Best Games Like Animal Crossing

For over 20 years, Animal Crossing has invited fans roleplay as interior decorators, town mayors, and most recently, island caretakers.

So while New Horizons may have plenty of furniture to craft, clothes to buy, and loans to pay off, players will eventually run out of tasks and want to seek out new games.

To help point you in the right direction, this list will highlight the best games like Animal Crossing for PC and Nintendo Switch.

For more gaming recommendations, we encourage you to check out our curated lists as well as comment below with your favorite Animal Crossing game!

Related:Best Life Simulation Games 2023Best Nintendo Exclusives 2023Best Relaxing Games 2023

Dinkum is a relatively new game like Animal Crossing that sees you ditching city life to pursue a life of freedom in the Australian bush.

Throughout your journey, you’ll have opportunities to explore tropical forests and scorching deserts as you take care of animals and help build a town.

There are also NPC villagers to befriend, customization tools for designing paths and fencing, and many other features reminiscent of New Horizons.

Although it’s still in Steam Early Access, Dinkum is already showing a ton of promise in terms of content and players can look forward to even more in future updates.

Anyone who enjoys Animal Crossing will have some fun with Cozy Grove, another life sim that sees you camping on an ever-changing island.

Taking on the role of Spirit Scout, the game tasks you with exploring the island’s forest in search of secrets, fish, and favors for the friendly spirits that haunt it.

Items you collect can be crafted into decorations to brighten up the island’s look and restore some much-needed color and joy.

Completing the main story will take you roughly 40 hours, and since the game is synced to real-world time, you’ll find yourself checking in daily.

If you want more relaxing games like Animal Crossing, look no further than Alba, a fun and relaxing adventure game about a young activist.

While visiting her grandparents’ islandic home, Alba witnesses an animal in danger firsthand and decides to get involved with wildlife and environmental preservation.

This entails visiting the island’s beaches, forests, swamps, and even an ancient castle, recruiting volunteers and taking pictures of different animals.

Along the way, players will get to help out by picking up litter, treating sick animals, and repairing bridges to improve the island residents’ lives.

Our next suggestion for Animal Crossing fans is Littlewood, a 2D farming sim that takes advantage of its pixel art graphics to create a sense of nostalgia.

In it, you play as a hero who forgets their memory after beating a Dark Wizard and bringing harmony to the town of Littlewood.

Similar to AC: NH, the game tasks you with building up the town by venturing out into the world, gathering resources, and recruit new residents.

As you explore magical forests, bustling fishing towns, and mysterious mining caves, you’ll meet unique characters and take up hobbies like farming and fishing.

The follow-up to Pathea Games’ hit farming sim RPG sees you traveling to the desert community of Sandrock to take on the role of a fledgling Builder.

To be successful, players will have to learn the ropes and rely on their trusty tools to help gather resources, build machines, and get their run-down workshop in order.

Much like Animal Crossing, the game features a litany of tasks and side activities for players to explore as they improve the town and get to know the locals.

Whether you played the original My Time at Portia or you’re coming to the series completely fresh, you’re in for a good time.

If you take great joy in decorating your home and arranging furniture in Animal Crossing, then you’ll love Unpacking.

This game is designed to simulate the familiar experience of organizing your personal possessions after moving into a new home.

Gameplay is a mix of block-fitting puzzles and home decoration, as players are encouraged to create satisfying and aesthetically pleasing living spaces.

The story plays out across eight house moves throughout various stages in the main character’s life.

Next up, Travellers Rest is a part management part life sim that sees you running a small tavern with thirsty customers.

To keep things running smoothly, you’ll need to keep patrons’ glasses topped off while cooking food and upgrading your bar’s amenities.

Like Animal Crossing, the game provides plenty of opportunities for customization; from your character’s appearance to the bar’s layout.

As you get to know your bar’s regulars and hear local stories and gossip, you’ll begin to feel like part of the community and get invested in their lives.

If there’s anything missing from Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it’s the ability to keep cute doggos as pets.

While it makes sense considering some villager NPCs are literal canines, we’re sure the minds at Nintendo could find a way to make it work.

In the meantime, that’s what we have Wobbledogs for, a virtual pet simulator that lets you hoard and socialize colorful pups to your hearts’ content.

This includes monitoring their diets, providing them with chew toys, and arranging their living spaces so they always feel comfortable.

Sporting some very Animal Crossing-inspired visuals, Longvinter is an online multiplayer survival game that’s currently in Steam Early Access.

In it, players must fish, farm, craft, gather, cook, loot, and steal from other players while building a campsite to call home.

Like Animal Crossing, the game gives you the ability to trade items for money or rare goods.

Since it can be tough in the early goings, especially as a solo player, its recommended you team up with a partner to fight for what’s yours.

