Anime Life Sim: A Striking Resemblance to Animal Crossing: New Horizons
A recently unveiled PlayStation game, Anime Life Sim, has sparked controversy due to its uncanny resemblance to Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH). The game not only shares a strikingly similar visual style with Nintendo's popular title but also appears to replicate its core gameplay loop.
While Animal Crossing has inspired numerous games, Anime Life Sim stands out for its seemingly direct imitation. Developed and published by IndieGames3000, the game's PlayStation Store listing immediately drew attention for its blatant similarities to ACNH.
A Description That Echoes ACNH
The similarities extend beyond aesthetics. Anime Life Sim's PS Store description mirrors ACNH's core features, promising a "charming social simulation" where players build and decorate homes, befriend animal villagers, and engage in familiar activities like fishing, bug catching, gardening, crafting, and fossil hunting. These mechanics are all central to the ACNH experience.
Legal Considerations: Gameplay vs. Visuals
According to patent analyst Florian Mueller, game mechanics are generally not patentable. Therefore, replicating ACNH's gameplay loop is unlikely to present legal issues. However, the situation becomes more complex regarding visuals. Elements like art style, character design, and specific graphical assets are often protected by copyright law. If Nintendo chooses to pursue legal action against Anime Life Sim, it would likely focus on the visual similarities to ACNH.
Nintendo's reputation for aggressive legal action is well-established. Whether they will target Anime Life Sim remains to be seen. Currently, Anime Life Sim is slated for a February 2026 release on PlayStation 5, with PS4 compatibility yet to be confirmed.
