"Starry Valley," which has been in development for three years, has finally been unveiled: this time, miHoYo has opted for a low-key approach

After much anticipation, "MiHoyo's Animal Crossing" finally revealed itself at 10 a.m. today (the 25th). Following the release of the game's iCON and short videos two days ago, MiHoyo's new life simulation game *Starry Valley* unveiled its first in-game gameplay trailer and opened recruitment for its first technical test.

According to the first teaser trailer, *Star Valley* is themed around “interstellar life and travel,” where players will own their very own star in the cosmos. On this planet, players can enjoy farming-sim content such as mining, gardening, and decorating, as well as encountering NPC residents with whimsical traits. When they hop into a flying car, they’ll embark on a fantastical interstellar journey.My reaction after watching it: This is so "Animal Crossing"! Simulation game fans are ecstatic.

This marks miHoYo’s first foray into the life simulation genre, and the game received its publishing license last July. According to reports from overseas sources, *Starry Valley* entered its preliminary development phase around 2022 and is a life simulation game similar to *Animal Crossing*.

In recent years, following the massive success of *Animal Crossing: New Horizons*, the life simulation genre has undoubtedly become a highly competitive market for domestic developers. In 2024, *Heartwarming Town* was the first to break out, peaking at No. 6 on the domestic best-seller charts. Not only that, but Tencent, NetEase, Lilith, and Qutang Technology have also been rolling out pre-development projects in this space.

miHoYo is no exception. After three years of secrecy, miHoYo’s *Starry Valley* quietly unveiled its first trailer today. Let’s take a look at what clues are hidden in this debut trailer.

01

Just like *The Little Prince*

Embark on an Interstellar Journey

If I move a chair on a planet, I can watch countless sunsets; when I gaze up at the starry sky, there is a planet where the only rose in the entire universe belongs to me.

This is the romantic vision that *The Little Prince* evokes in a teahouse, and it’s also the lingering aftertaste and impression the game leaves in your mind after playing *Star Cuckoo Valley*. The PV opens with a quiet, soothing atmosphere, where players sit around a campfire with their furry friends beneath a star-studded night sky.

As you can see, this is still a pristine, undeveloped campsite. Of course, farming game enthusiasts already know what comes next. As shown in the trailer, players will embark on a delightful journey of building and managing their own planet—setting up camps, clearing away piles of rocks, laying stone paths, and setting up outdoor dining tables in the wilderness. After a hard day’s work, players can sit back and enjoy a nice cup of tea amidst the mountains, fields, and rivers.

However, as seen in the PV, players will be accompanied by a squirrel-like anthropomorphic friend on their journey through the wilderness. The Tea House speculates that this character might serve as an early "guide" for players after they arrive on the planet—a native inhabitant of this world.

This also ties in perfectly with the short video released by *Star Cuckoo Valley* the other day. Players take the form of chibi characters with a 4-head-to-body ratio, while the NPCs in *Star Cuckoo Valley* will appear as anthropomorphic animals (commonly known as furries). Each character has its own distinct traits and a signature color scheme.In the first teaser trailer, the squirrel NPC wears a red hat and overalls, looking casual and lively. The rabbit friend is pink, with ears styled as twin ponytails, and is dressed in a casual magical girl style. The polar bear wears a green jacket, appearing kind-hearted and reliable.

"Star Valley" features a wide variety of life simulation elements. The planet even has oceans, where players can catch crabs along the shore. Players can also grow crops; ripe tomatoes are already growing in the fields right outside their front door. In addition, players can catch butterflies and water their flowers.

What’s particularly interesting is that there’s also a mysterious tree on the planet that glows blue. The Tea House speculates that this might be part of the planet-customization gameplay in *Star Cuckoo Valley*. On the tree, you can see “candy planets” bearing elements such as beaches, sunsets, and starry skies. According to the official video description, this is a mysterious form of Luka Energy.In the PV, when a player places a "Yellow Star Cluster" Luka Energy on the tree, the grass in front of it is instantly bathed in a mottled glow of yellow starlight.

Next, players climb into an interstellar car that spews a trail of stars and set off on an interstellar journey, just like The Little Prince. This is also the most thrilling part of the trailer. The planets in outer space all look different, rendered in a low-poly style. Some have an underwater theme with plenty of coral reefs, while others are covered in mushrooms and flowers. Each planet is home to its own unique animal inhabitants.

The Teahouse speculates that visiting different planets might be a way to gather resources or meet more NPCs.

While the game does not feature public spaces designed for large gatherings, players can visit each other’s homes. The first trailer for *Star Valley* showcases numerous social scenarios, suggesting that social interaction will be a key focus of this “Animal Crossing”-style game. Players can exchange flowers, dance together, and attend bonfire parties.Players can also shop for clothes together and visit each other’s insectariums and aquariums, which gradually expand through “labor.” The game also features mini-game scenarios, which may stem from players’ creative DIY efforts.

