Summary

  • Animal Crossing has evolved through the years, enhancing customization and social interactions with other players.
  • Cozy Caravan's critter protagonists and immersive gameplay similar to Animal Crossing show it's time the franchise lets players play as animal characters.
  • The trend of customizable animal protagonists in cozy games like Cult of the Lamb may influence the future of Animal Crossing.

Since the first game came out in 2001, Animal Crossing has succeeded in creating immersive villages that players can customize and also interact with adorable animal villagers while utilizing real-time gameplay. The franchise has evolved over time as it elevated the customization features and the social aspect of the games, allowing players to visit and interact with other players' islands. As Animal Crossing continues to evolve, there's one feature that players have yet to see, and that is to play as animals.

This is the highlight of 5 Lives Studios' Cozy Caravan, a single-player adventure game that lets players explore a picturesque woodland world in their trusty caravan, while also crafting items through mini-games. It also has a farming aspect, as they need to stock up their caravan with goods to trade with the townsfolk. The character design and gameplay are similar to Animal Crossing and other cozy games, but Cozy Caravan's adventures while controlling an adorable critter definitely set it apart.

Cozy Caravan Signals a Welcome Change to Animal Crossing's Character Creation

Animal Crossing's main protagonist has always been a human villager living among animal-like villagers, but the latter didn't seem to mind. Many fans have also speculated that humans probably lived in different communities from the animal characters and that the main villager just chose to live among them. Regardless, fans have enjoyed customizing their in-game avatars, even getting inspiration from different franchises like Fallout and Resident Evil.

Meanwhile, Cozy Caravan has shown that it's possible to choose from different animal personas and customize them to players' liking. At the start of the game, players are given the option to play various animal protagonists, such as a raccoon, red panda, axolotl, and more. Together with their best friend Bubba, they travel to several villages on weekdays to gather materials and goods to stock up their caravan. On weekends, the caravan parks in a town, where players can sell and trade their goods with local townsfolk. Players can interact with various NPCs to accomplish chores for them and build friendships with them.

Types of Animal Protagonists in Cozy Caravan So Far

  • Raccoon
  • Red Panda
  • Badger
  • Cow
  • Seal
  • Axolotl
  • Bear
  • Beaver
  • Cat
  • Goat
  • Fox
  • Frog
  • Otter

Although Cozy Caravan is still in early access, it already offers such an immersive experience with its world. Developer 5 Lives Studios confirmed that it's consistently working on upgrading the game, with additional features like a quest tracker and new areas with associated quests and characters. There is also a possibility that Cozy Caravan will add more customization features for the protagonist, their home, and their caravan.

Animal Protagonists in Recent Games Have Paved the Way for Animal Crossing

Adorable animal protagonists in cozy games aren't new, as they add a layer of cuteness to the relaxing genre. Even the roguelike game Cult of the Lamb, which has a cozy farming and resource management portion when the Lamb is back at its base, allows players to customize animal followers, from their appearance to their traits. This is why bringing this customization option to Animal Crossing seems to be the logical next step, along with adding more villager types.

With the next Animal Crossing game rumored to release in 2026, many fans are anticipating something new from what they've already seen from previous games. There are opportunities to introduce new villagers that match new settings, like dinosaur villagers living in a jungle environment, or giving all villagers more depth by giving them personalities and new actions. These updates, along with the possibility of playing as an animal villager, could elevate Animal Crossing further as a life simulation game.

For now, though, Animal Crossing fans can experience the wonders of playing an adorable critter in Cozy Caravan. It's also quite exciting to see how Cozy Caravan will grow in the coming months and years, and how it will ultimately stack up to well-known cozy games out there.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Animal Crossing New Horizons Tag Page Cover Art
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
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9 /10
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Released
March 20, 2020
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

ESRB
Everyone / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
Developer(s)
Nintendo EPD
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
Expansions
Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Happy Home Paradise
Franchise
Animal Crossing
Genre(s)
Simulation
How Long To Beat
100 Hours
Animal Crossing: New Horizons