Steam’s latest 100% rated cozy hit is an Animal Crossing alternative free of overwhelm and grind

Cozy games often require a fair bit of grinding, despite the fact that they’re marketed as being relaxing and low stakes.

Hits like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Stardew Valley, and Pokémon Pokopia may have stuck terraforming, farming, foraging, cooking, and more in a cycle that never ends.

And that can be fun, hence why these titles are all so massively popular, but it can also be rather overwhelming, which is where Hokko Spaces comes into play.

Hokko Spaces is my latest cozy discovery and I’d best describe it as Animal Crossing: New Horizons without that sense of grind and overwhelm.

Developed by Wonderscope Games and published by Team17, Hokko Spaces scales back the cozy life sim formula, offering players a series of dioramas, rather than one enormous world, biome, or island that needs overhauling.

Described as a “gentle, creative sandbox experience”, these dioramas are yours to design, whether you want to create a spooky graveyard or cozy woodland. There are plenty of options.

There’s loads of choice when it comes to picking the terrain, flora, and furniture you’d like to include too, but because of the size of these dioramas, everything feels manageable and therefore relaxing.

At less than $8, Hokko Spaces isn’t a game that’ll break the bank

Team17

“Shape the perfect atmosphere by adjusting the time of day, weather and seasons, capturing everything from drifting sakura on a spring evening to the first frost on a winter morning,” devs say.

As you craft dioramas, you’ll unlock new residents who you can watch wander through and react to your spaces, bringing life to all of your creations.

There’s even a charming photo mode if you want to capture your favourite creations or simply share them with friends.

And that’s the formula! As I said, it’s simple but entirely free of overwhelm, allowing Hokko Spaces to be the level of relaxing that I think more cozy games should strive to be.

If you do yearn for more of that traditional formula, Hokko Spaces is actually a spin-off of Hokko Life which is your typical cozy life sim, more comprehensively copying that Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley formula.

Personally though, Hokko Spaces is enough for me, offering a bite-sized experience that I can more easily dip in and out of between larger plays.

READ MORE: Free 100-Hour Game Is Pokémon Pokopia Meets Animal Crossing, And Your Next Obsession

I’m not alone in enjoying the game as it currently boasts an impressive approval score of 100% on PC storefront Steam; the game is also available on Nintendo Switch systems.

“There is no pressure to do things 'just right' and you can work towards unlocking new villagers through easy to achieve goals,” wrote one player.

Another said, “Even though I hated Hokko Life, it didn't stop me from loving Hokko Spaces,” backing up the idea that, sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best.

One review read: “Hokko Spaces is a delightful creative sandbox that celebrates imagination, relaxation, and the simple pleasure of designing miniature environments.”

The game won’t set you back much either. It commands a price tag of just £7.99 / $7.99, plus there’s every chance that it could have offers running from time to time.

Regardless of everything I’ve said, many of us cozy gamers are probably going to dedicate much of our lives to Witchbrook come January but for now, Hokko Spaces is the perfect play.