In addition, the game features a variety of seasonal activities that capture the essence of everyday life, including stargazing, fishing, and watching fireworks. These may serve as themed events for in-game operations.

At the end of the video, after traveling through space and returning to his island, he finds himself back at the same campfire scene under the same starry sky—but now he is surrounded by a home and love, and no longer alone.

Overall, although this is the first look at *Star Cuckoo Valley*, it’s clear that the footage is from actual gameplay. It showcases a fairly polished life simulation experience and, centered around “interstellar travel and living,” weaves a romantic and heartwarming narrative that’s sure to be a highlight.

02

The "most competitive" sector of the future

The contestants are all in position

With the unveiling of *Starlight Valley*, the question that has most preoccupied the industry over the past two years—"How will miHoYo approach the life simulation genre?"—has finally been answered.

In fact, in 2023, as *Star Cuckoo Valley* was inadvertently exposed to the public due to a data leak, life simulation games gradually emerged as the genre receiving the most intense attention from game companies, following anime-style, female-oriented, and party games. Leading developers such as Lilith and Xindong have all entered the market, while Tencent and NetEase have even released more than one title.Cute aesthetics, chibi-style characters, a soothing atmosphere, and simulation gameplay are the common themes of these titles.

But that’s not all. On the very same day that *Star Valley* released its first animated teaser, Tencent unveiled its new game *Grainland* for the first time, while NetEase LeiHuo’s *Star Paint: Sunny Days* also secured its publishing license—with the three giants clashing on the same day, the drama and tension reached a fever pitch.

Whether by coincidence or not, this flurry of activity reflects a widespread consensus among companies that “there are still plenty of opportunities in the lifestyle simulation sector.”

For example, from the user’s perspective, game developers have been focusing on finding new growth opportunities in recent years, and the female gaming demographic has naturally become a key target for expansion. As they’ve moved forward, they’ve realized that otome games centered on emotional companionship are far from the only way to connect with female players.

The producer of a hit life simulation game recently told Tea House that he believes the key lies in returning to female users’ most fundamental motivations for playing—authentic social experiences, creative experiences that foster self-actualization, and role-playing experiences that promote personal growth. Not only can these three elements be found within the gameplay of life simulation games, but such experiences are not mutually exclusive with those of male players either.

Another major advantage of life simulation games is that their gameplay framework is inherently open and unrestricted. This means that, in addition to the “farming and fishing” activities players typically associate with the genre, developers can also use this category to explore areas like user-generated content (UGC) and party games, significantly expanding the game’s depth. And depth translates to longer player retention and greater monetization potential—who wouldn’t be tempted by that?

At least compared to the “clustered” nature of the “Search, Tap, and Withdraw” genre, this wave of life simulation games has demonstrated relative diversity. While *Star Valley* has opted for a “Animal Crossing-style” approach, NetEase’s *Star Friends Sunny Day* focuses on UGC building gameplay within a square-shaped planet and uses hundreds of mini-games to create a party-like experience;*Mimimimaha* blends *Animal Crossing*-style pet-catching mechanics; while Tencent’s *Grainy’s Miniature World* appears to place greater emphasis on role-playing, allowing players to embark on adventures within a miniature world—each developer’s approach has its own distinct focus.

NetEase's "Starry Friends: Sunny Day"

Of course, the life simulation genre can also address some of the recurring issues in the gaming industry in recent years: for instance, aligning with the broader trend toward “reducing grind and workload,” creating soothing experiences, and incorporating light social elements; or finding new, visually compelling art styles beyond realistic and traditional 2D aesthetics… The demand gap is clearly there; it’s just that the specific solutions still need to be explored.

With the official launch of *Starry Valley*, all contenders in the life simulation genre are now in position. This also means that miHoYo is about to tackle the same challenges its predecessors faced: how to create a content framework suitable for a long-term game, and how to establish a monetization model.

It looks like this genre, which was designed to keep players from getting caught up in the rat race, is about to become just as competitive as the rest.

03

Conclusion

As the three-minute PV came to a close, I found myself staring at the darkened screen, my thoughts a bit mixed. In terms of quality and presentation, *Star Cuckoo Valley* is top-notch; it’s charming and heartwarming, and beyond the romance of interstellar travel, it exudes a gentle power that resonates deeply with viewers.But the public’s expectations for miHoYo are what they are—people always hope for groundbreaking innovation and disruption. In this regard, *Starry Valley* takes a rather laid-back approach to managing ambition and expectations.

This promotional video doesn’t showcase many innovative gameplay features. Even in terms of its promotional strategy during the initial reveal phase, *Star Valley* opted for a “low-key” approach. Aside from releasing the promotional video and conducting a test run, there were no further promotional activities.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For miHoYo, venturing into a new genre—one it has never explored before, and where its two key strengths, “high-density content creation” and “mastery of anime-inspired themes,” may not necessarily prove effective—taking “a steady first step” might be the wiser choice.

But the future is long, and on this long interstellar journey, I believe we will always be able to find the brightest star in *Star Valley*.