Animal Crossing meets Zelda in new Steam game you can try free

I wholeheartedly adore sampling new cosy games.

Do I end up dropping those games to return to a select few favourites? Well, admittedly, yes.

But that doesn’t stop me from trying something new. There’s nothing quite like that feeling when you arrive in your new virtual home.

If you’re someone who also enjoys that, you may want to check out Critter Cove which is most akin to Animal Crossing: New Horizons with a dashing of The Legend of Zelda thrown in for good measure.

Developed by Gentleman Rat Studios, Critter Cove is set in a post-apocalyptic paradise where you’ll not only enjoy the delights of coastal life, but so too will you be tasked with expanding the game’s city.

ICYMI: Astro Bot is available now. Take a look at the game in action below.

“The town of Critter Cove used to attract visitors from all over the world. Now it’s mostly known for dirty streets and trash-strewn beaches. Can you help us turn things around?” the synopsis teases.

“Venture out into the mysterious tropical archipelago peppered with the ruins of a long-destroyed civilisation. Dive beneath the waves to salvage the treasures of the old world. Rescue shipwrecked critters. Unearth exotic ingredients. It’s a wondrous world of mysterious ruins, shipwrecks and ancient technology waiting to be discovered.”

There are hundreds of items available for you to craft as you acquire construction blueprints - your builds becoming more complex as you move through the game.

You’ll also be tasked with acquiring unique plants to grow on your farm with the goal being to boost your town’s tourism rating.

Your farm will help produce fresh produce to lure in those visitors.

Of course, you can customise your character, picking from a number of different animal types.

The demo grants you access to around two-hours of the game, which is pretty generous, with all progress carrying over should you pick up the full release.

In that full launch, you’ll be able to restore abandoned attractions, venture to a sunken city, catch fish, assign careers to townsfolk, and run advertising campaigns to attract tourists.

You can also reportedly “watch tourists launch themselves into the ocean” which has left me a tad baffled, but there you go.

Critter Cove’s free demo is available now with the full game launching just a few days ago. It’ll set you back £16.79 if you want to continue the adventure.

That price will remain until 20 September. After that, Critter Cove will revert to £20.99.