Ubisoft Crafting a New Social Simulation Game Inspired by Animal Crossing and Minecraft
According to Insider Gaming, the title—currently codenamed Alterra—has been in development for approximately 18 months. Alterra is said to have emerged from the remnants of a previous Ubisoft Montreal endeavor, which was shelved after four years of development, with both games reportedly focusing on voxel-based creations.
Insider Gaming’s source characterizes Alterra as an “Animal Crossing-inspired social simulator” where players inhabit a fictional island inhabited by NPCs known as Matterlings. These Matterlings are “akin to Funko Pop figures,” sporting oversized heads and designs that blend fictional and real-world creatures, ranging from polar bears to dragons.
Alterra’s social aspect is reportedly integrated with the aforementioned voxel creation features, incorporating building mechanics that are “somewhat reminiscent” of those found in Minecraft, allowing players to craft items using resources gathered from their surroundings.
Here, it is claimed that players will explore different biomes filled with unique resources and various Matterling types, alongside rare enemies, materials, and more—one example mentioned being an ice biome, populated by winter Matterlings, where players can craft items from snow and ice. It is also expected that players will encounter other gamers in the world as they explore.
Insider Gaming notes that former Ubisoft employee Fabien Lhéraud is serving as the lead producer on Alterra, and that the release of the project is “likely still a few years away.”
Ubisoft’s release plans are, indeed, rather unclear beyond next year’s delayed Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Anno 117: Pax Romana, although the company has confirmed its work on a new Rayman project that is currently in the works.