10 Games Like Animal Crossing
Searching for games like Animal Crossing? When it comes to stress-free gaming, Animal Crossing sits at the peak of the summit. It's difficult to find titles as charming and captivating as Animal Crossing, but these games like Animal Crossing might surprise you.
Games Like Animal Crossing
Hokko Life
Click to enlargePlatform(s): PC
Right away you'll notice the similarities between Hokko Life and Animal Crossing. Just like in Animal Crossing, you play Hokko Life as a human while all of the NPCs are animals.
The resemblance doesn't stop there though. You spend your time in Hokko Life progressively expanding and renovating the town of Hokko. You'll have full creative freedom in Hokko Life as you customise buildings, furniture, and clothing to your liking. Hokko Life and Animal Crossing residents share the same hobbies too, as you can fish, hunt bugs, and craft across both titles.
One could argue that Hokko Life is even more casual than Animal Crossing due to the fact that Hokko Life isn't based on real-time. You won't find cockroaches scurrying across your floors and angry neighbours in the streets if you neglect to play the game for a month or two. The cute and cosy Hokko Life will induce that Animal Crossing feel in an instant.
Kynseed
Click to enlargePlatform(s): PC
Kynseed is a sandbox life sim with a little bit of everything. Created by the same developers that worked on the Fable series, the spiritual similarities are clear.
Kynseed lets you decide where to take your journey. You can run a business, go adventuring, build a farm, or work on your social skills.
Many of the activities in Kynseed require that you engage in mini-games. When you cook, you'll lay out tomatoes on a cutting board and physically chop them with a knife. While blacksmithing, you'll need to press your keys/buttons at just the right time to forge a pristine sword.
Kynseed will force some action on you, but it's turn-based, so you can take all the time you need in between the combat. You won't need quick reflexes to succeed in Kynseed.
Don't let the 2D pixel art dissuade you because at its core, Kynseed builds off the foundations of what makes Animal Crossing so popular.
Stardew Valley
Click to enlargePlatform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, Android, iOS
In Stardew Valley, you take on the role of a character that's fed up with life as a cog in the wheel and decides to take over their deceased grandpa's farm out in a place called Stardew Valley. This is sorta how Animal Crossing: New Horizons starts. Your character just needs a break from it all, so you purchase a getaway package to a deserted island with Tom Nook.
One of the cores of Stardew Valley is farming, but the game is entirely open-ended. If you don't want to farm, you don't have to! There's so much to do in Stardew Valley, including fishing, cooking, crafting, and exploring. You could spend your entire day socialising and building relationships with the townspeople if you'd like, just like in Animal Crossing.
Stardew Valley also features many seasonal events like Animal Crossing does. The seasons change as you play and each season is highlighted by special Festival events.
Designed, developed, and published by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone alone, Stardew Valley will suck you in just like Animal Crossing once did.
- Already a fan of Stardew Valley? Well, consider checking out our other guide on games like Stardew Valley!
Coral Island
Click to enlargePlatform(s): PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Scheduled to release in the latter half of 2022, Coral Island looks to be a true successor to Animal Crossing.
Coral Island drops you into an enchanting world to live off the land and form relationships with a diverse roster of over 50 townsfolk.
Coral Island prides itself on being a laid-back, chill experience where you can be who you want. Coral Island is the perfect escape from reality, just like Animal Crossing.
My Time At Portia
Click to enlargePlatform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
Sharing the general theme of Animal Crossing and many other titles on this list, My Time At Portia involves starting a new life in a brand-new space.
In My Time At Portia, you take over your Pa's neglected workshop in hopes of restoring it to its former glory. In the process, you'll fulfil commissions, grow crops, raise animals, and join a community of vibrant townspeople.
Like Animal Crossing, a lot of your time in My Time At Portia is spent gathering resources and combining them with recipes to create items. As you play, you'll gain better tools and in return, access to more in-depth recipes. And eventually, the ability to transform the town itself.
