This Petit Planet guide is your starting point for everything about HoYoverse’s cosmic life simulation game.
HoYoverse is best known for action RPGs like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail, so a cozy life sim from the same studio raises a lot of questions. Is it open world? Is it gacha? Is it anything like Animal Crossing?
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In this Petit Planet guide, we answer all of that and more.
Petit Planet guide: What is Petit Planet?
Petit Planet is a free-to-play cosmic life simulation game developed by HoYoverse, and it is their first entry in the cozy genre.
You play as a Planet Tender, which is basically a caretaker who nurtures a small floating world in the Starsea. Daily activities in the game involve farming, fishing, mining, cooking, decorating, and building friendships with companions called Neighbors.
At the heart of your planet is a vitality energy called Luca, which grows as you bond with your Neighbors and complete daily activities. As Luca flows through your world, you gain the ability to physically reshape it, transforming skies, beaches, and grasslands to suit your personal vision.
Petit Planet world and exploration
Petit Planet takes place in the Starsea, a vast cosmic expanse where your home planet floats among countless others. Unlike a traditional game world you explore on foot, the Starsea is a network of planets and locations you travel between using your own vehicle.
Beyond your home planet, exploration happens through Starsea Voyages, where you drive a car to visit Islets and discover rare creatures, hidden recipes, and resources you cannot find at home.
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For players wondering whether Petit Planet is open world, the answer is somewhere in between. It does not have one large seamless map like Genshin Impact, but it gives you more freedom than the linear structure of Honkai Star Rail.
Once you land somewhere, you can move and do things in any order you like. Exploration here is less about distance and more about discovery and building your own world.
Petit Planet gameplay – is it similar to Animal Crossing?
Yes, Petit Planet is similar to Animal Crossing in a lot of ways.
The core Petit Planet gameplay of gathering resources and customizing your space will feel familiar to Animal Crossing fans. Even the primary currency, Dough, functions similarly to Bells.
The Neighbor system also works similarly to Animal Crossing. You build friendships through conversations, gifts, and requests, and deepening those bonds unlocks more of each character’s story and personality.
Where Petit Planet gameplay differs is in the systems HoYoverse layers on top. There are daily tasks similar to commissions, a progression tree tied to your planet’s growth, and a Neighbor bond system that resembles Constellations or Eidolons from their other games.
Petit Planet Neighbors and characters
Petit Planet comprises a mix of helpful NPCs, from Life Coordinators to friendly Neighbors. Below is a list of characters in Petit Planet.
| PETIT PLANET NEIGHBORS | ROLE |
| Dorjelang | Hatmaker |
| Elsasani | Starsea Racer |
| Glenn | Shopkeeper |
| Harpeno | Route Patrol Officer |
| Isaki | Battle Beetle Trainer |
| Medowlyn | Plushie Designer |
| Mobai | Life Coordinator |
| Mors | Curator of the Omni-Gallery |
| Msafiri | Adventure Guide |
| Nerina | Composer |
| Rebella | Gemsmith |
| Yunguo | Cultivator |
Petit Planet currencies explained
Dough is Petit Planet’s main currency, used for upgrades, expansion, and shopping at Glenn’s store. The good news is that almost every activity in the game earns you some.
Below are a few tasks that earn you Dough in the game:
- Read Neighbor stories – Completing each story rewards a flat 100 Dough.
- Fulfill StarDash deliveries – These pay between 50 and over 150 Dough per delivery.
- Shake trees – A simple daily habit that drops between 10 and 50 Dough per tree.
Beyond Dough, Petit Planet also has a premium currency system. Given that this is a HoYoverse game, many players want to know if that means it is gacha.
Based on the Stardrift Beta, Petit Planet is not gacha. There is no banner system or randomized pulls for characters or gameplay-affecting items.
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The two main premium currencies in the game are MiraiLoomi and the Curio Card:
- MiraiLoomi is earned through daily tasks, Curio Card progression, or direct purchase. It is spent at the Curio Emporium on seasonal cosmetic items like outfits and furniture.
- The Curio Card acts as a battle pass as it unlocks access to exclusive seasonal items, though you still need MiraiLoomi to actually redeem them.
Since the game has not officially launched as of writing, it is possible that a traditional gacha system could be added later. For now, the monetization is built around direct purchases and a battle pass.
Petit Planet platforms: Can I play Petit Planet on mobile?
Petit Planet is confirmed for PC and mobile (iOS and Android). Additional Petit Planet platforms are still in development, so more may be announced before the official launch.
Petit Planet release date
HoYoverse has not announced an official release date for Petit Planet as of writing.
Petit Planet was first announced at Tokyo Game Show in September 2025. Following the announcement, the game held its first closed beta in November 2025, followed by a second beta known as the Stardrift Beta in April 2026.
