Heartopia

I’ve been playing this game for quite a while, so overall I can definitely recommend it — although don’t worry, a huge portion of my playtime is just me being AFK. The game is genuinely really cozy and pretty, even compared to some upcoming games in the same genre. Building is probably my favorite part, and I really like that they’re still adding and expanding it. You can also play completely F2P. There are plenty of cute outfits you can get without spending money, and you definitely don’t need to buy cosmetics to enjoy the game. That said, if you do decide to spend money, things get really expensive. If you want to collect everything from a specific banner, you have to spend a ridiculous amount. And the duplicate system doesn’t really help. If you pull a duplicate, you get exchange tickets, BUT you can’t use them for building items (like the highly wanted swimming pool), or even for the color you actually want from the current banner. For example, if the original item is green, the tickets might only let you exchange for the blue or brown version. So even if you only spend a little bit, you’re basically getting a few random items and there’s no guarantee you’ll actually get anything you wanted. The one exception is the seasonal pass, which is actually pretty reasonable compared to other games. IMO, it’s probably the most worthwhile thing to buy because you’re guaranteed to get all the rewards just by playing. Unfortunately, the game starts getting pretty boring around DG Member level 40. At that point, pretty much everything becomes way too easy, and if you want to progress your hobbies further, you have to wait for special tickets. There isn’t really much left to work towards. Also, the AI-generated images used for the puzzles are awful and have still not been changed! A lot of artist players have suggested replacing them, but the developers still haven’t done anything about it, which is especially weird considering how much emphasis the game puts on its visual style. After the Oceanic Season, things also feel really empty. The current season is pretty boring, and there aren’t many events happening either. And when an event does show up, it’s often basically the same thing again with a different coat of paint. Butter Bear → Ruyi → White Snake are, to me, essentially the same event with a different visual theme. Party Mode is another thing that had so much potential, but the changes players have been asking for never really happened, and we haven’t gotten any new modes either. On top of that, some people have started using Party Mode for… weird stuff, like dating. I personally find that pretty bizarre for a game aimed at children. So overall: really pretty, cozy game with a great building system and lots of potential, but the progression, events, monetization, and lack of meaningful new content are starting to make it feel stale. I still enjoy it, but I really hope the developers start addressing these things because the game could be so much better!