcombing.
Planet growth is tied to a system called Luca, which represents the vitality of each player’s world. As Luca develops, it shapes the natural environment, transforming the planet with new landscapes such as grasslands, beaches, and other biomes.
Petit Planet Release Date
Petit Planet’s release date and release window have yet to be announced. However, the game is confirmed to launch on Android, iOS, and PC.
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Petit Planet Review [Stardrift Test]: A Star That's Soon To Sparkle
From Action RPGs to Cozy Games
There is perhaps no gamer that hasn’t at least heard of the gaming giant HoYoverse (formerly miHoYo). It’s the home of immensely popular gacha games that have made waves across the internet, namely Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Honkai Impact 3rd, Zenless Zone Zero, and my personal favorite, Tears of Themis.
Now, HoYoverse, as much as I love their games, appears to be missing out on a genre of the gaming space that has been gaining traction: cozy games. They have action, they have fantasy, they have realism, they have hints of dark and deep plotlines—but sometimes, you just want something heartwarming and fluffy.
And this seems to be their answer to that. Enter Petit Planet, an upcoming life simulation game made in-house, a drastic 180 turn from their usual blend of titles. We were given the great opportunity to dive into their Stardrift Closed Beta Test, and here is what we know and feel about the game so far.
Your Planet, Your Home in the Starsea
Petit Planet is set in a galaxy deep in the cosmos called the Starsea, where countless planets exist within its confines. As it grows, so do the planets and their numbers. With tens of thousands of planets in its space, there is a need for certain individuals to take care of them. Chosen by the Starsea Spirit, Oumuamua, these special people called Planet Tenders live on these bare planets and slowly turn them into a warm and loving homestead.
Most of the game takes place on your own planet, which slowly revitalizes itself as you progress. You live in harmony with special NPCs called Neighbors who have decided to take residence in your charming home; however, you’re also free to visit other budding planets in the Starsea, as well as meet other fellow inhabitants through other means.
Explore, Collect, Discover—The World Is Your Oyster
Similar to other life simulation games like Animal Crossing, Heartopia, Starsand Island, Pokémon Pokopia, and the like, Petit Planet’s gameplay revolves around turning a blank piece of land into a livable, shining planet teeming with life. Players can select from two types of planets (in the Stardrift Test, at least), each with their own unique type of biome and fruit tree. This personal planet of theirs is then slowly revitalized by the player’s actions—planting crops, fulfilling quests, keeping Neighbors happy, and more.
There is a pretty long tutorial on the basics of raising a planet, but after that 1-2 hour window of going through the motions, you’re then left with a solid list of things to do alongside finishing quests: harvest plants, plant new ones, chat with the Neighbors, give them gifts to keep them happy, finish daily tasks to earn extra currency for buying new cosmetics and furniture, catch bugs, fish for sea creatures, learn new recipes or make your own, check out the merchant store to buy and sell, dress up in almost any way you want…and a whole lot more.
Finishing quests and general tending to your land will net your planet Luca, a mysterious revitalizing liquid that is used to water the planet’s core, the Luca Arbor, a glowing blue tree that changes the planet according to how far you’ve progressed.
The world—your very own Petit Planet, if I may—is quite literally your oyster in the way that it encourages you to just do what you’d want to do. While there are quests for progression, you’re not strictly tied to them. You want to plant White Lilies all over your planet from head to toe so that players can spot them from a mile away? Or do you just want to cook to your heart’s delight, finding new recipes with every mix and match? Perhaps you’re into interior decorating—there’s a wide variety of furniture with differing themes as well, allowing for full customization. The possibilities are almost endless here. Your planet, your story.
Turning Neighbors into Best Friends
The Neighbor system is also an interesting feature. As mentioned before, Neighbors are NPCs that take up residence on your planet, very similar to Animal Crossing’s Villagers. Each Neighbor has a distinct personality, set of likes and dislikes, a specialty, and their own stories that you gradually unlock the more you grow closer in bond. At the Stardrift Test, there appears to be a total of eight available Neighbors to recruit, two of which are automatically part of the early game quests, namely shy green-thumbed farmer Yunguo and bug-catching hero aspirant Isaki.
Making sure you have a good relationship with them is essential in making the planet prosper, with Neighbor quests part of earning Luca. Daily chats and daily gifts are a must, and while relationships don’t seem to sour at all or at least not quickly, you feel a little bit of guilt for not paying attention to their preferences and their needs. Yunguo’s polite smile hit me harder than it should have.
It’s only been a day or two, but I’ve grown very fond of them already. Right now I’m trying to vie for Nerina, a jellyfish-like character who loves music, and I’m looking forward to more. Considering this is looking to be a live-service game, I can’t wait to see how many more Neighbors the developers have in store.
Socialization with Players and NPCS
Aside from planet nurturing, another big feature of the game is its commitment to player socialization. You can interact with fellow players just from looking up at the sky, even! Random player planets will pass by your own periodically, and you are given the opportunity to visit them to make friends, help out with tasks, or share unique items like fruits not available on your home planet. On the other hand, the main form of interaction is through the Galactic Bazaar, a multiplayer hub where players from all over can get together in small lobbies, playing games or just chatting.
