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Vivarium: Hand-Drawn Life Sim Set to Launch on Xbox and PC in 2027

Real-world calendar syncing plus hand-illustrated, Ghibli-inspired art pace a cozy life-sim around a hidden, branching narrative.

Overview

  • Publisher Serenity Forge and developers Studio Meadowflower, Crunchyroll and Shochiku revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase on June 7 that Vivarium will ship in 2027 for Xbox Series consoles and PC on Steam, Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store.
  • Players take the role of 11-year-old Jenny inside a self-contained terrarium town where routine tasks such as gardening, cooking, crafting, collecting and decorating form the core gameplay loop.
  • The game uses a real-world calendar sync so each in-game day aligns with the player’s actual date, unlocking fresh daily discoveries and using major story events to progress time.
  • Vivarium’s trailer and materials emphasize hand-drawn, anime-influenced visuals that critics have likened to Studio Ghibli and classic 1990s anime, paired with isometric, slice-of-life design.
  • Several outlets report Vivarium will be an Xbox Play Anywhere title and available day one on Xbox Game Pass, but those platform-availability claims come from varied sourcing and have not been fully independently confirmed.