Some games test your reflexes, others throw you into mind-bending puzzles. Animal Village is all about building, strategizing, and outsmarting competition in a charming, Miyazaki-inspired world.

Developed by Geeks, a studio with experience in AAA titles like Doom Eternal and Darksiders 3, Animal Village blends settlement-building, idle mechanics, and life simulation to create a decentralized gaming experience. Think Animal Crossing, but with leaderboards, character upgrades, and a competitive twist.

At first glance, Animal Village looks like a relaxing place to grow a cozy little town, but don’t be fooled—players also compete, strategize, and earn ANVI tokens through an engaging leaderboard system. Plus, with active player feedback shaping updates and a growing community on Telegram, Animal Village keeps players coming back.

So, how do you balance cozy vibes with competitive strategy? We sat down with the Animal Village team to chat about their creative process, what makes the game stand out, and what’s next.

Who are the key members behind Animal Village? What kind of experience do they bring to the project?

Animal Village is being developed by Geeks, a studio founded in 2016. Before starting work on Animal Village, the team worked as developers on projects such as Doom Eternal, Crucible, MudRunner, and Darksiders 3. Additionally, the team has developed its own mobile games in the hyper-casual, hybrid, and mid-core genres.

In 2019, the studio's founder also established an online game development school called XYZ School, which has become one of the market leaders. The school's instructors are experts holding leading positions at companies like Blizzard, EA Games, Ubisoft, and Bethesda.

What inspired the gameplay design of Animal Village, focusing on settlement building and character upgrades?

The inspiration came from some popular idle and merge games. So, it’s a mix of mechanics combined with elements of life simulation games like Animal Crossing and a visual style similar to Hayao Miyazaki’s movies. We wanted to create a world where players grow their own village, manage animals, and earn rewards.

What were your team's most significant challenges while developing Animal Village, and how did you overcome them?

We developed this game using Unity WebGL, which affected the loading speed and game startup. However, we couldn't use a different engine because the game contains many animations and complex elements. We focused on making the first impression as smooth as possible and believe we achieved that successfully.

Can you walk us through how the play-to-earn model works in Animal Village?

The play-to-earn model here is standard—players earn tokens and can sell it after the listing. Players can earn ANVI tokens in two ways:

Activities:

• 5% from friends' earnings
• Participate in raffles and airdrops
• Rewards for top positions on the leaderboard

Playing the game:

• Building new structures
• Every 30 building levels
• A chance to get tokens from completing tasks: pond, tree, or garden bed
• A chance to earn tokens for merging animals

What’s been the most popular feature among players so far? Any surprises?

It's hard to point to just one thing. It’s a combination of factors:

• Enjoyable gameplay that keeps players engaged.
• High rewards for top leaderboard positions.
• We also communicate actively with players so they feel valued and respected. We listen to their feedback, consider their suggestions in updates, and continuously improve the game’s user experience.

Why did you choose TON Blockchain for Animal Village?

We chose TON Blockchain because we want to do projects in the Telegram and TON ecosystems. We believe in their future, and want to make the best products in this ecosystem.

How are you planning to encourage a strong community within Telegram and beyond?

We foster a strong Animal Village community by actively engaging with players, listening to their feedback, and improving the game based on their suggestions. Leaderboards, upcoming guilds, and community events keep players connected and motivated. We also reward active members with in-game bonuses and exclusive giveaways. While Telegram is our main hub, we're expanding our social media to grow the community even further and attract non-Telegram players to join us.

Players love rewards. What sets Animal Village’s monetization model apart, making it more competitive than similar hybrid casual games?

In Animal Village, we’ve made sure that monetization feels fair and rewarding, not forced.

• Players can earn ANVI tokens by playing, so it’s not just about spending money.
• Buying premium buildings gives an advantage, but brilliant strategy and active play matter just as much.
• We focus on long-term balance, so rewards stay valuable over time.

Instead of aggressive paywalls, we offer fun extras like boosts and cosmetic upgrades, making spending feel like a choice, not a requirement. This way, players stay engaged, enjoy the game, and feel good about their progress, whether they pay or not.

What are your long-term goals for Animal Village, and how do you see the game evolving to capture a larger share of the growing hybrid casual games market?

Our long-term goal for Animal Village is to become a leading hybrid casual game combining engaging idle mechanics, competitive elements, and strong community-driven features.

We will:

• Increase gameplay depth with more buildings, animals, and strategic mechanics.
• Enhance competitive play through leaderboards, guilds, and seasonal events.
• Optimize monetization and retention with balanced play-to-earn mechanics, premium buildings, and exclusive rewards.
• Grow beyond Telegram by expanding to mobile and Web3 platforms, reaching a broader audience.

By continuously improving content, rewarding engagement, and fostering a strong community, Animal Village is set to scale in the hybrid casual market and attract casual and competitive players. For now, we focus mostly on social mechanics.

What exciting new features can players expect in the coming months?

• Seasonal leagues with leaderboards
• Referral leaderboard
• Guilds
• New unique buildings, more content
• PvP mechanics
• And a lot of small updates with game mechanics improvements

Disclaimer: This interview is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement, approval, or recommendation of the project. The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of TON Foundation. This is not investment advice.