Petit Planet offers a gentler, kinder, and more considerate world - and right now, maybe that's exactly what we need

I felt seen. That's generally the vibe I got from Petit Planet during my time with it, but honestly, it might not seem so obvious at first glance. For one thing, the cosy life sim is extremely similar to Nintendo's Animal Crossing, and for another, simulating a virtual life outside the daily grind is nothing new.

But at the HoYoverse Media Tour 2026 in Seoul, I got the chance to get to know Petit Planet with all its complexities and so-called deliberate "imperfections" on a more personal level, and these apparent flaws are, in essence, what makes it more beautiful - much like in real life.

Now, I already did my time as a Planet Tender six months ago during Petit Planet's initial beta, but after going hands-on with the life sim again and experiencing the advanced content during the event, I've come away with a handful of reasons why I now see it's not just another entry into an already saturated genre. It's a tad unfortunate that it took a second go for it to dawn on me, but don't they say that love is sweeter the second time around?

And it really does work. Navigating your mini-planet feels lovingly personal, like you're really tending to something that's truly your own, making every crop you harvest, fish you catch, and decor you place much more intentional. I definitely see what HoYoverse is trying to do there - by shrinking the scale down to a smaller and more manageable size, they're able to evoke all sorts of feels.

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