Additionally, it’s not just fellow players you can talk to in the Galactic Bazaar. You’re also treated to AI-powered interactive NPCs that either host fun simple activities or just talk to you like a digital friend.
You can play Word Soup, a storytelling game, or Word Chain, where you and other players link words together using their last letters with Riffe over at the campfire, or participate in Pitch & Profit, a debate-like game that makes use of aggressive sales talk with Aleo at the main stage. Of course, if you’re not up for the challenge and would just like some peace, you can head over to Cafe Untamed and chat with the peppy barista Nalo until dawn breaks.
For more casual chats and socialization, players can enter Cafe Untamed and enter either public or private lobbies, where participants are free to chat to their heart’s content. In the overworld, befriended players on the Friends list are the only ones allowed to see and talk to you. It’s a nice touch, having that option of boundaries for interactions without being forced to cater to one.
Over at the game-like activities, I only really got to play Word Chain properly, but even that in itself was fun. Language doesn’t matter—it easily translates other written languages like Japanese and Thai, allowing for ease of communication between global players. For instance, the player I was with gave the Japanese word "nashi" in Hiragana, which Riffe romanized in English, calling for the next word to start with the letter I. This lets plays comfortably answer the flow of the game in their own language, and I think it’s a pretty beautiful way to bridge different people of different nationalities together.
Visuals Are Absolutely Adorable
From the get-go, Petit Planet is absolutely adorable. There’s that bit of that signature HoYoverse style seen in Genshin Impact visuals, but much cuter and much rounder, which goes well with the vibe it's trying to project. It’s exactly what it looks like if HoYoverse made Animal Crossing in their style, and it fits very, very well.
The environmental design is vibrant, popping, and fun. There is no shortage of colors across the screen as you play, but not so much that it’s overwhelming. Everything blends together in soft, aesthetically pleasing scenes, creating this lovely, warm atmosphere whether you’re on your home planet or socializing over at other players’ planets or at the Galactic Bazaar.
Character designs are unique and well-done, with every single character distinct from another. Not that their other games couldn’t do it (have you seen how many characters there are in Genshin and Honkai Impact 3rd alone?!), but Petit Planet has the liberty of having other characters be anthropomorphic animal hybrids, which opens up countless possibilities for designs. From the beginning, you meet a fluffy white sheepdog, a pink bunny, and a tiny squirrel or tanuki (I’m sorry, I can’t tell, but Glenn is adorable!). Makes you wonder why your own character’s just a boring old human, but we’re cute in our own way too.
Well-Done Audio
Elevating the visual presentation is the fitting audio, from a fully voiced cast to a catchy, upbeat soundtrack that adds to the whole cozy vibe. The voice acting is superb in any language, and each voiced character really nails it. All the characters could probably make their own ASMR podcast with how chill and relaxing they are, most especially Mobai and his cute little "hoho"s.
There are pockets of silence in between, but it's punctuated by sounds of nature—fitting for a life simulator in the great outdoors. Sound design is superb too, with every weighty step on concrete or grass and heavy hit of the mattock against the tree or the ore on the ground being meaningful and immersive. It’s a great experience throughout.
Unpolished, But That’s Expected
As noted by the title, the game is currently in its early pre-launch phase, which means there are as many bugs and glitches as there is content. For instance, planted seedlings, when accidentally dug up, sometimes disappear into the beyond. I lost a bunch of Pineapple Seedlings from my clumsiness, and while the item itself is inexpensive, it’s still frustrating. There are several cutscenes and quests that also just end abruptly with no explanation or proper conclusion, which is a jarring experience no matter how minor the actual quest or scene was.
It would also benefit from several quality-of-life improvements, especially in the aspect of picking up items on the ground. Perhaps I have been spoiled by Pokopia’s Kirby-like inhaling technique or the common "Hold F to collect all" command now present in many gacha games, but when you start harvesting tons of crops in one go…picking up each and every one with the pace of a snail does get tiring pretty quick.
Again, it’s their first data-wipe test, and many things are subject to change, but I’m looking forward to a smoother gameplay experience in the full release.
A Home Away From Home
Even at its early stages, Petit Planet is shaping up to be a life simulation game to look forward to. It’s cozy, familiar, and easy to grasp so far, allowing for a fun but relaxing experience all throughout. There could definitely be a few more quality-of-life improvements it would benefit from, but it doesn’t take away directly from the enjoyment and its content.
Whether it’s your first life simulator experience or your umpteenth one, Petit Planet has something for everyone. I’m definitely excited for more to come from it this year, but for now I’ll focus on finding all the Neighbors first and turning my planet into one pretty globe in the sky.
Game8 Reviews
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Petit Planet Product Information
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| Title | Petit Planet |
|---|---|
| Release Date | TBD |
| Developer | HoYoverse |
| Publisher | HoYoverse |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Dedicated Client), Android, iOS |
| Genre | Simulation, Casual |
| Number of Players | 1, with Multiplayer Socialization |
| ESRB Rating | RP |
| Official Website | Petit Planet Official Website |