Rune Factory 5 is the latest installment in the long-running fantasy-based farming game where growing crops is only a small part of the experience.

In it, players are given a nice plot of land to call their own as they tend to crops, raise livestock, and get to know their neighbors.

Outside of farming, the game offers plenty of opportunities to form relationships, participate in town events, and explore dungeons in action-RPG-inspired quests.

Much like Animal Crossing, Rune Factory 5 rewards you for completing even the smallest of tasks, making it great for some casual gaming on PC or Switch.

If you enjoy 2D sandbox games similar to Animal Crossing, you’ll definitely like Core Keeper, an indie survival game with a cool pixel art look.

In it, players set out to explore an underground cavern teeming with mystery and danger using only their mining tools.

The objective of the game is to build a base, gather materials, and craft useful items while discovering new areas, bosses, and shortcuts.

Like Animal Crossing, the game supports online multiplayer, allowing you and your friends to work together to achieve your goals.

Inspired by the beloved Harvest Moon games, Stardew Valley is a farming sim RPG and vibrant pixel art graphics.

In it, you create your own character and set out to bring your grandfather’s old farm back to life by gathering seeds, planting crops, and selling them for a profit.

Similar to New Horizons, most days are spent harvesting, gathering resources, and completing favors for the local townsfolk.

The citizens of Stardew have distinct personalities that really make them come to life and encourage you to make friends, single-out your rivals, and even get married.

In Dragon Quest Builders 2, players reprise their role as a legendary builder tasked with rebuilding civilization.

As you learn new recipes and expand your village, you’ll attract more NPCs to your fledgling colony willing to lend you their expertise.

The sequel introduces a host of new features such as more natural-looking environments, new glide and dive abilities, dynamic water collection, and online multiplayer.

In co-op, players can visit each other’s island and start building together, or simply check out their friend’s creations. 

The Sims is another legendary life sim franchise that lets players explore different careers and purchase obscene amounts of furniture.

So, whether you’re looking to build a criminal empire, explore outer space, or become the most celebrated gardener in all of Willow Creek, The Sims 4 has you covered.

As the series has progressed, so too has its romance system, allowing for same-sex marriages and the ability to adopt children.

If you’re playing on PC, you can unleash your imagination and get creative with the best Sims 4 mods available to download.

Yonder is a relaxing open-world adventure game designed to be played at your own pace and offers an abundance of tranquil environments and diverse NPCs.

A lack of enemies in the overworld means you’re free to explore to your heart’s content as you complete quests for characters in exchange for new skills.

The main quest sees you seeking out magical creatures called Sprites that have the power to rid the world of a nasty poison called Murk that’s plaguing the land.

In many ways, it’s reminiscent of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, with your character using sweet treats and other gifts to win over NPCs.

Staxel is a voxel-based sandbox game influenced by titles like Minecraft as well as Animal Crossing.

In it, you take on the role of an aspiring farmer who’s just moved to a new village in need of sprucing up.

As you set out to establish a thriving farm, the rest of the villagers will give you advice and useful tips in exchange for favors.

Tasks range from standard fetch quests requiring you to catch/hunt a specific animal to cooking an exciting new dish to building a new structure that enhances the village.

Garden Paws is a cute sandbox game that combines management sim gameplay with exploration and cuddly woodland creatures.

Your time is split between managing a farm, upgrading your island’s resources, and exploring caves, beaches, and forests for treasure.

You can also open up a shop to sell wares and take on a myriad of hobbies like fishing, cooking, and raising animals.

The more you upgrade your island’s amenities, the more residents you’ll attract.

Here we have arguably the most Animal Crossing inspired game to ever exist, Castaway Paradise.

In it, you play as an original character that gets trapped in a storm before washing ashore on a tropical island.

Thankfully, the locals decide to help you out by setting up a tent and offering their friendship in exchange for the occasional favor or two.

The game features a vibrant island to explore with more areas unlocked as you progress and a plethora of items to collect and sell.

Ooblets is a refreshing take on life sims that feels like a “greatest hits” mashup of many adjacent genres.

You’ve got the dynamic social interactions of Animal Crossing, farm management from Harvest Moon, and a sprinkling of Pokémon-esque turn-based battling.

The end result is a one of a kind life sim with cute visuals and a lot of ways to interact with your ooblet pals.

Ooblets come in all shapes and sizes and, after some convincing, will join your party and follow you around everywhere you go.

Our final recommendation to Animal Crossing fans is Hokko Life, another unabashed Animal Crossing clone with big shoes to fill.

This Steam Early Access title sees you transported to a magical town where animals can walk, talk, and request favors.

After taking over the old workshop, you’ll get started on crafting unique furniture and decorations for you and all your neighbors.

When you’re not hammering away at your workbench, you can explore activities like fishing, bug collecting, farming, and more.