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  1. Games
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After unsuccessfully attempting to launch a Monster Hunter clone, this controversial dev is now supposedly releasing an Animal Crossing-like game on PS5

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By Anna Koselke published 14 January 2025

Anime Life Sim sure looks familiar

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Anime Life Sim
(Image credit: Maksym Vysochanskyy)
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There may not be any new Animal Crossing: New Horizons updates coming from Nintendo, but the community certainly isn't dead - and it's recently caught wind of what looks to be a pretty close copy of the beloved 2020 life sim.

Anime Life Sim isn't at all what it sounds like. It's not an anime-themed game featuring some fan-favorite protagonists or settings, but rather a series of ideas drawn substantially from Animal Crossing - from the gameplay detailed on its PlayStation Store page to the colorful visuals, Anime Life Sim screams New Horizons through and through. It features no mention of Nintendo's own title, however.

"Create your perfect anime life in this charming social simulation," reads the eerily similar project's description. "Build your dream home, befriend quirky animal neighbors, and live out endless adventures in a vibrant world inspired by your favorite life sims." In other words, it plays like New Horizons as much as it looks like it - it's all about bug catching, building, crafting, collecting, fishing, and befriending animal-esque villagers.

Article continues below
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  • Screenshot from Pokopia. A ditto is in the centre of the frame sat in a cave Pokopia "doesn't force you to wait" like Animal Crossing – the Pokemon life sim lets you knock stuff out as you wish

Anime Life Sim also isn't the first controversial title to come from developer and publisher Maksym Vysochanskyy, who trades under the alias "IndieGames3000." Just two months ago, eagle-eyed Monster Hunter fans spotted a suspicious game on the PlayStation Store dubbed "Monster Hunters." A post on Reddit highlights the now-removed Monster Hunters and its clear similarities to Capcom's legitimate, long-standing series.

They’re not even trying to hide it being a ripoff from r/MonsterHunter

Upon browsing through Vysochanskyy's library of releases on PS Deals, it becomes obvious that pretty much every single game operating under his name is a near-identical clone of another title.

It's all questionable, to say the least. Anime Life Sim likely won't come to fruition and launch in 2026 as it's supposedly meant to, however, judging by the fate of Monster Hunters. After all, it's not as though Nintendo takes such situations lightly. Palworld and the lawsuit filed against its developer Pocketpair for infringing "multiple patent rights" prove as much - and Palworld is arguably much tamer in comparison when considering similarities.

Looking for something new to play? Here are great games like Animal Crossing to check out.

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CATEGORIES
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Anna Koselke
Anna Koselke
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Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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