Free ‘Stardew Valley' Rival Takes Cozy Gaming to Space

"Petit Planet" could be the biggest cozy game of 2026.

Made by HoYoverse, the studio behind the world-conquering "Genshin Impact," this free-to-play life sim lets you customize and cultivate your own planet.

It’s set in the mold of "Stardew Valley," "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" and "Pokémon Pokopia," but with one major difference: it’s entirely free-to-play.

A recent playtest held in April 2026 let early players go hands-on, revealing what lies in store when the game releases later this year on PC, iOS, and Android.

You play as an explorer tasked with venturing out into space on behalf of fictional company Loomi Co, a rare example of a non-dystopian futuristic conglomerate.

To do that, you’ll farm, build, cook, craft and decorate your own custom planet, as well as voyage to other planets and befriend their owners.

It all starts by picking what planet you want to call home. The playtest let you choose either a forest or desert planet, but there will almost certainly be more options when the full game launches.

Catching bugs, hooking fish, and growing crops are par for the course in the initial stages, but "Petite Planet" soon unveils bolder ambitions. These center on a currency called Luca, which lets you massively expand your planet.

Meeting milestones awards Luca, which is used to grow a special tree. In turn, this unlocks more and more areas of your planet.

For example, one reward is access to the beach, which brings new fishing and foraging opportunities. You’ll also put down deposits for home extensions, although these take a certain amount of real-world time to build. It may be microtransactions speed up the process.

Starsea Voyages are where the heart of "Petite Planet" lies. By upgrading your flying car, you’ll be able to venture to planets farther afield. Some contain rare minerals unavailable on your own planet. Others are home to cuddly, anthropomorphic NPCs who you can make friends with and invite for a play date back home.

If HoYoverse manages to keep microtransactions in check, "Petite Planet" will be a cozy space adventure worth embarking on.

‘Petit Planet' Platforms

"Petit Planet" is due to launch on PC, iOS, and Android later this year.

‘Petit Planet' Release Date

The release date has not yet been confirmed for "Petit Planet."

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 1:00 PM.