When Disney Dreamlight Valley was announced, I found the Disney crossover, farm life genre sim, and free-to-play model interesting. With economy and fair game play that keeps fans of the genre coming back, an Animal Crossing-like game could be able to become a hit with players of all ages — but this subtle diversion question has been looming large. After spending an hour with the Gameloft development team and checking out a demo, I’m pleased to see a payment model without uncomfortable caveats, making me even more confident that Dreamlight Valley will be well populated by fans of the genre and brand alike.
On the surface, Dreamlight Valley appears to be your typical farm sim – even its name seems determined to recall the visuals of Stardew Valley, one of the most beloved games in the genre. I got to my demo wanting to know if this is or not else The valley can offer a similar blend of relaxing gameplay mechanics such as farming, mining, and socializing. It does all of those things, but to my surprise, it also does a lot more—things that seem uniquely suited to what Disney could be in the genre.