If you were going to recreate Animal Crossing in Australia, you’d need a few things: chooks, some sunburnt land, sheds, massive wombats and corrugated iron. And that’s precisely what Dinkum is offering.
Created by Townsville-based developer James Bendon, Dinkum is a game that basically screams Animal Crossing: Australian Edition. You build a home — complete with corrugated iron roof — somewhere in the Aussie outback, tending to your rural animals, crops, the heat of the Australian summer and lots of wholly native scrub.
Even the official description makes no bones about just how ocker Dinkum wants to be:
Go from starting out sleeping in a swag under the stars, to a sprawling town with farms, businesses and attractions. Eventually, you’ll draw in visitors, who might decide to stay and make it their home too.
No: don’t piss off the kangaroos. They will probably put you in hospital if annoyed, and may just do so by accident because they’re built like brick shithouses. Much like real life.
There’s no official trailer or release date as of yet, but the Aussie creator has put together a ton of great GIFs that perfectly illustrate Dinkum‘s vibe.
Here’s the fishing mechanics, complete with a friendly dog:
There’s a Pokemon Snap-esque photo mode:
The animations of going around your little farm are really sweet and smooth, too:
Also, shark:
The beaches look really nice too. The reflections on the water are a great touch too — reminds me of some of the small beaches and water down the South Coast.
It’s not just a singleplayer game either. While there’s not a huge amount of details, the Aussie developer did post a small clip on Twitter showcasing the multiplayer mode. I’m loving the low-ish angle of the camera here: it really brings out the character of the Australian bush much better than a traditional top-down view.
It’s been a while! I’m still working hard on Dinkum! Here’s some multiplayer gameplay.#screenshotsaturday #gamedev #indiegames #indiedev pic.twitter.com/khEBL0oX8Y
— James Bendon (@DinkumDev) June 5, 2021
There’s more info about Dinkum on the official Steam listing, but Bendon’s official Twitter account is worth following too. There’s more updated clips and videos there, but if you want to help an Aussie get a very Aussie game made, go wishlist the game on Steam.
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