If you haven't heard by now, the farm-life sim genre that gave us classics such as Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley is getting a new entry soon. Disney Dreamlight Valley is, in large part, exactly what it sounds like: a House of Mouse spin on the popular genre where characters such as Isabelle and Tom Nook are replaced by Princess Jasmine and Scrooge McDuck.

In many ways, Disney Dreamlight Valley looks to Nintendo's dominant life sim for guidance, which means the two games play a lot alike in some regards. For example, both drop you into the world as a newcomer inheriting a fixer-upper of a home in a town full of friendly faces eager for a meet-and-greet. Both also let you live out your days on your own schedule with activities like fishing, mining, shopping, cooking, and more. However, as I mentioned in our earlier preview, Disney Dreamlight Valley is more than just Animal Crossing dressed in Mickey Mouse ears. Dig below the surface and you'll find Dreamlight Valley does many things in its own way. Below, I break down the ways this new entry to the genre puts its own spin on things.

It's free

Perhaps the most important difference between the two games is that Disney Dreamlight Valley is a free-to-play game. When it comes to PC, Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms this September, there won't be a price barrier between fans and the new Disney experience. Gameloft also made sure to ease tensions for players who might expect the typically mobile-centric team to use some mobile gaming tactics such as paying to speed up in-game timers or buying resources for cooking or building. None of that will be in this game.