• The life sim genre is set to receive a new entry with the upcoming Heartopia
  • XD Inc are throwing their hat into the ring with this new release
  • It's set to arrive 2026, allowing you to explore a lush island paradise

The life sim is a tremendously popular genre on mobile, what with games like Stardew Valley constantly making waves alongside other releases, including Play Together. But XD Inc, the folks behind Etheria Restart, are now set to throw their hat into the ring with the upcoming Heartopia!

Set to release sometime in 2026, Heartopia bears more than a slight resemblance to the aforementioned Play Together. Although I think it's fair to say that the lush island landscape of Heartopia also outshines Play Together in terms of graphics. But gameplay-wise, there's a lot owed to Stardew Valley, too.

As the gameplay (and vlog) trailer shows, Heartopia is all about exploring and relaxing in a lavishly rendered open world. There are six core hobbies on offer for you to enjoy, with Fishing, Gardening, Cat Care, Bug Catching, Birdwatching and Cooking. You'll even be able to unlock new entries in an encyclopedia by accomplishing your hobbies with rewards subsequently gained.

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Those of you who're lucky enough to be attending Tokyo Game Show this month will also find that Heartopia will be on display. Events such as a cosplay contest with a cash prize and a Heartopia plushy raffle will be on offer.

Overall, Heartopia looks to be a great addition to the life-sim genre. Hopefully, we'll find out more about it in the near future, and crucially, what makes it stand out from a genre that's increasingly becoming a new standard for mobile gaming alongside typical stuff like puzzlers.

In any case, if you find yourself reading this and wishing you had something new to play, then don't fret. Because like always, we've got a whole host of lists for you to dig into. Most pertinently for those of you wanting the latest releases, we have our latest list of the top five new mobile games to try this week.