Critter Cove Early Access Preview

An EA code was provided, with many thanks to Gentleman Rat Studios

Critter Cove was recently released in Early Access on Steam, where you work to restore the ruins of a port town into a bustling seaside paradise once more. Starting out with little to nothing, it’s up to you to gather all the resources needed, get the crafting stations up and running and help make the town functional again.

Animal Crossing Vibes

You start by creating your own character, and this time, you are not limited to being human. Why not choose to be an anthropomorphic animal? There are so many options! You arrive on the island by boat with a shark for a captain, and the first thing I noticed when it welcomed me was that he was talking Animal Crossing gibberish. It doesn’t happen very often that it so closely resembles that! And I can hardly think this is a coincidence, as you will meet a slightly shady merchant on the island, which made me think of Tom Nook. Sure, this one is not a Tanooki but a rat. Still, Renard has the same vibe going.

The player character interacts with Renard, a mouse-like character wearing a suit, who mentions heading to his shop. They are standing in a grassy area with rocky terrain and colorful autumn trees in the background, showing the bustling town environment of Critter Cove. Published on: LadiesGamers. — The rat Renard sure has Tom Nook vibes going.

In the beginning, there are two other characters living in town or, to be more precise, in a tent on the beach. This also reminded me of how you start our island life in New Horizons, especially since the characters have one of a standard set of personalities. The difference is that the cranky characters in Critter Cove are really not likeable, doing their best to come up with mean comments. It did make me want to turn away and not do their quests, but, well, one wants to progress, right?

And that is where the similarities between Critter Cove and Animal Crossing end for me. The feel of the game is totally different. You work in a slightly grimy pirate town instead of on a tropical and already nice-looking island.

The player character in Critter Cove is talking to Sammi, a friendly anthropomorphic cat with blue and white fur, standing near some hanging lanterns. The chat box shows Sammi expressing excitement about improving Critter Cove. Published on: LadiesGamers. — Sammi is a sweetie, so I donated materials for their house first.

The Loop of Quest and Craft

Critter Cove has a way of introducing quests by doing a certain craft which you can’t do unless you possess a certain item that you need to craft by finding materials down pat. Not that I mind; I like games that focus the gameplay loop on that as long as there’s plenty to explore. And Critter Cove shines in that regard. There’s the main island and other islands, too, once you finish the quest to get a boat of sorts. The materials I needed for my boat had me stumped for a while, especially the lamp pole. When I finally found it the resulting boat opened up my gameplay!

The player character in Critter Cove stands on a sandy path surrounded by rocky cliffs and greenery. A street lantern mounted on a wooden post is visible along the path, and the bright environment suggests it's morning. Published on: LadiesGamers. — The final element I need to have them make a boat: a coat stand with a lantern! It’s on the rise in the middle of a rocky area next to where the shipwreck is on the map!

Most crafting is done on a workbench, and the charming robot Copperbottom gives you pointers once he finds the ‘be sociable and chat’ mode. With the workbench, you can make all kinds of machinery, but you can also do little crafts without the workbench. You need blueprints to learn more crafting, and when you learn them, you get assignments. For example, you have to destroy 10 broken streetlights around town to learn the recipe for a brand-new one.

There is so much to do that you need to take a laid-back approach, otherwise, you will get overloaded. There’s no timeframe, so just enjoy what you’re doing. One of the most enjoyable things for me was exploration under the sea. Many shipwrecks, sunken villages and more await you to be found. At first, staying underwater long enough is a challenge, but soon, you get to use scuba gear.

And sailing on my boat is absolutely grand! It makes the world even bigger and heightens the vibe of exploration. On the outlying islands, you will find critters that you can persuade to live in Critter Cove. Ultimately, you can develop your island with various buildings, decorations, and community projects. Attract tourists, expand your crew and enhance your town’s capabilities, trade with passing ships, fish in bountiful waters…never a dull moment.

The player character in Critter Cove sails towards a distant island on a small, makeshift boat. The view shows a wide expanse of ocean with gentle waves under a clear blue sky, capturing a sense of adventure and exploration. Published on: LadiesGamers. — A bathtub with a lawn mower for a motor and the coat rack/lantern for a light. I love it!

Energy Management

Critter Cove runs well for me on the Steam Deck. Even the fan didn’t overheat while running it, as it’s been known to do on several games. There are some tweaks that the game could use, like fixing the lopsided way my character swam with one tool in hand or losing all feeling of direction when diving underwater and running out of air.

The player character with green hair and a pirate hat stands inside a wooden room in Critter Cove, next to a hammock, small chair, and table. Interaction prompts for sitting or picking up the chair are visible. Published on: LadiesGamers. — My energy bars are cut in half, and even when many days past, they didn’t regain full strength

Sure, there are some bugs to be ironed out, but my biggest gripe comes from the game’s energy management. Stamina is so easily depleted that I had to take several naps a day to keep going. When I made the mistake of running out of stamina past midnight, I was severely punished. My energy bars were cut in half and didn’t regain full capacity anymore, leading to being able to do hardly anything without limping back home and napping again.

Lovely Management Sim

Even in Early Access, Critter Cove is a great simulation game—loads of questing, loads of clearing away and beautifying and especially, lots of exploring. The cartoony visual style might be a bit too intense in colours for some, but I love how detailed things are. For example, the place where I had my digs: under a makeshift roof of loads of umbrellas, with party lights underneath. Wow. Now, why didn’t I think of that for my new house in real life?

The player character in Critter Cove stands on a balcony overlooking a vibrant display of colorful umbrellas and quirky houses made from various materials. The HUD indicates a quest to claim an abandoned house. Published on: LadiesGamers. — The square is covered with loads of umbrellas, looking colourful and cheerful.

The questing and crafting loop is firmly in place, and the characters you meet are unique. Exploring is grand. The main island has so many nooks and crannies that even after several hours of gameplay, I tend to lose my way. It doesn’t matter, though, as there is always something new around the corner.

I’m looking forward to what else the Gentleman Rat Studios has to offer in Critter Cove once the game passes out of the Early Access stage.