Animal Crossing's Free-to-Play Rivals Face a Key Challenge

Despite a crowded cozy game market, Animal Crossinghas long enjoyed a largely uncontested reign. While titles like Disney Dreamlight Valley touch on its appeal, few games have ever dared to approach it on its own turf (shout-out to Magician's Quest: Mysterious Times, though, which went for the same vibes with charmingly shameless abandon). This week, two new game announcements seem primed to challenge it, but I'm afraid they could fall short in one key regard.