Studio Ghibli-inspired Vivarium has the coziest game animation I've seen

Has Studio Ghibli just teased a new video game following on from its contributions to Ni no Kuni? That's the impression you might get from first glimpses of Vivarium.

The retro cel-anime game is a cozy adventure RPG set inside a terrarium, and every interaction is hand drawn. Still in development, it has an isometric view, perfect for exploring the mysterious world, while the hand-drawn approach evokes the atmosphere of a classic anime movie (see our roundup of the best game development software and best animation software if you're planning to start work on a project of your own - there's also our best free animation software that includes the Ghibli co-developed OpenToonz).

Vivarium is being developed by a New York-based TV animator, who cites Millennium Kitchen's 2000 game Boku no Natsuyasum as an influence along with Heidi Girl of the Alps, Lupin III, Urusei Yatsura, Aim for the Ace, Future Boy Conan, Stop Hibari-Kun, My Neighbor Totoro, and Dr. Slump.

The developer has been sharing progress on the game, with the latest update showing exploration of an in-game house. We're told it has inter-connectivity, short cuts, and loops, "almost like a miniature Souls World or a Zelda dungeon."

Another post (below) shares external scenes in a town during the evening. We're told more locations will be revealed soon.

You can follow progress at the Vivarium Dev account on X (Twitter). For tools for your own work, see our feature on the best no-code game engines as recommended by indie devs. Also see our guide to the best animation styles.