Described as a 'woodland ecosystem god game where Disney-style characterisation meets the teeth and claws of the Discovery Channel', this is a far cry from The Sims 2: Pets. You'll be able to scroll through a landscape and pick up plants and animals and care for them similarly to 'human' Sims, maintaining their happiness levels and making sure they don't die.

You can do this by cleaning up polluted areas and generally looking after your animal kingdom subjects. The food chain will also play an important part in the title - you can allow rabbits to thrive by making sure their plants are watered and that seeds are scattered, and stopping predators from getting to them (failing to do so will result in a cartoon-style fight cloud and the eventual demise of the poor rabbit).

Unlike the original Sims games, your floating god hand will have to earn the trust of the animals. Bring it close to an animal and it will try to run away or attack the hand, but with patience and a little food as bribery, the animal will learn to trust the hand and even allow it to play with it. The animal will still have its natural instincts however, and will attack something lower on the food chain should it cross its path.

The ecosystem's happiness levels must be maintained by moving things to better locations (think of Zoo Tycoon's happiness system), helping animals out with finding food and encouraging them to set up family groups (you'll then be able to name the offspring). Animals you befriended earlier in the game may also return to you later on when you move deeper into the game's forest.

NGamer claim that there will be 25 animal species and 50 plant specimens in the final game along with rare seeds which can be planted to cause 'a variety of mysterious effects' such as cheats. Four players will be able to play at the same time, and animals will remember specific players and how they treated them in the past.

Sim Animals will be heading to the Wii and DS in 2009.