During the coronavirus lockdown, gamers around the world have been obsessed with Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a sim game that allows players to escape to a deserted island and create their own paradise. In China, however, the game was banned in April after players used the game to protest government policies.

According to Niko Partners senior analyst Daniel Ahmad, who covers the gaming industry in China, games that are banned in the country either have content that is considered offensive or violent or are very popular. In the case of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the game fits both criteria.

In response, Chinese gamers looking to escape lockdown anxiety have turned to Canal Towns, created by Coconut Island Games, a Shanghai-based indie game developer, which allows players to build virtual riverside towns in the Ming dynasty-era. Called a Chinese agro version of Animal Crossing, Canal Towns tasks players with creating towns in a region south of the Yangtze River, sometime between 1368 and 1644.

The game, which has players grow crops and build accommodations, has been a hit in China since it launched on July 2. Rated 8.2 out of 10 from more than 21,000 reviews on the game review site Taptap, Canal Towns has also topped the free game charts on Apple’s iOS app store.

With its nod to Ming-era art, the game appeals to Chinese players since it includes quirky conversation among the townspeople, something that has even managed to lure players who have defied the ban away from Animal Crossing. Unfortunately, players also have to endure 30-second ads every time they want to hire more workers for their town.

Coconut Island Games, which began developing Canal Towns in 2018, is also a publisher of Detention, a popular Taiwanese horror game. Although the company would like to develop an English version of the game, it currently lacks the manpower to do so. In addition, gamers in Taiwan and Hong Kong, who have been clamoring for the game on the Canal Towns Facebook page, will also have to wait since the game is only marketed in Greater China at the moment.

Source: SCMP

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