Heartopia

What is Heartopia?

Heartopia is a free-to-play multiplayer life simulation game from XD, the studio behind Torchlight Infinite. It launched on Steam January 17, 2026 and passed 10 million players within months. The game drops you into a cozy seaside town where you build a house, pick up hobbies, adopt pets, and hang out with friends or strangers who wander into your neighborhood. There is no combat, no grind-to-win pressure — just creativity, exploration, and slow-paced social gameplay.

Core features overview

Heartopia has six major hobbies you can level up independently: Fishing, Cooking, Gardening, Birdwatching, Bug Catching, and a sixth hobby that unlocks later. Each hobby has its own skill tree, tools, and rare collectibles. You can spend whole sessions just fishing on the pier or cataloging every butterfly species in the meadow — there is no daily cap that forces you to stop.

• Fishing: cast from shores, piers, and your own island pond. Over 60 fish species with weather and time-of-day requirements.
• Cooking: gather ingredients from gardening and fishing, then unlock recipes by leveling the skill. Cooked meals restore energy and give temporary buffs.
• Gardening: plant seeds, cross-breed flowers for rare colors, and harvest ingredients for cooking and gift-giving.
• Birdwatching: spot birds across different biomes. Each bird species appears at specific times and weather conditions.
• Bug Catching: sweep nets through grass and flowers. Rare insects like the Purple Emperor butterfly have tight spawn windows.
• House building: full 3D editor with walls, floors, roofs, furniture, and lighting. Friends can co-build on your lot.

Multiplayer and social features

Heartopia is built around its random neighbor system. Every time you log in, the game populates your town with real players. You can wave, chat, visit their houses, or team up for hobby activities. There are no friend lists required — you meet people organically as you explore. If you prefer solo play, you can lock your lot to visitors and ignore the social layer entirely. The game works either way.

Energy and progression

Most activities consume energy represented as a stamina bar. Energy refills over time, but the fastest way to recover is eating cooked meals. Higher-level recipes restore more energy and can push your bar past the normal cap. You also earn experience in each hobby separately — raising a hobby level unlocks better tools, new recipes, and access to rare zones like the deep-sea fishing area or the mountain bird sanctuary.

Fashion, pets, and events

The wardrobe has over 1,000 clothing items you can mix and match. Outfits range from casual streetwear to formal gowns and silly costumes. You can also adopt cats and dogs with randomized coat colors and personalities. Seasonal events run regularly — the My Little Pony crossover brought exclusive pastel furniture and pony-themed outfits. The Rainbow Event and seasonal holiday events add limited-time activities and rare collectibles.

Explore our Guides hub for deep dives on each hobby, beginner tips, and the latest event walkthroughs. Check the Game Info page for system requirements and the full feature list.