Wrapping up the package with an Animal Crossing-like art style, My Time At Portia is sure to charm. And if My Time At Portia interests you, check out My Time At Sandrock, the sequel to My Time At Portia, currently in early access on PC only.
The Sims
Click to enlargePlatform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
The Sims and Animal Crossing both belong under the video game subgenre of social/life simulations. You begin The Sims by creating your own virtual people called "Sims". From there, their life lies in your hands.
Like in Animal Crossing, there are no real defined goals in The Sims. You place your Sims in a home (which you can design yourself) and help them to fulfil their needs and desires.
The Sims and Animal Crossing are rarities in today's age, as neither game features combat of any sort. Just sit back, relax, and navigate the life of your Sims.
If you're looking for a game like Animal Crossing where you can destress after a long day by roleplaying a second life, The Sims might be your calling.
- It seems as though The Sims 4 may have taken a bit of inspiration from Animal Crossing.
Sun Haven
Click to enlargePlatform(s): PC
Sun Haven follows a mediaeval fantasy theme where you as the player are a new arrival in a thriving trade town conveniently named Sun Haven.
As is the case in Animal Crossing, you can be anything you want to be in Sun Haven. Whether you want to cook, farm, or fish, your skills will grow as you pursue your craft.
Those that love decorating and designing their Animal Crossing islands will adore Sun Haven. In Sun Haven, you can decorate to your heart's content with over 100 unique pieces of furniture.
If you have an itch for the animal part of Animal Crossing, Sun Haven can certainly scratch that for you. Sun Haven features tons of different races, including, Humans, Demons, Elves, Angels, Elementals, Naga, and Amari, an animal race that consists of cats, dogs, fish, birds, and reptiles. Each race can be befriended and romanced.
A trip to Sun Haven will no doubt remind you of Animal Crossing.
- Have dreams of managing a flourishing farm? Here's a list of the 10 best farming games in 2022.
Littlewood
Click to enlargePlatform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch
If the social aspect of Animal Crossing is what drives you, Littlewood may be worth looking into.
If you want someone to move into your town in Littlewood, you'll need to convince them. And once they are there, you'll need to fulfil their various requests to keep them happy. With satisfied townsfolk, you'll gain access to all sorts of new amenities like a Tavern, Lumber Mill, Fishing Hut, and Magical Library.
Activities galore exist in Littlewood. You can explore, craft, fish, bug hunt, farm, harvest, mine, cook, and woodcut, to name a few.
Littlewood is a peaceful, relaxing alternative for when you need a break from Animal Crossing.
Core Keeper
Click to enlargePlatform(s): PC
Core Keeper is self-described as a "mining sandbox adventure". You and up to seven friends enter a mysterious cavern and have to mine, build, fight, craft, and farm to survive.
Unlike Animal Crossing, a large focus of Core Keeper is on combat and boss fights. However, there are plenty of non-combat activities to participate in if you so wish. When you create a character, you have the option of choosing a Background. If you're more of a pacifist, you can have a friend be the fighter while you opt for a Background as a Chef or Fisherman.
Early in your Core Keeper career, you'll want to build a base of operations. As you progress in the game, NPCs will appear. If you build a quaint room for them in your house, they'll move in with you and offer different services.
While a little more intense than Animal Crossing, the gameplay loop of Core Keeper is sure to hook you.
Terraria
Click to enlargePlatform(s): PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, Android, iOS
Terraria is a 2D sandbox game revolving around exploration, building, crafting, combat, survival, and mining.
Terraria worlds are procedurally generated, like the islands in Animal Crossing. And when you first enter the world, an NPC called The Guide will greet you and walk you through getting started, just as Tom Nook does in Animal Crossing. As you progress through Terraria, you'll meet dozens of NPCs that provide various services.
If you can deal with the emphasis on combat and boss battles, Terraria's pure depth offers an experience reminiscent of Animal Crossing.
- Nine years later, Terraria is still breaking sales milestones.
Animal Crossing is good for endless hours of entertainment, but if you want a fresh start in something similar, these games like Animal Crossing won't disappoint.
