Life doesn’t always go the way we want it to, or at the very least, we have extravagant dreams we can never achieve, but life games allow us to, virtually at least. The beauty of these titles is that they come in many forms – some ask you to be god (hey now, don’t let it go to your head), and others let you lead a life for yourself.
To discover what the best life games are, we took it upon ourselves to spend some busy days out on the farm, conjure up some spells, create an island, and mess up many virtual lives just so that we can tell you what the best life games are on Nintendo Switch and mobile.
If it’s the pirate life for you, our lists of the best pirate games and One Piece games let you become a scallywag. Or, if you prefer to pillage and plunder, why not see if you can get to Valhalla with our picks for the best Viking games on Switch and mobile. Or go on a grand adventure with the best mobile RPGs. The choice is yours.
Either way, kick back, relax, and read on to discover what the best life games on Switch and mobile are.
Life games
Sunrise Village – mobile
For many of us, life games are an opportunity for us to escape into a life that’s simpler and more idealistic than our own. If that’s what you’re after, then we recommend Sunrise Village – a free-to-play game that puts you into the shoes of somebody who has moved to the countryside to help their grandfather after a strange stone circle appears.
While it does have a story for you to follow, the biggest appeal comes from working to enhance and rebuild the titular village. Maybe you want to look after the animals and maintain your farm, or maybe you want to rebuild the locals’ homes. There are lots of options available to you, but however you choose to spend your time, you won’t be able to get enough of Sunrise Village.
The Sims – mobile
You literally control the life of your Sims, so of course, the Sims has a place on this list. You alone get to determine what sort of a life they lead – are they opulent? Lucky in love? Or do they struggle socially and have a dead-end job? We hope you give them the best of everything, but let’s face it, we’ve all had at least one family we made purely to torment. The Sims is the perfect life game, and we strongly suggest you play it.
Stardew Valley – Switch and mobile
Stardew Valley is one of the most relaxing games out there, and it’s easy to see why so many people love it. You get to start a fresh life on an idyllic farm. Better yet, you can form relationships and friendships with those that live in town, go fishing, mining, and fight monsters, all while you build your farm from scratch.
If you do decide to give Stardew Valley a try, we’ve got plenty of guides for you to check out, including Stardew Valley Abigail, Stardew Valley Elliot, and Stardew Valley Penny – these are great if you’re hoping to enter a relationship with one of these characters. We also have a list of the best games like Stardew Valley, just in case you want some more titles to play.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery – mobile
This might be our favourite entry on this list, purely because it allows you to be a witch or wizard, and it’s not even Harry, Ron, or Hermione. Instead, you get to create a character and lead them through their life at Hogwarts. As such, you must attend classes, take part in extracurricular activities, cast spells, learn potions, and, of course, choose which house to be part of. Oh, and no life game is complete without relationships, and Hogwarts Mystery allows you to discover romance and friendships.
We also happen to have a list of the best Harry Potter games, just in case you’re not ready for the magic to end.
Littlewood – Switch
Admittedly, this game is very similar to Stardew Valley, but Littlewood is so adorable that we’ve no choice but to include it. The aim of the game is simple – build a life for yourself in a new town, and you can do this by adding new buildings to it, and making sure you maintain them with various upgrades. Of course, to do so, you need to harvest materials, chop wood, mine ore, etc. You can also meet the townsfolk, form relationships, and lead a lovely little life.
Godus – mobile
If you’re going to be responsible for people, why not be a god? That’s exactly what you are in Godus, as you must create and shape the world your way. Whether this is for better or worse is up for debate. Either way, you must nurture humankind, and lead them from the primitive ages into one of the most advanced civilisations ever known. If you’re after a life game, we can’t think of a game that fits the description better than Godus.
There you have it, the best life games on Switch and mobile. Make sure you check out our picks for the best Switch RPGs to see what grand adventures await you.