Despite Controversy, New Free Animal Crossing Competitor Is Gaining Traction

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I’m so excited that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is getting a big update! It’s got me thinking about other relaxing games, and that’s why I was really looking forward to Heartopia. It’s got a similar vibe to games like The Sims 4 and, of course, Animal Crossing – really cute 3D graphics and just a nice, chill way to play. I’ve seen there’s been some talk about the game since it came out, but it doesn’t seem to be stopping people from checking it out, which is great!

Heartopia first became available on PC and mobile devices on January 7th, with the Steam version following on January 16th. It’s on Steam where the game has faced some criticism regarding the permissions it requires and its use of AI. Despite this, and even with some players choosing not to play because of these concerns, Heartopia continues to attract around 40,000 players daily on Steam, showing that many people are enjoying the free-to-play life simulation game.

Heartopia AI Disclosure Draws Backlash, But Over 40,000 Players Are Still Logging In

With its appealing 3D graphics and free-to-play model, Heartopia quickly gained attention from fans of life simulation games – and I was among those eager to try it out when it launched. It became popular on mobile devices right away, though PC gamers held off until it was available on Steam. As of January 24th, Heartopia has earned over 12,000 ratings on the Apple App Store, averaging a very impressive 4.8 stars. Unlike many free games that see a brief surge in popularity followed by a decline, Heartopia seems to have genuinely captured the hearts of thousands of players.

While many people started playing the game when it first came out, not all of them are continuing to play. Some players noticed concerning issues shortly after the game launched on Steam. Specifically, the game asks for permissions that allow it to find and connect to devices on your home network, which raised alarms for some. However, the biggest concern for many players revolves around the game’s use of AI and whether that use is clearly explained.

Steam now requires game developers to be upfront about their use of artificial intelligence. Recently, players noticed that the Steam page for the game Heartopia didn’t originally mention AI-generated content, but the information was added later after discussions began about possible AI elements in the game. Records from SteamDB show that the game’s AI tags and disclosures have been updated several times since its release on January 18th.

On January 20th, the game’s description of how it uses AI was updated to provide more details. It now states that AI is used mainly for creating puzzles and translating in-game chat. Many players have left negative reviews on Steam, saying this AI use is a reason they won’t support the game.

While the recent controversy has drawn attention to Heartopia, the game also receives mixed reviews due to its awkward controls on PC and performance issues. Despite these problems, Heartopia continues to attract and maintain a dedicated player community.

Since its release on Steam, the game has consistently attracted between 28,000 and 40,000 players at the same time. Right now, it’s even more popular, with a new peak of over 51,200 players on Steam – and that doesn’t include the mobile version! Despite some mixed reviews and worries about permissions and AI, it seems cozy gamers are still eager to try out Heartopia.

Have you tried the game Heartopia? We’re curious – are you hesitant to play because it uses AI for puzzles and chat? Share your thoughts in the ComicBook Forum below!

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2026-01-24 20:41