Animal Friends on the High Seas

How did we start making Critter Cove?

We didn't originally set out making a game like Critter Cove, it just sort of evolved over time. Our original title was a farming life sim similar to Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley.

During development we found ourselves spending more time working on exploration, collection, customization and building relationships with interesting NPCs. This focus naturally morphed the game to more closely resemble Animal Crossing than it did Harvest Moon. Ultimately we decided that this was the game we really wanted to make and to just completely embrace it.

But we didn't just want to set our game in a village and cover the same ground that giants have already tread. So we decided that adventure on the high seas was just the thing. Players could own their own ship and sail around exploring different islands and meeting new characters along the way. And that is how Critter Cove, Animal Crossing on the high seas, came to be.

So what is next for Critter Cove?

Our first major task is to build Happy Harbor. This island will act as the starter island and demo for the game. Yes, we will have a demo early on! We really want to try to build a community and get them involved early. The more feedback we can get the better of a game we can make!

While there isn't a hard and fast date as to when the demo will be ready but I can say we are shooting for very early next year.

Here is a list of some of the things that you can expect from the demo. These are all works in progress but we are confident that they will be ready in time. Yay confidence!

• Foraging - shake trees to see what falls out, pick flowers and plants, find shells along the beach.

• Digging - uncover buried treasure, find ancient relics, even follow a map to where X marks the spot!

• Fishing - get a fishing pole and check out the different fishing spots around the island. Different spots and times of day mean different fish. You might even pull up a message in a bottle!

• Jobs - the citizens of Happy Harbor are always looking for a hand. Give them one and see what happens.

• Chatting - Just talking with the citizens will be fun and amusing in its own right. Get to know the different critters.

We will, of course, be adding to this list as time goes one. We have loads more planned, including: owning and sailing around in your own ship, customize your ship and decorate its cabins, find collectible items to turn in to the Royal Museum, and trading goods between ports.

Help us spread the word!

If this game sounds fun to you PLEASE HELP US OUT!

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or sign up for our email list (we will not spam you). Tell other people about Critter Cove. Share information about us on social media! Repost our stuff on forums. Talk us up at the local malt shop. Tell your grandmother about us, ...anywhere and everywhere. The more word gets out about Critter Cove the better chance we have of making a super successful and fun game for all of you.

Thank you for reading!

Eli Holding

Gentleman Rat Studios

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