The charm of Animal Crossing is one of simplistic gameplay, friendly interactions, and achievements across a variety of peaceful skills. Whether you’re sitting by the stream fishing or plodding around your home picking wallpaper, your village in Animal Crossing is a home away from home. So, if putting your feet up and enjoying some peace and quiet is your kind of thing, then this list of the best games like Animal Crossing is for you.
Animal Crossing offers players an opportunity to focus on the importance of building friendships, growing a community, and slowing down the pace of life. Its thoughtful nature means you can decide how you spend your time and what you hope to achieve in your village. There’s a handful of games in the main series to choose from, most recently Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This entry is set on a tranquil island and a true saviour for those looking for a game to play while stuck inside.
Our best games like Animal Crossing list is populated with similar gameplay experiences. And, if you’re still playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, we’ve got a guide to all the ACNH villagers, as well as a look at why New Horizons was one of the most important games of 2020.
Now, let’s get into our list!
Games like Animal Crossing
Stardew Valley – Switch & mobile
Another great game for relaxing after a hard day (or just at any moment) is with indie sim, Stardew Valley, from the developer, ConcernedApe. The focus in this game is cultivating your farm while embarking on quests, planting crops, raising animals, and foraging across the map.
It’s a 2D game and the mechanics are simple, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to do. The pace is luxurious and the day/night cycle plays out alongside the hours you put into the game, leaving the way you schedule your life up to you.
Cozy Grove – Switch & mobile
Next, we’ve got Cozy Grove. Another life sim with a likeness to Animal Crossing. In this title you find yourself camping out on a haunted island. While the premise might sound a little spooky, the gameplay and aesthetics are as cosy as the name suggests. You’re a spirit scout, who finds and befriends local ghosts, exploring the surrounding forest, and crafting with items you find along the way. Blissful.
Make sure you check out our Cozy Grove review to hear our full thoughts.
Happy Street – mobile
Vibrant and fun free-to-play mobile game, Happy Street, is another from the friend-making, community building, farm, and trade genre. You get your own village to build and terrain to explore, just like Animal Crossing.
Only in Happy Street, you take on the role of Billy the fox, working alongside world travelling merchant, Pepin, to make a village full of cute friends. It’s a wholesome game with a lot to offer for those wanting to get their Animal Crossing fix on mobile.
Castaway Paradise – Swith & mobile
Castaway Paradise does what it says on the tin, you’re a castaway on an island looking to rebuild your life and become part of the community that resides there. There are animal villagers that you’ll want to form friendships with, alongside the island life activities such as fishing and catching bugs. A very similar game in nature to Animal Crossing and one that offers a lovely tropical island with changing seasons.
Seabeard – mobile
You’ve got the world in your pocket with this one as you follow captain Seabard’s journey across the ocean to explore different islands. There’s even a Nook tribe to befriend, a callout to Tom Nook of AC fame, perhaps? Seabeard is a game not just about island life, but conquering the seas too, all while feeding whales and rescuing shipwrecked passengers.
The Sims Mobile – mobile
The Sims is one of the original world-building, friendship-creating, item-gathering games that set the stage for many like it. While it’s much more humanistic in nature with job roles and family raising, the pace is one that is dictated by you, the player.
Now that it’s out on mobile, you can play it on the go, huzzah! You won’t be forming friendships with animal villagers, but there are neighbours to chat to and home decor to get creative with. A true classic of the life sim genre.
My Time at Portia – Swith & mobile
Next up, is the charming game inspired by Studio Ghibli, My Time at Portia. The soft aesthetic of this one builds the backdrop to a game where you’re tasked with restoring your Pa’s neglected workshop. You find yourself in the town of Portia building a life, not just at the workshop, but for yourself too with friendships and romances all being a part of this game. There’s a lot to do in Portia with a farm to cultivate, land to explore, and your home to get creative with.
Doraemon Story of Seasons – Switch
Doraemon Story of Seasons is a farming sim based around the iconic Japanese manga character, Doraemon, a friendly robotic cat. Based in the land of Natura, players embark on an adventure of exploration, growing wonderful farmland, and most importantly, creating bonds with town residents. With an art style almost like a painting itself, it’s soothing to look at as well as play.
That’s it for our list of the best games like Animal Crossing on Switch and mobile. If none of those take your fancy, go ahead and browse our list of the best Final Fantasy games on Switch and mobile.
