Stolen Couch Games has announced that its free-to-play Animal Crossing-like game Castaway Paradise will be released on the global iOS App Store on October 9th. It will also be released for Android at a further date.
Castaway Paradise seems to have all the friendly charm of the Animal Crossing series (maybe not as much of the weirdness) and it plays in very much the same manner. It’s the closest thing you’ll get to the Nintendo game on smartphones, at least.
So, yes, you’ll move into a tropical village of animals, grow plants, catch bugs, go fishing, decorate your home, create your own outfit, and get to know your new neighbors while helping them out in exchange for gifts. There’s plenty more to do, too, plus there will be special holiday events around Halloween and Christmas.
Where Castaway Paradise differs is its monetization model. “One in seven Nintendo 3DS owners has bought Animal Crossing for $40,” said Eric Diepeveen of Stolen Couch. “We are bringing a similar experience, but free of charge to iOS & Android.”
This means that Castaway Paradise will have dual currency systems that you can earn or pay real cash for. It will also have VIP subscriptions that, presumably, give you access to something special, and these are offered as one-time payments for either one month, six months, or 12 months.
The in-app purchases and subscriptions are, of course, all optional. So you can download and play Castaway Paradise for free when it comes out on iOS, at least. You can find more information about Castaway Paradise on its website.
