Disney Dreamlight Valleyis one of the coziest games that’s still being updated today. WhileAnimal Crossingwaits for its next installment and ConcernedApe steps away fromStardew Valleyto focus on his next project, Gameloft and Disney continue to add to and improveDreamlight Valley.
And the game iscertainly cozy and wholesome, providing players with a space to decorate, explore, and hang out with familiar Disney characters. There’s still room for improvement, though—andDreamlight Valleycould be one of the coziest games of all timeif it implemented some major updates.
10Overhaul Of The Decoration System
Make Decorating The Valley Even More Enjoyable
Decorating is one of the biggest appeals ofDreamlight Valleyfor many fans, allowing you to make the house your own personalized space and shape the exterior areas to your liking. The decorating system is already fairly well-thought-out, and it’seasy to access at the press of a button from anywhere.
That said, there’s still a lot that Gameloft could do to improve the decorating experience. A recentDreamlight Valleysurveyhinted that the developer wastoying with the idea of implementing a template featureand other ways to decorate without having to open the decorating menu.
In general, more interactive furniture, better access to said furniture, and a better way to sort and organize your decor items wouldmake decorating much easier and more enjoyable.
9Special Visitors To Look Forward To
Give Players An Additional Reason To Log On Daily
One of my favorite little details fromDreamlight Valleyis the chance to spot a cloud shaped like a Mickey Mouse head every time you step outside. This adds a fun element of surprise and never fails to delight me when I find the cloud drifting above my valley.
DDVcould add a similar element of surprise and wonder byintroducing traveling characters who might appear in the valley.Similar to Saharah, the traveling carpet seller inAnimal Crossing,these characters would have a chance to wander into your Plaza and bring special treats or interactions.
This would make it even more fun to log in every day for a chance to spot a new character, and it would allow Disney tobring more obscure characters into the gamewithout dedicating an entire new Realm to them.
8More Options For Villager Interactions
Boot Some Villagers And Hug Others
Not all the characters in the game are equally loved by the community, but once you unlock a character, you’remore or less stuck with them. You might choose to bring someone to your valley for their special item or skill (like Vanelope for the Dream Snaps, for instance), butnot actually want to see them around.
It’s time tooverhaul the way resident interactions workin light of this. For instance, you should have the option not to ask a villager to move in if you don’t want them or their houses around, while still having access to their quests. You should also be able to apply house cosmetics to villager house exteriors, not just your own.
On the other hand, there can definitely be even more ways to interact with the characters that you do like for an even cozier experience. Villager mini-games would make interactions more rewarding, while the option togive a beloved character a hugwould be a wholesome addition to the game.
7Seasonal Tournaments and Festivals
Transform Part Of The Valley For An Event
One of the reasons I kept playingAnimal Crossingfor as long as I did wasthe draw of seasonal events.There were some bugs and fish that only showed up in certain seasons, and special events like fishing tournaments and festivals that took place in real-world times.
I wouldn’t necessarily like it ifDreamlight Valleyfollowed real-world seasons, but seasonal events and festivals would be a really fun way to get players to keep coming back to the game. There are already events like holiday updates, but these usually consist of foraging special items.
It would be even more fun if these eventstransformed a portion of the valley for a brief timefor a fun event consisting of minigames or special dialogue.
6Even More Storage Improvements
Make Storage Less Of A Chore
In a recent update,Dreamlight Valleyfinally added the option toexpand closets and chestsfor more storage space. While this is a good start, it doesn’t address one of the most un-cozy elements of the game:the storage problem.
Storage space is such an issue that playersdedicate entire sections of their valleysto house all their items. Besides this,you have to travel to your storage room or spaceto access your stored items.
Being able tosend things to and pull things out of storage directly from your inventorywould be such a huge improvement to the game. This would effectively remove one of the biggest causes of frustration in the game, instantly making it even more relaxing to play.
5A True Multiplayer Mode
Enjoy Dreamlight Valley With Other Players
When I first heard aboutDDV, I thought it was an MMO. I was surprised thatmultiplayer is a bit more limited, and works similar to visiting someone’s island onAnimal Crossing: New Horizons.
WhileDreamlight Valleyis fun with friends and family, a true multiplayer would increase its coziness tenfold. The title is extremely unlikely to ever become an MMO, but it could follow in the footsteps ofInfinity Nikkiandadd multiplayer zoneswhere players can come to hang out and interact with others.
4General Platform Improvements
Improve How The Game Runs Across Platforms
At the time of this writing, where you play the game makes a huge difference. Switch users, for instance, often report glitches and crashes, while Apple Arcade players miss out on all Premium features and events like the shop and Star Paths.
Meanwhile, the PS5 just got cross-platform save, allowing players to sync their valleys across the other platforms, butDLCs don’t transfer over—so you’d have to buy the DLC on each platform to access it.
To really makeDreamlight Valleythe coziest experience that it can be,the platform you use to access it shouldn’t affect your experience.
3Alternatives To Mircrotransactions
Pay For Premium Goods With Coins Or Dreamlight
AlthoughDreamlight Valleyis a full-priced game, it’s also alive-service experience with plenty of free updates. To make these possible, Gameloft includes microtransactions. Luckily, it’s fairly easy togather Moonstones for Premium items—but the very existance of in-game purchases means that players are locked out of plenty of decor, clothes, and other experiences.
Players could havethe option to pay for Premium shop items with Star Coins or Dreamlight,or even exchange this form of currency into Moonstones. Removing the mobile-esque transactions is a simple way that the game’s coziness could be leveled up
2Replay Past Events For Limited-Time Decor
Take FOMO Out Of The Equation
If you’re justjoiningDreamlight Valleynow, you’re missing out on a lot of content from the previous years. Decor items sometimes come back to the Premium Shop, but if you want a past Star Path item or a specific item or companion, you’re likely out of luck.
WhenAnimal Crossing: Pocket Campmade aleap to a one-time payment game, I was all too happy topay an additional fee to access previous years' items and content.
Dreamlight Valleycould do something similar, allowing players to pay for previous years' content packs. This would eliminate the fear of missing out, making itless stressful to play through events like Star Pathsif you know that you’ll be able to purchase anything you missed later.
1The Ability To Sculpt And Reshape The Terrain
The Current Layout Is Fairly Limited
The Peter Pan-themed “Mysteries of Skull Rock” update added the ability toadd lakes and rivers to your valleyfor the first time (for a fee). While you can decorate, add rocks and foliage, and move houses in the game, this is the first time that players have been able to change the terrain.
Being able to change the layout and terrain inDreamlight Valleywould make it even cozier since it would allow players to reshape their space to be unique to them. If players could raise and lower land, make cliffs, move the lakes, and even create waterfalls,Disney Dreamlight Valleywould be an even more magical experience.
