Somewhere in the galaxy there is an entire new world to explore. One filled with opportunities like building a house with a little farm, running a shop, or even constructing an amusement park—all while hanging out with other players. This world is the idyllic and futuristic Utopia No. 8. Developed by Taiwanese studio Happy Tomato, Utopia No. 8 is an upcoming social MMORPG for PC and mobile that invites players to take part in a Planet Relocation Project in order to create the virtual life of their dreams.
Before taking off to their new virtual home planet, players will first create an adorable chibi avatar using Utopia No. 8’s deep customization system. From hair and eyebrows to face shape, age, and body type, nearly every element of the avatar is customizable. An array of costumes and accessories are also available to adorn your chibi avatar, but for those players looking to add a little extra flair to their characters there will be the option to create custom clothing designs, as well. Utopia No. 8 will be available on Steam and players interested in becoming a Utoker on this new virtual planet can add the game to their wishlist.
Players aren’t just thrust into this new world alone with their avatar, however. They’re also given a customizable pet, called the PIYA. Utokers can have multiple PIYA pets with a variety of different attributes. Depending on a PIYA’s skills they can be assigned to various regions and given tasks such as automatically collecting useful resources. Players can further improve the relationship with their pal by taking care of it, playing with toys, and sending it on adventures. Some PIYAs may have a competitive streak about them, so players will want to head to the Arena at the City Center to allow their pal to battle others in friendly matches. In the lead up to Utopia No. 8’s launch, Happy Tomato has released a PIYA simulator where players can preview just a few options for the pals that will be available in the game at launch.
After customizing an avatar and PIYA pal, players can select a little piece of land on their new home planet to begin farming their way through Utopia No. 8’s seasons. The world of Utopia No. 8 is rich with resources, and choosing a farming location is important. Players that enjoy fishing may want to be closer to the lake while others may prefer chopping wood near the forest or collecting stones on the mountains. Caring for animals on the farm yields valuable resources that can be traded with other players or sold in a shop, and special recipes for additional crafting options can be discovered by exploring the surrounding world. And of course, customization players a role in crafting, as well. Players can even create custom art pieces and furniture with which to adorn their homes or gift and trade with others.
While everything about Utopia No. 8 is wrapped up in an adorable chibi toy-like aesthetic, the game itself focuses very heavily on social interaction and creating meaningful relationships with other players as part of growing and developing this new planet. The game will feature themed audio chat rooms where players can jump and chat with friends or meet new ones while visiting Karaoke rooms or playing board games together. There are even spaces for players who would like to interact socially with others while playing mini games but prefer not to engage in voice chat.
Utopia No. 8 is expected to have a soft launch in 2024, but players who want to jump in and support the game early can do so via Happy Tomato’s Kickstarter which launches in early April 2023. Players who help support the game via Kickstarter will receive priority access to the Alpha Test in June and Early Access which is expected later in November. A Discord channel is also available to allow players to provide feedback and further help shape the game while forging a community. Happy Tomato has also launched a Facebook Page and Twitter for Utopia No. 8 so players can find future updates about the game as development progresses.
