Anime Life Sim: A Striking Resemblance to Animal Crossing: New Horizons
A new PlayStation game, Anime Life Sim, has generated considerable buzz due to its uncanny similarity to Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH). The upcoming title appears to be a near-identical clone, mimicking not only the visual style but also the core gameplay loop.
While Animal Crossing has inspired numerous games, Anime Life Sim stands out for its direct replication of ACNH's features. Developed and published by IndieGames3000, the game's PlayStation Store listing explicitly details a "charming social simulation" experience mirroring ACNH's mechanics: home building and decoration, befriending animal neighbors, fishing, bug catching, gardening, crafting, and fossil hunting. These are all key elements directly lifted from Nintendo's popular title.
Legal Considerations: Gameplay vs. Visuals
According to patent analyst Florian Mueller, game mechanics themselves are generally not patentable. However, the legal landscape shifts when considering visual aspects. Copyright law often protects artistic style, character designs, and specific graphical elements. Should Nintendo choose to pursue legal action against Anime Life Sim, the focus would likely be on the game's striking visual similarities to ACNH.
Nintendo's reputation for aggressive legal action is well-established. Whether they will target Anime Life Sim remains uncertain. Currently, the game is slated for a February 2026 release on PlayStation 5, with PS4 compatibility yet to be confirmed.
