Animal Crossing-Like Game Now Free to Download

An Animal Crossing-like game, which also just happens to be a Nintendo Switch console exclusive, is now free to download. The catch is the free offer does not include any Nintendo Switch codes for the game, just PC codes. And that's because the free codes don't come courtesy of the Nintendo eShop, but GOG, a digital PC storefront. That said, this is a limited-time offer. More specifically, an offer that is only available for 43 more hours at the moment of writing this.

The game in question is called Haven Park, and it wears its Animal Crossing inspiration on its sleeve, though if you were going to make a more direct comparison, it's perhaps most reminiscent of A Short Hike. According to Metacritic, it's not nearly as good as either of these games though, as the Switch version only boasts a 68. However, over on Steam, the game has a "Very Positive" rating, with 96 percent of 438 reviews rating the game positively. 

"If you're anything like me, you probably looked at the store page for this game and thought it was a clone of A Short Hike with some Animal Crossing thrown in to try and make it stand out," reads one of these Steam reviews. "I was very pleased to find out that Haven Park, while it clearly takes inspiration from A Short Hike, and Animal Crossing, it still has its own ideas and very much is its own game, that is worth experiencing if you're a fan of either of those games, or wholesome games in general. While it doesn't do anything that will blow you away, every part of the game works together in a magical way to create an experience that will very much put a smile on your face and stick with you after the final credits roll.

"Be Flint, who is doing his very best to keep his grandma's park up and running and make it a place for the campers to enjoy. Learn the camper's wishes and build whatever their hearts desire to attract even more quirky characters and look forward to whimsical conversations and quests," reads an official pitch for the game. "Get to know the campers and learn more about the old stories surrounding the forest. Did someone mention a lost treasure?"