What's so cozy about the cozy genre? Part of it is a lack of pressure. Even when there are things to do, the player can often take their time and tackle them in whatever order they feel like. Making time for friends becomes as important as making a profit. This fact makes it easy to settle into cozy games for a long time, enjoying the quiet experience they offer.
Hokko Life offers players a mellow experience as they make friends, learn new recipes, craft items, fish, and otherwise make a new life for themselves. There are still ways to make the game even smoother and more pleasant, however. A few simple tips can go a long way. Here are some of the most important tips for players new to Hokko Life.
6 Help The Villagers
Cozy games often do their best to create a social atmosphere among their characters. The villagers in Hokko Life might be anthropomorphic animals, but they still have active lives, goals, and problems. It's important for the player to talk to the villagers frequently since they often have side quests that the player can help with.
Though there are ways to make substantial progress in the game without talking to villagers, being a good neighbor is one of the best and most reliable ways to advance. Unlocking new items and activities and building bonds with the villagers are important for a successful playthrough. As a side benefit, chatting with these cutesy animals is just pleasant, letting the player pass some time in one of the game's most chill activities.
5 Expand And Populate
Unlike some cozy sims in which every villager is already settled down by the time the game begins, many would-be citizens in Hokko Life don't join the community until after the player invites them. It's a good idea to invite every new villager as soon as possible since that will help the player unlock a variety of recipes faster, which generally makes things throughout the game easier.
These villagers will need somewhere to live, of course. The player can build several kinds of houses for them to move into, but at first, it's a good idea to stick with the first house on the housing construction list. It's relatively cheap which makes moving a number of villagers into town less pricy than it would otherwise be, freeing the player up to spend their time, attention, and money elsewhere.
4 Learn To Craft
Crafting is an important part of Hokko Life. Unfortunately, it's also a confusing one. There are a few things that can make this somewhat cumbersome process easier, and by knowing them the player will be creating impressive creations in no time. The first crafting tip is to use the Grid Button at the bottom of the screen, as this will reveal the amount of space with which the player has to build.
Each M of measurement represents one box on the grid, and the main character is about 3m tall, which is helpful to know when one is trying to figure out positioning. Save frequently during the crafting process. If the game won't save, check to make sure that no part of the creation extends beyond the white lines of the grid. The player can then sell whatever they've made, which is a good way to get some money back if the player isn't happy with their first creation.
3 Be A Bug Catcher
Hokko Life isn't exactly a stressful economic management sim, but money is still necessary to advance in the game, purchase important items and buildings, and generally make things easier for the player. There are many ways to make money in the game, and the player is free to concentrate on whatever they have the most fun with. One great option for making money early on is the Butterfly Net.
Catching and selling butterflies is easy and profitable compared to some other games, and the player can easily combine it with other money-making activities such as picking flowers. The player doesn't have to devote their whole day to this activity, either: a few hours of catching and selling can be enough to finance most early projects, leaving the player plenty of time to talk to villagers, complete side quests, and get to know the town. Whether the player is making money through one main activity or a variety of side hustles, the player will still advance.
2 Light The Path
Mining is a favorite activity in cozy sims. There's something just as satisfying about thwacking a rock with a pickax as there is chopping a tree with an ax, and Hokko Life is more than happy to capitalize on this fact. Since mining can be a fun (and lucrative) activity, the player will probably end up spending their fair share of time down in the depths.
To state the obvious, mines are dark, and the player will need light before they go too far. There's a specific object which can be crafted to solve this problem: the Mining Lantern. The player can acquire the necessary recipe from Sally. Once a Mining Lantern has been crafted, it's time to get back to work.
1 Learn To Fish
Another activity that's common in some of the best cozy games is fishing. The fishing minigame in Hokko Life is fun and profitable, but there are a few things that can make it challenging for beginners. Once the player has acquired a Fishing Rod from the bear on the beach, they can get to work casting their rod in the sea or another major body of water.
Cast the lure near the shadow of a fish, and begin to reel it in once the reeling bar appears. If a shaky yellow graphic appears around the bar, stop reeling for a moment: there's too much tension on the line. If that tension keeps up, the fish will escape. Adjust left or right on the top bar in accordance with the fish's movements. By doing so, the player will be able to catch most fish in the game without too much trouble.
Hokko Life is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.