If you were crestfallen at the latest news from Phoenix Labs and its own life sim title, perhaps you can be salved with an alternative. In that case, there’s Dinkum, an adorable looking life sim from indie developer James Bendon that lets players create their own comfy burg in an Australian-styled wilderness.
“Explore tropical eucalyptus forests, survive scorching deserts, relax at cool billabongs and discover scrubland filled with adorable Aussie inspired wildlife. Collect valuable resources by hunting, mining, fishing and foraging to expand and customize your town and attract new townsfolk and businesses. Share your new home with friends and protect each other as you explore beautiful landscapes filled with dangerous predators.”
Dinkum looks to have all of the customization trappings of an Animal Crossing with some smaller survivalbox gameplay features, all replete with the decorating and furniture arrangement one could want out of both types of games, with all of it on offer for single-player or online co-op.
Dinkum has been in early access since last July and has been in development for three years before that according to the blurb on its Steam page, but Bendon still wants to add more features like an expansion to the number of villagers, seasonal activities, hunting, and photography, while its most recent update has introduced new flowers, a band stand town building, a new shop, and the ability to place signs.
In spite of its early access label, Steam user reviews stand Overwhelmingly Positive in general. “Dinkum seems to be what would happen if Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley gave each other a very special hug down in Australia,” reads one review. That seems to sum it all up rather perfectly.
