When Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released, people wondered if it was comparable to Stardew Valley. While the two games have some similarities, such as the gathering and farming aspects, there is definitely a distinct difference between the two titles. That hasn't stopped some players from bringing the two games even closer to each other.
One of the main advantages that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has over Stardew Valley is the ability to customize as much as possible. While Stardew Valley has the ability to customize the inside of buildings, the outside can not be changed by the player. With this prospect, one Animal Crossing fan has brought a little bit of the valley to their island.
Posting on the Animal Crossing subreddit, user acnh_kaylee showed off a replica of Leah's cottage from Stardew Valley built in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The attention to detail with the structure and even the land placement is nearly impeccable. Leah's cottage resides near a river, which is demonstrated in the Animal Crossing version. The shape of the building comes incredibly close to being an exact replica, even with the window shapes and bush placement. The character model even mimics Leah with her green shirt and dark red hair. Off to the side is an art easel, which works perfectly, as Leah is an artist.
While it's impossible to get everything exactly right, acnh_kaylee does an excellent job, making sure that the roof tiles are green in color, matching the model from Stardew Valley. Any Stardew Valley fan seeing the image would immediately know who it is and what it's designed to look like. The designer went on to comment that they're busy making their entire island based on Stardew Valley.
Both Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Stardew Valley do an excellent job of providing the player with a sandbox-style of gameplay while also making the player work for things. Both games draw from a colorful palette and allow the player to play at their own pace. Players have begun to recreate their favorite places and characters within Animal Crossing: New Horizons. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many people picked both games up as a manner of escapism, and this design truly shows that the fandoms overlap each other.
While the Animal Crossing craze has subsided some, as it's been a year since release, there are still many players designing and exploring. With Stardew Valley being an indie cultural phenomenon, it's no wonder players have intersected between the two.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on the Nintendo Switch.