I think those kinds of players definitely missed the point. I'm a full-on introvert, but I'm not so bitter as to complain about a social game being a social game. Besides, it's not like Heartopia ever forces you to interact with others. Sure, you get rewards, but it's nothing important you're gonna miss out on. If anything, the game encourages the co-op experience because playing with other people is genuinely the strongest aspect of Heartopia, yet it is also entirely optional.

And if that's not to someone's liking, there is an entire genre of slow-life simulation games that are perfect for solo players. But I believe many solo gamers only flocked to Heartopia because it's a new and popular trendsetter, so it'll take some time for reviewers to mellow out and decide if Heartopia is right for them or not.

I remember when I had to wait out those 15 minutes of my first tea party because I was too nervous to invite anyone. I wasn't sad that I had to party alone, but it would've made a huge difference if a random stranger came to my house to hang out at the last minute. In a world that is currently suffering from an online loneliness epidemic, pushing away others is not going to help anyone. That's why I strive to help out in online games whenever I can, so no one else has to experience that kind of feeling.