Missing Club Penguin? Here's the Little World I've Been Building
I used to rush home from school to log into Club Penguin with my friends. It closed in 2017, but that feeling never really left me. So I built my own cozy little world, free in your browser.
If you're reading this, there's a good chance you miss Club Penguin as much as I do. The snowy island, the coins, the parties, the friends you'd meet up with every day. It closed on 30 March 2017 and nothing has ever quite filled that gap.
This post is a bit of nostalgia and a bit of a hello. I'll share what Club Penguin meant to me, what I think made it so special and the little world I've been building since 2020 because of it.
Club Penguin after school
I didn't have a computer at home when Club Penguin was at its biggest. So I'd go round to a friend's house after school and we'd take turns on theirs. One of us would be playing while the others sat around the screen shouting where to go next.
It felt like everyone at school played. We'd talk about it in the playground, then go home and carry on the same conversation as penguins. It was how our whole group kept in touch after school. You'd check your buddy list to see who was on, then go and find them to play a minigame together.
Eventually we got a laptop at home and that changed everything. Now I could log in whenever I liked. Most evenings were the same: get home, open the laptop, meet my friends in the Town, play a few minigames for coins and spend them on something silly for my igloo. Then do it all again the next day.
Looking back, the games themselves were simple. That was never the point. The point was that your friends were there.
What made Club Penguin special
When people say they miss Club Penguin, I don't think they mean one feature. It was a mix of small things that added up to a place:
- Somewhere to meet. You logged in and your friends were already walking around.
- Minigames that paid out coins. A few rounds of something quick and you could buy that hat you wanted.
- A home of your own. Your igloo was yours to decorate and show off.
- Parties all year. Something new always seemed to be going on.
- Simple, friendly chat. Easy to talk to anyone without it feeling scary.
- No download. It just ran in your web browser, on any computer.
Most games today are great at one or two of these. Very few put them all in one friendly place. That's the gap I kept thinking about.
So I built my own little world
In 2020, during lockdown, everyone was stuck at home and apart. I kept thinking about how Club Penguin used to bring my friends together every evening. I was only just starting to learn programming and design, but I wanted to try making a small, friendly online world of my own. One that anyone could open in a browser and just be in.
That became Hedgehog Creek. It opened in June 2020 and I've been working on it ever since. It's made by me, one solo developer in the UK, with a lot of help and ideas from the community.
It isn't a copy of Club Penguin. There are no penguins and no snowy island. It's a village by a creek, with its own characters, places and story. It's a cozy, friendly place to hang out. If you loved the feeling of Club Penguin, I hope you'll feel right at home.
Club Penguin and Hedgehog Creek side by side
Here's how the things people miss most compare:
| What you loved | Club Penguin | Hedgehog Creek |
|---|---|---|
| Your character | A penguin | A hedgehog you dress up |
| Earning coins | Minigames | Minigames like Coffee Collection, Hedgehogs Can Fly and draughts |
| Your own space | An igloo | A home to decorate with furniture |
| Friends | Buddy list | Friends list, friendship levels and letters |
| Events | Monthly parties | Seasonal events and festivals |
| Chat | Safe chat and filters | A chat filter with moderation |
| Where you play | Web browser on PC | Web browser on computer, phone or tablet, still running |
A cozy day in Hedgehog Creek
You make a hedgehog, pick a few clothes and walk into the Village. There will usually be someone around to say hello to. From there you can:
- Play minigames for coins, from catching coffee beans to flying with a jetpack in Professor Perry's Lab
- Sit down at a draughts table with a friend
- Spend your coins at the shops on clothes and furniture
- Decorate your home and invite friends round
- Join seasonal events through the year
A cozy world to keep open while you study
Not every game needs your full attention. Lots of players keep Hedgehog Creek open in a browser tab while they study or work. It's a bit like revising in a cafe: you're getting on with your own thing, but there are friendly faces around and it never feels lonely.
When you need a study break, pop back in. See who's around, say hello to a friend or play a quick minigame, then get back to your notes. Hedgehogs wander past, chat ticks along and the Creek is always there in the background.
There's no big download and nothing competitive to grind, so it won't take over your evening unless you want it to. Five minutes between study sessions or a whole evening once the work is done, it's up to you.
If you want the bigger story of what happened to Club Penguin, Toontown, Moshi Monsters and the rest, I wrote about it in Where Did the Old Virtual Worlds Go?
Come and say hello
If any of this brought back memories, I'd love for you to come and have a look. It's free, there's nothing to download and it takes about a minute to make a hedgehog.
Create a hedgehog and come and find me in the Village. I'm usually the one in the green jacket.
Hedgehog Creek is an independent game and isn't affiliated with Disney or Club Penguin.
FAQ
Is there a game like Club Penguin today?
Yes. Hedgehog Creek is a free, cozy virtual world in your browser with the same friendly, hang-out feel: make a character, meet friends, play minigames for coins and decorate a home. It's been running since 2020. Create a hedgehog to try it.
Can you still play Club Penguin?
No. Disney closed Club Penguin on 30 March 2017. Its mobile follow-up, Club Penguin Island, closed at the end of 2018.
Do I need to download anything to play Hedgehog Creek?
No. Hedgehog Creek runs in your web browser on computers, phones and tablets. There's nothing to install.
Is Hedgehog Creek free?
Yes, it's free to play. You earn coins in minigames and spend them on clothes and furniture.
Can I keep Hedgehog Creek open while I study?
Yes. Lots of players keep it open in a browser tab while they study or work, then pop in for a quick study break to chat with friends or play a minigame.
Is Hedgehog Creek made by the Club Penguin team?
No. It's an independent game made by one solo developer in the UK and isn't affiliated with Disney or Club Penguin.
Stay Spiky!
- ScreenCactus
