Animal Crossing Clone Hits PlayStation Store

Anime Life Sim: A Striking Resemblance to Animal Crossing: New Horizons

A recently unveiled PlayStation game, Anime Life Sim, has sparked considerable debate due to its uncanny similarity to Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH). The game appears to be a near-identical clone, mirroring not only the visual style but also the core gameplay loop.

While Animal Crossing has inspired countless games, Anime Life Sim stands out for its direct replication of ACNH's features. Developed and published by IndieGames3000, this upcoming indie title boasts a PS Store page that reads remarkably like an ACNH advertisement. The description highlights features such as home building and decoration, befriending animal neighbors, and engaging in familiar activities like fishing, bug catching, gardening, crafting, and fossil hunting – all core mechanics of ACNH.

Legal Considerations: Gameplay vs. Visuals

According to patent analyst Florian Mueller, game mechanics themselves are generally not patentable. This means creating a game with similar gameplay to ACNH is not inherently illegal. However, the legal landscape shifts when considering visual elements. Copyright law protects aspects like art style, character design, and specific graphical elements. Therefore, any legal action Nintendo might take against Anime Life Sim would likely center on the visual similarities between the two games.

Nintendo's reputation for aggressive legal action is well-established. Whether or not they will pursue legal action against Anime Life Sim remains to be seen. Currently, Anime Life Sim is slated for a February 2026 release on PlayStation 5, with PS4 compatibility yet to be confirmed. The striking resemblance to ACNH, however, continues to generate significant discussion within the gaming community.